Dancehall child star Kareem Dawkins, more popularly known as QQ, has been given the go-ahead to start performing again as a special permit has now been granted by the Jamaican Government.

Speaking with The Weekend Star, GQ (QQ's father) said, "dem free him up back now. The minister had to grant us a special permit. We get a permit now giving us special permission to perform, and it has guidelines like he has to always have a guardian around him, he has to get his proper sleep and nothing that will affect his school work".

CANCEL SHOWS

In July of this year, QQ was forced to cancel a number of stage shows abroad as advocates of Jamaica's Child Labour Laws forced the young star to desist from performing

"The Jamaican Government said I didn't have the proper permit which had to be issued by the Jamaican authorities. We didn't have a problem with the United States, because they saw him suitable to grant him a work permit," GQ said.

According to GQ, "Everybody did a think sey he can no longer perform, suh people did stop link wi fi shows and things like that, but wi jus' want everything level again.

"The whole thing was a bad experience for QQ and we had to return a lot of funds to the different promoters, like Reggae Carifest in New York (Aug. 26), Disney (Aug. 24 and 25). Roughly, over US$40,000 is what we had to return to promoters."

The clamp-down came at the peak of the summer holidays when QQ would have been looking forward to a number of shows, both locally and abroad, as school was out for the holidays.

However, QQ still made the most of his free time, not on stage, but inside the studios.

"QQ did jus tek it to the studio and did a whole heap a recording and he has a single out now called Sreechy Pon Dem and he has about five more singles yet to be released," GQ said.

One drama might be over and done with, but the question as to who will be QQ's guardian in the future still hangs in the balance. QQ's mother, Jackqueey Banks, had filed for custody of the child earlier this year. A judge is to make a final verdict on the matter when both parents appear before the court next Friday for their final hearing.

"We going back to court next Friday and we suppose to hear the verdict, whether me or his mother will have custody over him," GQ said

And while GQ is currently QQ's manager, he remains optimistic that he will win custody.

"I am confident within myself that the judge's decision will be in the best interest of the child and based on the last time that I went to court, I have come to my personal conclusion that everything is in my favour. But anything that will make him (QQ) happy, whether the verdict goes in my favour or her (the mother's) favour," GQ said.