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JAM | Nov 28, 2022

5 famous Americans you may not have known are also Jamaican

Tamoy Ashman

Tamoy Ashman / Our Today

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The diaspora spans far and wide, inclusive of several big names in politics, sports, entertainment and business, whose Jamaican heritage we might be ignorant about.

With the second highest rate of brain drain in the world, the country has seen several of its citizens leaving in pursuit of a better life.

It was previously reported by Our Today that Jamaica has the fifth largest diaspora, and citizens continue to leave the island, resulting in an increase in the numbers.

The Jamaican diaspora is particularly large in places such as the United States, Canada and England.

US Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo: The Arizona Republic)

After leaving the small island, some then go on to have children in these new territories they call home, birthing children who are not citizens of Jamaica, but carry great pride in being of Jamaican descent.

Kamala Harris, vice president of the United States, is one example of this, but there are more popular faces, in various walks of life, who we may not know have Jamaican blood running through their veins.

Here is a list of five Jamaican-Americans in the diaspora who have managed to gain popularity in the entertainment industry.

Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes is an actor and rapper who currently resides in the United States.

He was born to the name Trevor George Smith Jr. on May 20, 1972, to parents Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith Sr, who are both Jamaicans.

Rhymes has since made his name in the entertainment industry, with a total of 12 Grammy nominations.

Though he has not yet won a Grammy, he has produced many hit songs which dominated the 90s and early 2000s such as Dangerous and Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See.

He is also proud of his Jamaican heritage, often collaborating with artistes from the dancehall and reggae island.

Most recently he collaborated with dancehall artiste Skillibeng, who was featured on Bulletproof Skin, a song featured on Rhymes’ latest EP, The Fuse Is Lit.

Rhymes has also collaborated with incarcerated Jamaican artiste Vybz Kartel and often uses Jamaican phrases, patois and slang in his music.

Tyga

More commonly known by his stage name, Tyga, the rapper’s legal name is Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson.

The Ayo artiste was born and raised in California to a Vietnamese and a Jamaican father, whose Yardie blood runs through his veins.

Though his Jamaican heritage is not a popularly known fact, the artiste has explored his island roots through his music, collaborating with a few Jamaican artistes.

His most known collaboration was with rising international sensation and Jamaican artiste Shenseea on Blessed. Tyga also collaborated with dancehall artiste Demarco on Feeling U.

Back in 2016, in an attempt to connect and explore his Jamaican side, he also sampled Mr Vegas’ Sucky Ducky in his dancehall inspired song titled 1 of 1.

At the time of the release, he also gave more details about his Jamaican heritage, sharing that his grandfather was born and raised in Duhaney Park.

Roxanne Beckford

Jamaican actress Roxanne Beckford

Beckford is a Jamaica-born actress known for her roles in popular TV shows such as Pretty Little liars, Criminal Minds and A Different World.

The Hollywood actress and entrepreneur was born at the Nuttall Hospital in St Andrew to parents S Douglas Beckford and his wife at the time, English-born Christene Ann Crawford.

After her parents’ divorce in 1976, she moved to Miami, Florida and later became an actress.

Her work in the industry dates back as far as 1992, when she played Courtney in A Different World, and in 1995, when she played Nina (Diane Keaton’s nurse) in Father of the Bride Part 2.

Corbin Bleu Reivers

Bleu is most commonly known for his role of ‘Chad’ in the popular movie series High School Musical. But did you know that the talented 33-year-old also has Jamaican roots?

He is also a singer, displaying his voice in the Disney musical series on the track I Don’t Dance.

His mother, Martha Callari, is Italian American, which means he gets his Jamaican heritage from his father, actor David Reivers, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica.

The Disney star also appeared in Jump In, and was featured in a special episode of Hannah Montana.

Among his list of accomplishments is a nomination for a ‘Teen Choice Award’ in 2009 and a ‘Young Artiste Award’ in 2007.

Tyson Beckford

Born in 1970, Beckford is mainly known as an actor or model for popular clothing brand Ralph Lauren.

If you are a fan of the Toni Braxton single Unbreak My Heart, then Beckford’s face might also look familiar to you, because he was featured in the music video.

The 51-year-old is of Jamaican descent, getting his irie heritage from his mother, Hillary Dixon Hall, who was fully Jamaican, as well as his father, Lloyd Beckford, who is Chinese-Jamaican.

Beckford was born in New York, but soon after his birth, his mother moved the family back to Jamaica where they lived for seven years, before moving back to the Big Apple.

Beckford was named ‘Man of the Year’ in 1995 by VH1 and ‘One of the most beautiful people in the world by People magazine.

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