Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

It's Not often that gunmen become gospel artistes, but Dunamis Reins made that transition. He now believes in prayers, especially his mother's.

"She shed a whole heap of tears. Mi even wake up an' see she a cry over mi. What kept me was her praying for me," he told The Gleaner.

Dunamis Reins, whose real name is Greg Grant, said he started a life of crime while attending high school in Kingston. He belonged to a gang and they would frequently get into fights, but soon he moved up the ladder and was introduced to the gun.

First gun

"I had my first gun at 16 or 17 years old. I was in gang war and community against community war. The gun [I had] wasn't really mine but more like a keep and care weh mi a lock but it was not my personal gun," said Dunamis. He explained that at that time, he resided in Golden Spring, St Andrew.

However, in 2002, he moved to Deanery Road in east Kingston, where he owned his first gun. This, he claimed, was needed for protection. Soon after, he returned to Golden Spring as he developed new enemies.

On returning to Golden Spring, a feud developed between his former gang and himself. And, at a street dance, a group of men tried to kill him.

"Mi nuh know how mi get out a di situation 'cause mi did accept death. Mi not even did have a knife fi defend meself," he said.

There was another attempt on his life after that incident. The latter incident brought about a change in his life, which resulted in his baptism in 2004.

Mother's faith

The gospel artiste related that during his warring years his family had shunned him, except his mother whose faith kept him alive.

"Dem (family) nuh deal wid mi at all. Dem seh mi soon dead. The only person weh really hold on was mi mother," he said.

Dunamis recently recorded Gangster Life which along with Deh Ya Fi Yuh and Saturate Me O' Lord has been getting a fair amount of rotation.

"In Gangster Life mi talk bout things weh happen to me as a youth. This is a way of preventing other people from making the same mistakes I have made in my life. I get good reviews from people," he said.

While he has no immediate plans for an album, Dunamis said he wants to establish himself as a gospel artiste.