Tommy Lee Sparta shared his emotional reunion with his young children and headed for a river bath hours after he was released from the Horizon Adult Remand Center in Kingston, Jamaica, on Thursday.
Videos of the artist taking a dip in a river surfaced on social media a few hours after he was seen walking out of jail while his family, overwhelmed with emotions, hugged and showered him with love. Tommy Lee Sparta had been incarcerated since 2020 after pleading guilty to the and was sentenced to complete his five-year sentence for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition (the sentences were concurrent, so he only served the longer sentence of three years while the ammunition sentence (two years) was counted as served simultaneously).
Sparta was spotted wearing a blue cap while taking a dip in the river. The taste of freedom for the artist has been celebrated by his family and friends. He has been spotted surprising his two daughters as he walks into his house. The children are seen holding onto the artist’s leg while the younger one hugs her father tightly as she squeals in surprise.
Some fans of the artist have commented on how different he looks after being away in jail for a good amount of time.
There is also another video of the artist seemingly expressing gratitude for “sunshine and rain,” and he can enjoy the beautiful day. He’s seen singing “Beautiful Day (Thank You for Sunshine)” by Jermaine Edwards, Rushawn, and TRINIX in a video while at the riverside. It’s unclear if this video is recent as it is a selfie video where the artist is cleanly shaven, but recent photos and videos of him show him having a bushy beard.
Tommy Lee Sparta, whose name is Leroy Russel, has not officially spoken to fans, but his collaborator, Damage Musiq’s producer Dwayne Parkinson shared that he was looking forward to working with the artist and releasing new music when he is ready.
The producer explained that he has been in touch with the artist, and according to the Jamaica Star, Parkinson believes that the artist is reformed.
“Tommy Lee Sparta is a changed man. The fact that he was released ahead of the expected time, for his good behaviour, tells so much. I have always expected nothing but good of him and, even before the whole ordeal, he was on a positive path and due to circumstances, beyond my knowledge or understanding, he ended up in that situation,” the producer added.
Tommy Lee released songs like “God’s Eye,” “Procreator,” and “Blessings,” which are all chart-topping songs.
Meanwhile, Tommy Lee’s lawyer Donahue Martin requested privacy on behalf of his client as he confirmed that the artist was using the time to rest and reconnect with his loved ones after being a guest of the state.
The management of Tommy Lee Sparta requested that everyone, music industry professionals, event promoters, and fans, allow the artiste some quiet time.
Told The Weekend Star that the deejay respectfully asked for privacy in the coming days as he rests and reconnects with family and loved ones.
The Flanker, St. James native is managed by Nicole Taban of Boss Lady Muzik, who explained he is with his family and won’t be speaking to fans and the press anytime soon.
In the meantime, Martin, a growing criminal defense attorney in Jamaica who has worked for several high-profile clients, was asked about the change in the gun legislation, which he says he isn’t in favor of as the new law disproportionately removes judicial discretion.
“As counsel, we have an issue with the legislation and we have an issue with removing the judicial discretion in relation to the issue of sentence, especially in such a disproportionate way,” the lawyer said, adding that 15 years for mandatory sentences is a long time.
