The 23-year-old on balancing his law studies with unexpected viral fame, turning adversity into strength, and why he’s still not giving up on the books anytime soon B ack home, he’s known as the “miracle boy”. Hailing from Montego Bay, Jamaica, Nigy Boy (real name Nigel Hector) wasn’t expected to survive childbirth. He spent three months in an incubator, which caused his permanent loss of vision, but went on to enjoy a vibrant, healthy childhood.
Even though his town didn’t have suitable resources for blind students, he loved school – and became fascinated by music. Now 23 years old, Nigy Boy’s soaring vocal ability and charismatic performances turned the heads of some of Jamaica’s biggest dancehall artists, including Dexta Daps and Shenseea . But despite his newfound success, Nigy Boy refused to put music ahead of his school books.
“A few months back, I was completing the end of my undergraduate studies and working with the New York State government. On weekends I was off to Guayana, Bahamas for shows,” he chuckles over the phone from his home in New York. “Sometimes I had sleepless nights writing papers, or I had to work on songs on my lunch break.
It’s been a hell of a process!” Nigy Boy’s unexpected breakthrough came late last year, after he released a demo based on a riddim (an instrumental track) by Jamaican producer Rvssian. ‘Juggling Riddims’ is a musical Jamaican tradition where producers challenge vocalists to pen and sing lyrics ov.