JAIR DYNAST
Written by: Donna Araujo
Photo by: Maya Washington

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. That's exactly what Jair Dynast did when he was diagnosed with an unfortunate heart condition that shattered his dreams of becoming a professional basketball player.

When Jair was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which disabled him from playing basketball at a top ranked junior college in the United States, he was faced with a life-changing challenge. The road he dreamed of travelling on for most of his adolescent life was blocked off for good. He was forced to make a decision: "What am I going to do now?" he asked himself when he learned of his condition.

"I always thought that no matter what, I was going to play basketball," he said. "When I found out about it, it killed me. I didn't know what to do. My whole life was basketball."

Jair was consumed with basketball and recalls playing on recreational teams and at neighborhood basketball courts around the GTA as a youngster. As he got older, Jair's athletic abilities improved and his aspirations to become a professional in the sport were reaffirmed. Jair was determined to be successful and reach his goal at any cost.

Jair travelled all over the United States and attended national basketball camps to increase his chances of being recruited. Jair was ranked among the top featured players at some of the camps he attended. When he was offered a full scholarship to play at South Plains Junior College in Texas, he was one step closer to his life's objective.

Only a few short weeks into his new college and basketball career, Jair began to experience problems during regular workouts and games. He had trouble breathing and his endurance had deteriorated. After consulting with several doctors and specialists in the United States, Jair decided to return to Toronto and speak with his family doctor.

After countless examinations and X-rays, he was finally diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an excessive thickening of the heart muscle. According to cariomyopathy.org, the heart muscle may thicken in normal individuals as a result of high blood pressure or prolonged athletic training. The condition is fairly common among young athletes, but can be fatal in extreme cases. "I consider myself lucky," he said, "I could've come home in a body bag."

Despite the devastating affects his condition had on him, Jair quickly moved on to the next phase of his life. "My mom asked, 'what are you going to do? Can you rap?" His mother's question drew interest and Jair began to think seriously about the possibility. "I have always listened to Hip-Hop and I was always intrigued by production and lyrics," he recalled.

"One week after I found out about my condition, I went to my boy Db Osci's house and he played me a song. I was like, 'who's that?' and Db Osci was like, 'it's me!' I thought, if he can rap, so can I." Jair explained. "That night, I went home and wrote my first verse."

Jair started writing rhymes and researching the basics of musical production. Soon after, Jair and Db Osci split the cost of a Yamaha DJX, a keyboard/production tool, and began to learn how to create his own beats, while continuing to master the art of rhyming and improving his writing skills and rhythm.

"My lyrics can be complex. I rhyme about reality at its depths." Jair explained. He prides himself on writing descriptive lyrics. "I want to write something that when you listen to it, you can visualize it. I'm her to touch people and say something."
The content of Jair's lyrics is inspired by his surroundings and experiences growing up. "Being around bad situations is what molded me and motivates me to write what I write."

Jair is very much a community activist and uses his songs to promote unity. "We are nothing without our community. Our communities can be destructive to youth. People are being fed music that is unreal," he says. Jair believes that today's youth are victims of popular culture: "Kids are products," he says. "We need to let them have a choice."

After approximately six years into his musical career and after many highs and lows, Jair is set to release his first solo debut album, "Curriculum Vitae," in December. Jair describes the album as his "resume as a producer and lyricist." His album has given him the opportunity to showcase his abilities as a producer and lyricist. He is also using his album as an outlet for artists he has worked in the past to gain recognition. "I'm confident that once I get a lot of people to hear it, it will do well."
Jair Dynast has been through his share of struggles, but he came out of them a stronger and more determined individual. "I learned that only you and God control your destiny. If you don't do it, no one else is going to do it for you. You have to be vigilant."