By Stephanie Lyew – STAR Writer

Popular dancehall entertainer Agent Sasco was among 35 recipients of the Order of Distinction (OD) in the Rank of Officer yesterday at the 2022 National Honors and Awards held on the lawns of King’s House.

He received the honor for outstanding contribution to music, philanthropy and for providing positive pro-social messaging for Jamaican youth.

“I’m honored by it, and at the same time this is motivation for me to continue along the path I have continued to chart,” Agent Sasco told THE STAR. “It also serves again for me to be more deliberate in how I spend my time and where I put my energies.”

The hitmaker, given name Jeffrey Ethan Campbell, began his career as Assassin, entering the dancehall scene in 1999 after lyrics he wrote were recorded by dancehall artiste Spragga Benz for a song titled Big Up All The Shotta Dem. Then, in 2001, the young entertainer followed up with the single To The World on the ‘Rice and Peas’ rhythm, which was his official debut.

However, later in his career, he ended up seeing a need for a change in his moniker, changing his name to Sasco, which is a derivative of Assassin, to Agent 006 in 2006, playing off the James Bond theme. As Agent Sasco, he penetrated the music scene in a way that benefited his career. From dropping one part of their names to completely switching monikers, local and international recording artistes have done so to facilitate a new style of music or when transitioning through different phases of their careers.

But for Agent Sasco, it was not about only about facilitating new music, but because “that name became untenable for several reasons.”

“The immediate connotation of the name itself was just hard to shake regardless of whatever justification or spin you try to put on it,” he said.

Earlier this year, the artiste addressed criticisms of a dancehall fan on social media who claimed that his lyrical potency had become watered down or was not as hardcore. Agent Sasco explained that it was ‘not merely a rebranding … it was a mental revamp’. His comment continued: “I decided my work should reflect my values and beliefs. So if you expect me to produce material from a 19-year-old “Assassin-perspective”, good luck with that … Don’t expect me to release songs promoting murder nor anything to further societal decay either.”

The Winning Right Now lyricist and performer has made certain that anything he sets a target for, living up to his original moniker, he doesn’t miss. Armed with the support of his friends and family, as well as colleagues in the industry, he has managed to forge an exemplary path.

“The best advice anyone can give is in example, and having a situation play out that others can see and hopefully learn from,” he said.