Cham: A Ghetto Story

Cham, formerly known as ‘Baby Cham’, has been active in the reggae/dancehall scene since the early 1990s. Born Damian Beckett on February 24 1979, Cham knew from an early age that music would be in his future.

As early as high school, Cham was bumping elbows with the likes of Dave Kelly, one of the most successful reggae/dancehall producers in Jamaica. The creative chemistry between the two led to the release of Cham’s debut album in the year 2000, Wow… The Story. The album garnered massive attention in Jamaica, but it was the crossover 2006 hit, Ghetto Story, that put Cham on the map internationally.

Fans around the world fell in love with the simple, yet classic, electronic beat and the sincerity portrayed in the lyrics. Featuring the Piano Princess, Alicia Keys, definitely didn’t hurt either.

“I remember those days when Hell was my home. When me and Mama bed was a big piece a foam. And me never like bathe and my hair never comb. When Mama gone a work, me go street, go roam.”

This is as real as it gets for Cham. Growing up in Sherlock Crescent in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, the artist recalls an absent father, living in poverty with his mother and four other siblings, and even witnessing the murder of his best friend at the tender age of 12.

The success of ‘Ghetto Story’, and the 2006 album of the same name, spawned the release of similar “story” songs by multiple other artists. Cham has since gone on to collaborate with a multitude of hip hop and R&B artists (some include Foxy Brown, Rihanna, Akon, T-Pain, and Keke Palmer), adding to his international success.

Grammy award nominated for a reason, Cham was able to transform his pain and passion into a successful career that has transcended time for nearly 30 years. What a story indeed!