RussBuss spiritually transformed - Born-again DJ/producer aiming to influence conscious music

Popular genre-fluid disc jockey/producer 'RussBuss' said his born again transition was first inspired by a shocking spiritual revelation.

He plans to use his new journey with God to influence more youths and produce more conscious music.

The musical creative, who got baptised last week Sunday at the Meadowbrook United Church, said this decision has been weighing on him for two years, after he came face-to-face with a demonic spirit, which proved his faith, gift and strength in God as an ardent worshipper.

"I grew up Christian, I've always known God; my grandmother is Catholic and dem believe in God very heavily so I've been to Catholic as well as Presbyterian churches," he admitted.

"I'm not into the cherry-picking and differences in denominations. For me, I believe there's one God and I'm focused on my own personal journey with him. I know it's going to be a difficult journey with me in the dancehall space," RussBuss, whose given name is Russell Gordon, told THE STAR.

PARANORMAL ENCOUNTER

Though he's been walking with God for years now, Gordon said it wasn't until two years ago when a paranormal encounter occurred which tested his faith, he started contemplating completely submerging to Christ.

"I had an experience of a demonic manifestation in someone else; some evil spirit was around me and I was actually able to see it for the first time. I've always been praying to God to give me the spirit of discernment and to reveal stuff to me but mi never know mi dida guh get it in such a shocking way," he underscored, before he briefly chronicled what transpired.

"About two years ago, I had an encounter with someone that was manifesting an evil spirit and I could see like the spirit controlling the person, dem face literally a transform in front a me.

"If some people hear di story dem wudda think mi mad but it's the truth. Dat was the first time in my life I'd say in layman's term, mi si a duppy. Dat was really the experience that made me want to get back closer to God because at the time I had taken a break from church for a while," he related.

"The person was speaking to me and whatever was in him did recognise my power or recognised that I'm someone who's covered. I was terrified yes, a very scary experience but I still had this sense of bravery and I knew that this thing never had any power over me," he added.

"A feeling just overpower mi fi chase it down and mi run him dung and as mi a walk through di place, door a lock, light a lock off, just like in di movies, a bunch a paranormal type a activities, window a fly shut, mi a try open door, di door dem lock, one bag a madness, believe mi.

"But throughout it all mi did just have di sense of authority and calm and a voice a tell mi seh, 'Don't be afraid of this thing'. Right now mi a talk and goosebumps a tek mi because it just tek mi back to dah day deh," he explained.

RIGHT TIME

He said since then, he had received several revelations repeatedly directing him to Christ, but he believes the right time was now.

"I was waiting to be perfect because mi smoke but surprisingly that's when mi really talk to God a lot. But I plan to eventually give it up completely," RussBuss revealed. "So I always thought if I should get baptised and I'm not perfect that it wouldn't be genuine, but I just said am gonna do it.

"It's a transition; yuh don't get baptised and as yuh come outta di water yuh turn di perfect human being. So I just see it as a personal journey and a personal walk and it's gonna take time to fully transition because even the best Christians sin. I know I'm not perfect and I'm gonna stumble but he [Jesus] already did what was necessary for us to be forgiven, all we have to do is believe," he underscored.

RussBuss, who is known as a former DJ of the Coppershot sound, has been producing his own culturally creative productions across several genres such as dancehall, hip hop, afrobeats and UK-inspired music for the past five years. He has worked with several mainstream artistes such as D'Yani, Projexx, Govana, Jahmeil and D-Major.

Despite supporters' concerns, he said his new journey will not change his career but will see him lobbying for more artistes to produce more positive and conscious music.

"Nuff a di artiste dem nuh only sing bout guzu, dem actually practise it and going around them, you don't know what they're mixed up in so you have to just really pray and cover yuhself," he noted. "From before baptism, if yuh nuh align with me spiritually and morally, mi naah guh really work wid you. I can only do what is in my power to help someone to write more conscious lyrics but at the same time I can't fully block an artiste's creative process. So when I make a beat, I can't control wah come out of an artiste mouth, but where I can encourage dem to write or say something in a more radio-friendly and morally accepting way and advocate for especially less sexually explicit content, I'm gonna do that," he promised.