Patra: From Dancehall Queen to Dark Secrets

Dorothy Smith, known as Patra, emerged from a church choir in rural Jamaica to become the first female Jamaican artist to top the Billboard reggae charts in 1993.

At 15, she transformed into Lady Patra, a dancehall DJ with fierce lyrics and provocative style, earning the name inspired by Cleopatra. Her breakthrough came at the 1992 Sting Festival, leading to a contract with Epic Records. Her debut album, Queen of the Pack, dominated charts, with hits like “Think About It” and “Worker Man,” establishing her as a dancehall icon at just 20 years old.

However, fame brought darker challenges. Success exposed her to predatory environments in the music industry, with late-night calls from executives and collaborations masking ulterior motives.

In 1995, a recording session with Aaron Hall, lead singer of Guy, for “Scent of Attraction” marked a turning point. Though details remain unspoken, something traumatic occurred, altering Patra fundamentally.

Despite the song’s moderate success, reaching number 82 on the Hot 100, she began withdrawing from the industry. Her 2003 album, The Great Escape, flopped, and by 2004, she had vanished from the spotlight.

Financial ruin followed. Despite gold-certified sales, label accounting and legal disputes left her broke, with family in Jamaica relying on her support.

Desperate, Patra orchestrated a visa fraud scheme between 2003 and 2004, promising struggling musicians UK visas and social security cards for a price. Ten artists paid 1.38 million Jamaican dollars, only to be deceived. In 2005, she was arrested for fraud, facing court as v!ctims reported death thre@ts, tarnishing her once-celebrated image.

Meanwhile, whispers of her 1995 encounter with Aaron Hall gained context as his predatory behavior surfaced. Allegations in 2023, including a lawsuit accusing Hall and Sean “Diddy” Combs of assault, aligned with Patra’s career decline.

Though she never publicly accused Hall, online forums speculated trauma drove her retreat. Her post-1995 behavior—fewer performances, vague interviews, and avoidance of male collaborators—hinted at deep scars from an industry that protected predators over v!ctims.

Patra attempted a comeback in 2012 with Vilstein Music, releasing Patra: The Continuation in 2014, but the industry had shifted to streaming and social media, and her image felt outdated. Legal troubles and past trauma overshadowed her return, with audiences nostalgic for old hits like “Romantic Call” rather than new work.

Beyond music, she rebuilt her life, earning a degree in history and political science and opening Chatau 7 Gourmet Restaurant in Kingston, catering to high-profile clients. Yet, her music legacy remains a cautionary tale of industry exploitation, where victims, unsupported, can spiral into desperation, as her fraud conviction tragically showed.