Kareem ‘Bwoy ah Tingz’ Weathers is no stranger to the spotlight. The former corporate professional and party promoter was recently trending on social media for his run-in with some bushes. But, don’t worry; it was long before curfew. And being the good sport that he is, he jumped back into his routine and got the job done. With the remarkable success of his ‘tell it like it is’ podcast and YouTube channel, Flair spoke to the man in front of the camera about how he has been weathering life’s storms.
If you asked Weathers about his career choices while growing up, he would say that his parents wanted him to become a doctor, while his sole desire was to study business. “I always wanted to become a businessman. I did business subjects in high school,” he shared with Flair. But somewhere along the way, it stopped being about the destination and more so about exploring the journey. He shared that attending Jamaica College was a gateway to character building and the reality of life. Pair that with the wisdom he gained from his mother and father, and he was well on his way to the path of greatness.
After migrating and attending university in Florida at 18 years old, something compelled him to return to Jamaica. And so, he left those incomplete studies behind, returned to his roots and began making a name for himself while working at the airport. He diversified his talents by planning festive events, and resumed his business studies goals in Jamaica, but something still didn’t sit well with him. He was recently reminded by a friend that he made talks of wanting a nightly radio show. After giving it greater thought, he realised that was a lifelong dream of his: to work on radio. “Once I suppressed something, it came out of my brain. And so I thought I wanted to do business. But when I really thought about it, media is what I really wanted to do all of my life,” he revealed.
Since being back in Jamaica, Weathers has juggled the two lucrative worlds of corporate and party promotion. But in the last two years, he experienced a great deal of ups and downs. He stopped working in corporate, went through a series of events, and in trying to find his footing, hit rock bottom and depleted all of his funds to make ends meet. “I remember asking God for redirection. I literally lost everything. I got countless job opportunities, and God said, ‘This is not what you’re going to do.’” Before the pandemic, he was about to launch his clothing line. But then catastrophe struck. The last thing on people’s minds was retail therapy, so he went back to the drawing board, hoping that he wouldn’t sink into the abyss of oblivion once again.
TABOO TOPICS
Through the worst storm that the world had ever seen, COVID-19, he became the ‘weatherman’ of taboo topics. Weathers took to social media and engaged in live discussions during lockdown periods to preserve his own mental health and those of his followers. It wasn’t long before guests would make special appearances to put in their two cents. It only made sense for him to capitalise on that fame and popularity by starting a podcast and going on YouTube. Today, he entertains viewers and listeners with thought-provoking conversations about sex and relationships and mental health. From going on live with Fetish Secret’s owner, Nicole Hemmings, to interviewing his mentor, Miss Kitty, the goal-driven, hard-working and determined professional has become a force to be reckoned with. He has even been given the opportunity to host a radio programme, ‘Bwoy Ah Tings Afterdark’. As long as he is changing lives, then his job is done. Weathers won’t rest until he is on the all-time greatest list of his craft.
In the true spirit of Bwoy Ah Tingz, Flair put Weathers in the hot seat and took him on a ‘blind date’ so we could ask him a few personal questions. Interested single ladies out there, please note that he is not a fan of blind dates; he prefers to have an idea of who he is going out with beforehand.
- What is your absolute favourite activity to do? Work, or go out for food, like to brunch, because I love food.
- What is your all-time favourite Jamaica dish? Oxtail and stew peas, definitely.
- What is the biggest lesson you have learnt from your parents? From my mother, it’s about being street-smart, in addition to being book-smart. You can be book-smart and not street [smart], and life overwhelms you. From my father, it is to be goal-driven and to always have a backup plan. Life can happen; you can be in your career, and anything will happen to you at any point or moment, and you feel like giving up. So, it’s always important to have a backup plan in life, always.
- What’s your favourite childhood memory? Going to the country, St Elizabeth, playing cricket or marble and walking to family member’s houses.
- Do you have any pet peeves? Too much! I love my space. Don’t call me. Don’t call me without asking first. Don’t show up at my house and think that I am inside. I will tell you that I’m not inside. I really love space. There are days when I turn off from the world.
- What are your top three cologne scents? Wow! Creed, definitely. Sauvage and Jimmy Choo Man Ice.
- Who are your top five artistes right now? Drake, Skillibeng, Nicki Minaj, Spice and Khalid.
- What is the best way to end a long day? I love music, and I love to work, as cliché as that sounds. If I have a really long day, I will watch over one of my podcast episodes, with music, of course.
- What is worth the wait? Anything really. If it is rushed, then it doesn’t make any sense. Once you wait, relationships, goals and achievements are worth it.
- What’s your ideal first date? No man, this deep, man. My ideal first date would preferably be dinner, because I love food. Somewhere that is quiet and private so that we can talk about goals and aspirations. Don’t ask me about my favourite colour.
- What’s the worst first date you’ve ever been on? My worst first date. I hate when people don’t know the pronunciation of stuff, and they’re wrong and strong, with words like’ salmon’. If you don’t know, ask.
- Who really pays on the first date? I think, traditionally, men should pay. But I think women can carry men out. I think our generation is so used to back then, in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, where a man must pay. I love to be chased, so if you ask me out for a date, then I’m assuming that you’re going to pay. Women, carry out your man, take the first shot, ask him out on a date. Men like to be treated, appreciated and feel nice; buy me gifts and things like that; I love that.
- If you could choose one entertainer to marry, who would it be? I don’t want to get married, and I don’t want to have children. But I would date, internationally, Beyoncé; I’m very obsessed with her, and locally, Ishawna.
