Entrance examination
Newell was born in St. Mary, Jamaica, the first child of Lloyd Newell and Ioney Vassell. He lived there with his mother and step-father until he was 11 or 12 years old. At 10, Omar passed the Common Entrance examination and began studying at St. Mary High School, before moving to live with his grandmother in Portland and transferring to Titchfield High School in the parish capitol.