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Ishmel Mcanuff (aka: Little Lion, Little Dragon, Trouble Double, et Kenniyata, Ishmael, Ishmel, and Macklaw) was born July 27, 1984 in Kingston Jamaica. Ishmel is the son of reggae great Winston Mcanuff and Viviene Johnson. Coming from a musical family Ishmel was on stage from an early age during Reggae Sunsplash 1987 at 2 ½ years old while his dad was performing: Watching and waiting he caught his dad’s eye, asking for the mic forcing his father to stop on stage and give him the mic. He fearlessly approached the crowd smiling, waving, and dancing, and then gave the mic back to his dad. This moment is etched in his earliest memories and is a testament to his charismatic performances to this day. At 7 years old, with the encouragement of his mother, he started DJing at parties and events, and at 9 he began writing and singing his own songs. At 10 Ishmel recorded his first song titled; “Me a Old Don” at Matic Studio in Christiana, Machester. Living in Kingston, violence was very high, so he left Kingston and moved to the country in Christiana Manchester. In 1996 at Treasure Beach St. Elizabeth, Ishmel (going by the stage name was “Little Lion”) opened for Dennis Brown, Culture and Tyrone Taylor .
Ishmel’s talent for music, and comfortable stage presence, also helped him win The Best Junior Actor in “Jamaica Gold” while attending Jamaica’s Knox College 1998. In that same year he continued his musical journey, opening for Bounty Killer and Baby Cham at Fayers Entertainments Mandeville, now going by the stage name; “Trouble Double”. In year 2000 Ishmel was the winner of the GT Taylor Red Label competition. Since then, Ishmel has not stopped moving forward with his musical career, recording and touring in Europe extensively. Ishmel Mcanuff has his own naturally inspired style, and is a charismatic performer that is sometimes compared to Sizzla, Capleton, and Jah Mason
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