Jamaican-born Atlanta-based designer, Omar Thomas, has been courting popular Jamaican entertainers and dancers in a bid to expose his Rep JA T-shirt line, which he started a few years ago and which, he said, has been making waves in Atlanta.

Singing group Voice Mail model Jamaican Omar Thomas' Rep JA T-shirt line, which advertises some of the latest dances and dancehall hits.

"I was listening to some music and thinking about some of the latest dance moves at the same time. That was what gave me the inspiration to start the T-shirt line," Thomas said in an interview via telephone last week.

Thomas, who has been living in the United States for the past 16 years, said that reaction to the T-shirt line has been overwhelming so far.
"The response has been great, and we can't keep up with the requests that we have been getting," he said. "We have people from Jamaica, Japan and parts of Europe who have been visiting our website and our myspace page e-mailing us wanting the t-shirts. Right now, we are focussing on building the brand awareness."

With bright retro colours and bearing the latest dancehall slangs, slogans and songs, including Munga's Bad From Mi Born, Mr Vegas' Tek Weh Yuself, Ding Dong's Bad Man Forward Bad Man Pull Up, and Tony Matterhorn's Goodas Fi Dem, the T-shirt line has so far received endorsement from some of the top names in dancehall music. They include Mr Vegas, dancers Ding Dong and Ovamars, Elephant Man, Lexxus, Mr Peppa and Voice Mail.

Originally from Anchovy in St James, Thomas, who left Jamaica for New York prior to settling in Atlanta, said he plans to expand his product to the Caribbean.
"We are putting in the infrastructure for that, but in the meantime, persons can check out our website and place their orders," he said.

King of the dancehall indeed

Dark Knight sets record

Cascadara, a musical lesson in forgiveness