An affable entertainer since his childhood, OMI (the son of musician Jah Ken) was discovered by Clifton "Specialist" Dillon, who has been a major factor in the careers of
Shabba Ranks and
Patra. He is best known for the international multi-platinum chart-topper "Cheerleader," which appeared on his debut, 2015's Me 4 U.
Born Omar Samuel Pasley in Clarendon, Jamaica, OMI debuted in 2011 with "Standing on All Threes." The following year he returned with "Cheerleader," an easygoing reggae-pop single that he co-wrote and co-produced. It fared rather well, particularly in New Zealand, where it went platinum. "Take It Easy" and "Color of My Lips" (featuring
Busy Signal) were issued as follow-up singles, but neither fared as well.
In 2014, a light
Felix Jaehn dance remix of "Cheerleader" topped pop charts in several territories, including Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland. In the U.S., it reached the Top Five the following year. Follow-up "Hula Hoop" peaked in the Australian and Swedish Top Tens and led to the October 2015 release of OMI's first album, Me 4 U. In the years that followed, OMI hopped onto singles with
the Vamps ("I Found a Girl"),
Shaggy ("Seasons"), and
Marcus & Martinus ("Never"). In 2018, he reunited with "Cheerleader"-reviver
Felix Jaehn for the single "Masterpiece." ~ Andy Kellman