Country Speng turns pain of ICE detention into number one hit, ‘100 Miles’

After nearly three decades of calling America home, veteran Jamaican dancehall DJ Country Speng, also known as Speng Beng, found himself back in Jamaica in June, sent back home from Florida where he had built a life, established friendships, and continued his musical career.

Country Speng told Caribbean Life on Monday, Oct. 19, that he has turned the pain of US immigration detention into a number one hit, “100 Miles.”

“ICE is just randomly picking up innocent people who have work so hard for them status,” he said. “They are randomly just taking our people’s lives, taking our people’s freedom, taking our people’s everything.

“I spent five months in US. immigration detention,” he added. “I was frustrated and deeply troubled by what I witnessed. But, instead of allowing the experience to defeat me, I did what I know best and that is music.”

The DJ said he created “100 Miles” on the Helicopter riddim that was inspired by his immigration ordeal.

He said the song climbed to number one for nine weeks on Mikey B’s Top 10 chart, heard Tuesday afternoons on WAVS 1170 AM in South Florida.

Country Speng said the success of the song has given him a welcome boost at a time when he is trying to put his life and career back together.

“The song is extremely popular on my radio show on WAVS,” Mikey “B” Brown told Caribbean Life. “Everybody loves it. They love the lyrics and County Speng’s honest in telling his story, what he endured when he was locked up by ICE. 

“With the right promotion, it could become a hit in Jamaica and other Diaspora communities like New York, New Jersey, Toronto and Atlanta,” he added. 

For Country Speng, the song is about much more than topping the chart; it is about giving a voice to people he believes are being treated unfairly by the immigration system. 

He said his ordeal began on Jan. 6, when immigration authorities detained him in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. 

He said he spend about five months in custody, including time at detention facilities in Miami and Alligator Alcatraz. 

On June 11, Country Speng said he said he was deported to Jamaica. 

“It wasn’t nothing nice,” he recalled.

Country Speng said among the experiences that still trouble him were the repeated searches detainees endured, even when moving from one section of a facility to another. 

“They’ll search you and they come back and search you again,” he said. “They give you dinner, and they’ll search you again. They send you back to bed, they’ll search you.”

What makes the experience particularly painful for Country Speng is the length of time he had spent in America.

“I arrived in Florida in 1997, held a green card and, over the years, developed strong family and community ties,” he said. “Although I never became an American citizen, several members of my family are citizens. I’d been in America for 29 years.” 

The DJ said that long before immigration detention became part of his story, he was a familiar face on Jamaica’s dancehall circuit, where earning respect meant holding his own before some of the toughest audiences in the business.

He said his musical journey stretches back to the early 1990s, with recordings such as “Black Awareness,” “Not Every Day,” a collaboration with Colin Roach, and “Shot Too Dear.” 

Country Speng said his catalogue also includes “Mi Belly Full Now,” “Cherry Pie” and “Intellect & Charm.” 

He also recalled his association with veteran Sting concert promoter Isaiah Laing, his former manager. 

Along the way, the DJ said he crossed paths with established names in Jamaican music, including Sanchez and Maxi Priest.

“We still have to work to do to promote ‘100 Miles’ in Jamaica and the Diaspora,” he said. “We can’t just say it’s a number one tune in Florida.”

Country Speng said he believes that the message of the song is relatable to many and, as such, can travel well beyond South Florida.