Andrew Minott’s tell All Autobiography
By: C. Harrison/Editor | modified Sunday, March 5, 2023 | Sunday, April 30, 2023 | 11:10 PM
New York, NY… Andrew Minott, a U.S. army veteran and currently a reggae music Producer, was vetted into writing an s autobiography “Prove Em Wrong,” about his turmoil upbringing by his cousin, former reggae music icon, Sugar Minott, and pushed into the actual cause by a friend for many years due to mutual children rearing, PR magnet, Angelo Ellerbee. The enticement for the book better sweet; but Minott, persevered. His voice on the other side of the phone sounded understanding, serious, yet playfully diplomatic and at times emotional. In essence, the voice sounded grippingly sad barely noticeable. The book thus far is gaining traction and is number #1 in the Caribbean and is a Latin American Literature. The book is getting rave reviews on various platforms.
According to Minott, the older him would never become his father. When his first son was born at age 25, he made a commitment to himself to never treat his child like his father treated him. He said that the first job he had he did whatever they wanted and worked eight-to-ten-hour shifts, to make his son’s life better than his. “I did all the things that my mother would do for a child which, was all the ingredients you give your first child that you never got from your father.” Minott, now with four children 3-boys and 1-girl, relented that he doesn’t treat his children the way his father treated him. He noted that has a parent, he over ‘compensates’ in and about everything. The mild sounding Producer quelled that he had that drive to never want to be like his father. “I hated my father. He basically gave me the blueprint of what not to do.”
Luckly, over the years, young Minott, had other family members he could talk to. namely his uncle. Percival Minott, a member of the PNP Party, his grandparents and of course cousin Sugar M; who gave him small vignette into his life and how he made it to stardom…which was advice and teachings from the Crown Prince of reggae, Denis Brown, on how to make money and govern himself inside the Reggae Music Fraternity. Uncle Percy, on how to become and be a man and his Grandparents disciplines, as well as his friend parents.
Conversely, Minott reiterated that he was not afraid he would become the other side of the coin like his father because it would never happen. He revealed that he looked after under privilege children and never realized what it was really and truly like, to have an absentee father period because he grew up at least around his friend parents, who treated him like family. So, that even though his father was seldom around he still knew what a father is supposed to do and what a family unit was. In a matter-of-fact voice, Minott conceded that they never got professional help even though not having their fathers around often affected them. Minott contends that writing the book gave him lots of time to heal, as well as time before his father’s passing. He said, ” It was therapy for me.” Minott said he write the book to prove that Blackman can be great fathers.
The incipiency and triggering of Minott’s wows and hatred for his father began because his father almost never came to visit his sister and him. he said prior to his 18th birthday, he had only seen his father 6 times in his life. The very first time he literally laid eyes on his father was at 7 or 8 years old, when he came the day in question, to visit. Young Minott. came downstairs of his mother’s house to sit on a couch his sister had just vacated to see his father and his sister came back for her seat and they began to argue over the seat. His father without knowing much about him beat him straight out. After which, his grandmother scolded and cuss-off his father for doing so. “I feel that the beating was not justified,” Minott quipped.
Other incidences that poisoned young Minott’s mind away from his father, were at his father’s house at 16 and or 17 years old, where he went to visit once or, twice and all his father did was made him cleanup his house and his yard etc. To this day Minott, resented it. Minott, said he even remember when he was at Daytona College in Florida, where his money was stolen and had not eaten for two days and called his father to asked him if he could send him some money, even if it was $20, and his father told him no and made it clear to him that he was careless. The music Producer also recalled that in 2000, he was in Jamaica, at a family’s house and an argument broke out and by this time, a grown man he curst out his father with no regrets.
“Growing up in Jamaica I was in a bubble. Growing up was difficult,” explained Minott. “I am not the only one, most Jamaican children were thought how to be self -sufficient, especially those without parents. My grandmother taught me how to be self-sufficient. Approximately, 11-12 years old, my grandmother taught me how to wash my own clothes, iron my clothes and cook, among other things. We lived in a two-family house. Mom lived on the bottom and my grandparents lived on the top- floor, where I mostly stayed. Dad did not come around and I felt he never wanted me. Mom drink,” Minott divulge.
Keeping the diplomatic tone, Minott furthermore contends that he was probably hostile and angry towards his father because he wasn’t showed any love from his father. “I believe my father hated me because my father did not know how to be a father. He probably felt that his father was not there for him and told himself that he turned out ok, so, my son will turn out ok too,” voiced Minott. “My father grew up with family members who passed him around to different relatives. So, that’s where his anger stem from,” Minott revealed.
“Today, I do not hate him. My kids made me make the 360 degrees towards my father. It was a forgiveness stage in my life and to cut the cycle. I figured if they see me coming around to my father it would help him in the end. My father got to enjoy me and his grandchildren in the end. (Sidney Minott), my father, died a year ago. I ended up taking care of him. When he got older, he called my wife then he came and live with us until he passed,” stated Minott.
“My mother never answered me. Anytime I asked her questions about my father she said to leave her alone. My father married three times and she never moved on. As a kid my mother drink. To this day, she died loving him. She left us with my grandparents to shoulder the burden. My grandfather hated my father,” complained Minott.
Moreover, the reggae music Producer, made it clear that he gets very emotional about things. “I get really angry and sad. I can’t go back and change anything. She was passionate and I learned to forgive her. I love my mother dearly. I wanted to be a professional soccer star. My mother did not even know, I played football. My mother was a drunk. I have never been a drunk in my life. I hate alcohol. She would always say you look just like your father,” finished Minott.
