Biography – DJ Lethal Vybz

 

Troy Valentine Sterread—well known as DJ Lethal Vybz—is a Jamaican-Canadian DJ, producer and manager whose passion for music is unmatched. In a small community named King Weston, located in the parish of St. Andrew, Jamaica, Sterread made his entrance into the world on October 9, 1987. He was yet to discover just how much of an impact he would make in the world of music, both in the Canadian and global context.

 

His childhood growing up in Jamaica was filled with a combination of music and sports. He was always destined to make an influential contribution to the music scene—interestingly, Sterread attended all age school with Dancehall Reggae Artist Gyptian. Both grew up playing cricket and soccer together, and kept a close-knit community through recreation, team camaraderie, and a deep passion for music. At an early age, he knew that he had a strong passion and love for music. One of his fondest childhood memories growing up in Jamaica was when he would listen to Late Night Irie FM or when he would pop his favourite 90s music mixes on his cassette tape into his Walkman while walking home. The music he listened to was a combination of Bruk Out Riddim, Showtime Riddim, and Pepperseed Riddim. 

 

In 1999, Sterread moved from Jamaica with his siblings to join their mother in Canada, where they settled in Toronto. Upon arriving in Canada, he was impressed with how welcomed he felt and was excited to discover a new environment, while upholding his Jamaican culture. He attended Carleton Village Junior and Senior Sports and Wellness Academy for elementary school and Bloor Collegiate Institute for high school.

 

Soon after, in the early 2000s, Sterread began to discover his musical talent—beyond passion—when his older brother Andrew started his own sound system group called “Khaos Sound Crew.” As Sterread sat on his bed quietly observing and listening to his brother trying to figure out how to blend two songs together, he suddenly had an enlightening moment. Without any prior experience or formal technical training, within an hour Sterread was able to develop a thorough understanding of exactly how to solve the task that once seemed impossible – and it took his brother by surprise. Therein did he discover his unique musical skill, specifically his innate ability to mix and master music. To this day, he is consistent in attributing his desire to become a DJ to the influence of his uncle Buju Banton, whom Sterread considers to be one of the greatest Reggae Artists. So, his journey into the world of becoming a renowned DJ commenced and soon Troy Valentine Sterread would be professionally known as “DJ Lethal Vybz.” While beginning to dive into his musical career, he impressively served in the Canadian Army Reserves between 2007 and 2016.

 

He first stepped into the music scene as a DJ with his brother as part of Khaos Sound Crew. Later, he joined Silver Bullet Sound from Scarborough and was then recruited by 2002 World Clash Champions Rebel Tone Sound. Given his exceptional ability to mix music and his impact on fans, Sterread was officially given the name DJ Lethal Vybz – if anyone knew how to energize a crowd, it was certainly him. 

 

Between 2004 and 2016, DJ Lethal Vybz consistently demonstrated his skill and lived up to his name. He performed a show with Dancehall Artist Bryka in Roatán, Honduras in December 2018 and managed her until the end of the year. His skill reached and impacted thousands of fans who were eager to meet him, and between 2018 and 2019 he participated in Buju Banton’s Walk to Freedom Tour. In March 2020, DJ Lethal Vybz hosted an online show called “On the Rise Pt. 2” with Wall Street Promo, where various Canadian artists shared their talents. 

 

With his unique and nuanced style of music—Dancehall Reggae, Hip Hop & R&B crossover— DJ Lethal Vybz began producing music in 2020 and released his first riddim on October 9, 2020 (his birthday), reaching over 500,000 streams on Spotify. It was a full circle moment in his career. His riddim is a compilation of Canadian and Jamaican artists, featuring Dancehall Artist Pamputtae’s song entitled “Put On A Show”, Dancehall Artist Iyara’s song called “Upstairs”, and Canadian Dancehall Artist Eyesus’ song entitled “Live Nice”. Needless to say, it was an absolute hit. He also released his “We Ready Riddim” in 2021, highlighting the talent of various Canadian artists. This riddim also reached half a million streams and is currently being played on a daily basis on Flow 98.7FM. 

 

In addition to these remarkable accomplishments, DJ Lethal Vybz has produced over 36 songs since 2020, including 3 riddims, 17 singles, 1 EP co-produced with Jahazeil Myrie (Buju Banton’s son); he produced Myrie’s first Crossover song called “Introductions” featuring rap artist Bandit from Philadelphia, PA, and released Vancouver-based artist Jônelle’s song entitled “Unforgettable”, among many other achievements. Each project has garnered thousands of streams on various platforms. DJ Lethal Vybz has also worked with Payday Music Group, Smokeshop Studios, and Markus Records, appeared on Flow 98.7FM with Bryka as well as Shenseea and her management group Romeich Entertainment, and created the first Dancehall video medley entitled “We Ready” in 2021, highlighting a number of Canadian artists. His music has featured on multiple Spotify playlists including Discovery Weekly, On Repeat, Daily Mix, Repeat Rewind, and Spotify Radio and he has been recognized for creating the first Dancehall Group in Canada (“Farrin Badniss”) which unites diverse artists, producers, DJs, and dancers.

 

As DJ Lethal Vybz continues to make his mark in the Canadian music industry, he looks forward to expanding Farrin Badniss and uniting more musicians to create a fusion of different styles of music that people all over the globe can enjoy. His goal is for music to be timeless and to continue changing the game while helping others to do the same.