OMI, ‘Cheerleader’ Singer And Former Cop, Honoured For Being JCF Advocate

Cheerleader singer and ex-cop OMI was presented with a Special Award by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) for his “consistent public advocacy, and selfless devotion to the mission and work of the organization” and being a “source of inspiration and pride” for police officers.

The presentation was made by Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson yesterday, during the JCF’s Long Service and Good Conduct Award Ceremony at the Police Officers’ Club, in St Andrew.

The Constabulary, in its citation to Omi, expressed particular delight at the superstar’s musical tribute Serve and Protect, a song named after the mission statement of the JCF, which was penned and recorded by him in 2019.

“Amidst his incredible rise, and success as an artiste, an exponent of the genres of Reggae, Pop and Reggae Fusion, Omi has never forgotten his roots and the JCF and the grounding and moulding he received in the force,” the citation noted.

“Omi has been a constant advocate and voice for the JCF, a bright light in an island renowned for its irresponsible cultural music, but which in some places, has been menacingly defiant of police law enforcement.   In this regard, Omi saluted the work of the men and the women of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in 2019 with the penning and release of To Serve and Protect, a brilliant essay on the necessity of the JCF to the life and well-being of the nation,” it added.

According to the citation, “OMI has described To Serve and Protect as his lived journey and that he was inspired by his experiences in the police force to write and perform the song, to capture the daily sacrifices of the members of the JCF, and to positively influence the community and the nation”.

In describing the Jamaican singer as a policeman who gave exemplary service to the force, the JCF said he enlisted in June 2009 and was assigned to the motorized patrol division until March 2013”, a relatively short career in law enforcement.   

Nevertheless, the JCF said his stint proved to be a “formative period of personal development, which prepared him well for fame and glamour of the world of music and entertainment, as a popular recording artiste known to the world as Omi”.

“Omar Pasley applied the knowledge and discipline of his time of training at the National Police College of Jamaica to carry out his duties as a constable of police with dignified poise and consistent respect for all,” the citation noted.

In response, the singer, who is a native of May Pen in Clarendon, after performing his hits Cheerleader and Hula Hoop, similarly hailed the Constabulary for its positive impact on his life.

“My name is Omar Samuel Passley aka Omi, and I am proud to have served this noble organisation.  During my time here, I would have adopted the attributes of a good constable.  These are attributes I took with me throughout all my endeavours, including but not limited to music. With that being said, that has inspired me to pen this tribute to the Jamaica Constabulary Force and I have very high hopes for this tribute here,” Omi said in his response just ahead of his delivery of the song.

“I know that this will reach far and wide because this is intended to bridge the gap between the police and the public.  For any relationship to work, there has to be understanding between all parties involved.   And I think this song does just that,” the Garvey Maceo High School old boy added.

The JCF’s citation also made references to OMI’s music career, noting that his musical acumen was discovered in Kingston by prominent talent manager Clifton “Specialist” Dillon, who signed him to his Oufah Music outfit.

OMI met Specialist, a former manager of Shabba Ranks, while still a recruit at the police training school.   

“When I met Mr Dillon and we started working, the people who he would play my music for asked him why he didn’t let me quit training school. He told them, ‘No, let him finish and spend some time in the police force because he is going to need that same discipline when he starts doing music professionally.’,” OMI recalled during an interview with the STAR tabloid.

“Well, I am forever grateful to Mr Dillon for his wisdom. He would have known the drawbacks of fame and the qualities that I would need to handle it. I’m happy that I got the training from the force.”

He also revealed that all proceeds from his song, Serve and Protect, would be donated to a special fund for police officers.

“I was a policeman for three years, 10 months and 13 days and I treasure those moments…  I could never bash the force because the experiences there taught me so much and helped to equip me for my journey ahead. The lessons that I learnt at the university called the JCF have carried me through life and here I am now being honoured by the force. It is a wonderful feeling,” he stated.

The remix of Cheerleader, by German DJ Felix Jaehn, topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2015.  The song is certified 3X Platinum in the United States, for sales and streams exceeding 3 million units.

OMI, who was signed to Ultra Music, a subsidiary of Sony Music, had also released his debut album Me 4 U, back in 2015.    It certified Gold for sales and streaming exceeding 500,000 units.