André Jebbinson, Staff Reporter

Oneil 'Ninja Diamond' Palmer. - Contributed

Ninja Man is widely known for his shenanigans that always seem to have him in the limelight. The bizarre respect that others have for him will make any youngster wanting to make it in the business gravitate to him.

Oneil 'Ninja Diamond' Palmer was one of those who became one of Ninja Man's 'adopted sons', one of his sidekicks, never to leave Ninja Man alone.

Took a turn

From as far back as when Palmer was nine years old, he would appear with the dancehall legend on most of his biggest stage shows. He was quickly becoming known by the audiences and could generate a hype wherever he went.

That came to a halt when Ninja Man had his run-ins with the law. After Ninja Man was released from prison in 1999, Ninja Diamond was back into his old habit of being a part of Ninja Man's on-stage entourage. It was at that very event, 'The Return of Ninja Man', that things took a turn for Ninja Diamond.

"Di crowd did a guh wild fi mi, but me neva a feel dem. I knew then that things had to change in my life. Mi just left di stage right away and that was the last time," Ninja Diamond said.

While he was driving home, he took the chance to think about the warning he got from Ninja Man while he was in prison. Ninja Man would urge him not to do anything to find himself in the place of torment.

"I thought that if Ninja was a bad man and couldn't survive prison, it cannot be a good place," Diamond said.

One of the surest ways to keep out of prison was to repent. He said he got saved the following Sunday.

Diamond had the talent and so he decided to use it for the Lord, but he was to find out that crossing over into gospel music would mean he was still going to have the biggest problem he had in secular music.

"A lot of the producers didn't want anything to do with me because I was associated with Ninja Man. They use to seh 'Ninja was in the church and lef, he is going to do the same thing'," Diamond said. "I didn't expect people who call themselves Christians to be behaving like this."

Prove himself

There were, however, the likes of Lester Lewis, Joan Flemming, and Robert and Jenieve Bailey, who gave Diamond the opportunity to prove himself.

He did just that and other gospel artistes started to warm to him. He can now minister with the assurance that he has the support of his fellow artistes.

"The most successful thing for me is when people soul save. I feel good when I see people speaking in tongues and just a minister," Ninja Diamond said.

He thinks his life story only shows that the vilest of offenders can turn into a story that is worth telling. Diamond is currently on the verge of releasing his second album, Careful.

He is married to Denise and has two children.

"When I just started, it was hard. Now the same people who didn't want me on their show want to book me now. I think God is good and he has helped me to be where I am today," Ninja Diamond said.