Di Unit enters the food business

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has crippled the entertainment industry since March, has caused many industry players to find other ways of earning a living.

Having been 'out of work' for the past nine months, Tallman of Di Unit sound system says he and his team are now looking to 'secure the bag' by opening a food establishment in Portmore.

He told THE WEEKEND STAR that he has been selling fruits since lockdown, and that has allowed him to pay his bills and provide for his family.

He said that the other members of Di Unit have also pursued different avenues to stay afloat, and says the restaurant will be another one.

"This pandemic has definitely forced us to be more business-minded because we have come to realise we cannot rely on the entertainment industry alone. The sector has been completely shut down and we still have bills to pay, children to send to school and family to take care of, and so we affi just do what is necessary to survive," he said. "We wanted to open the restaurant long before the pandemic but everything that has happened has just made us push stronger to get it done. We have already secured a location and hired a top chef from the area, and so the Legendary Bar and Grill will be opened by the end of the month. It will be on Port Henderson Road, so people can look out for it."

Offering healthy options

Tallman said that many people have not been eating right during the pandemic, hence the team's decision to offer healthy dishes.

"We're going to do a lot of seafood and natural juices. We want everybody to realise that eating healthy is an affordable option. We don't have to feed our bodies the same thing over and over every day. There are a lot of inexpensive meal ideas that are good for you and tasty at the same time, and we wanna give you that," he said.

Tallman said the group has also ventured into the production side of music since COVID-19. He said Di Unit will be looking to release its first rhythm in the coming months.

"This pandemic has brought us more together as a unit. We are more than part of a sound system, we reach the family stage. We look out for each other, we hustle together and so we have started the production thing together. We have started our own record label called Di Unit Music and we are producing a riddim at this time called Cross It," he said. "We're gonna have it be a Portmore project so some of the artistes that got established while living in Portmore will be on it, like Mad Cobra, Maestro Don, Masicka, and more."