At the age of eight he became a born-again Christian. However, temptation and other factors caused him to stray, and since 2003 dancehall/hip hop gospel artiste O2dR (formerly known as Ordinary) has rededicated his life to the Lord.

On February 16 he released a new collaborative single
World Boss featuring gospel artiste DJ Nicholas. It is their second collaboration after working together 17 years earlier on
Orderly Steps.

“I first surrendered my life to the Lord on my 8th birthday. Too young at the time to fully understand the gravity of my decision, but I loved God and responded to an altar call. Then I went to high school and there were girls, teenage hormones, and peer pressure, and those caused me to stray for a few years. I rededicated my life to the Lord on the 8th day of the 8th month of 2003 and I have been growing in my walk since then. I’ve had some ups and downs and inconsistencies on my journey, but God has been consistent and faithful throughout the entire story. As I get older, I only appreciate and love [God] more. Jesus is the best thing that happened to me,” O2dR disclosed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer in Fort Lauderdale last week.

World Boss, produced by Mark Goble, came about due to what he describes as his frustration with secular artistes who try to put themselves in God’s lane.

“I’ve always been frustrated by talented men who try to put themselves in the God lane. Whether it’s Jay-Z referring to himself as J.Hova, or Kanye West calling himself Yeezus; Gully Gods; Energy Gods; or World Bosses. I respect the God-given talent some of these men are gifted with, but not more than I respect God. I didn’t even want to be referred to as ‘Brogad’ when that was a thing. Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God, what is God’s,” said O2dR.

World Boss is a precursor to his forthcoming album titled Rough Times are Temporary.

“My music is heavily based on my life experiences, so this project provides biblical perspective and solutions for mental health conditions and seeks to reduce the negative stigma attached to mental health conditions. Sometimes religious folks will try to substitute prayer for professional help, but will take medications for hypertension or diabetes. Sometimes the help we’re praying to God for comes in the form of medication or lifestyle changes and cognitive behavioural therapy. The album has multiple producers from various parts of the world. It will be released on February 29,” said O2dR.

The project features collaborations with Sean Lypher, St Matthew, among others.

He explained the meaning behind his name.

“My original stage name was Ordinary, but with a generic name like that it was hard to find me on streaming platforms. I also used to spell my name in the intros of my songs, so I’d go O to the R to the D, I, N to the A to the R, Y. So, when it was time for a name change, I just decided to go with O2dR so it wouldn’t be too much of a change for my old audience,” he reasoned.

Born D’Arthana Burrell, he is originally from the Molynes Road area of Kingston. A past student of Meadowbrook High, he migrated to the United States in 2003.

Said O2dR: “Music began for me at home. My parents liked to sing, and my dad played the guitar sometimes. Growing up in church exposed me to singing in the choir.”

He describes his music as a hybrid of dancehall and hip hop gospel.

“I’ve always loved both genres, but I started off doing straight dancehall because I didn’t have a hybrid (dancehall and hip hop) artiste I could emulate. I ventured into hip hop because most of my events were in the US, and I was frustrated by my audience just partying to my music but missing the message. I eventually fused the two so I could satisfy both cultures,” he told the Observer.

O2dR works as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

“I work with patients who are dealing with mental health issues and substance abuse. I have a special interest in men’s mental health since society has conditioned us to ‘man up’ and rewards us for being stoic, so we don’t always get to process our experiences appropriately. I believe this is evident in the magnitude of men we see acting out in society, or the fact that the suicide rate for men is up to four times higher than that of women,” he shared.

He worships at Unity New Testament Church of God in Lauderdale Lakes.