Meaning
Bold, tough, and daring — sometimes admiringly, of a fearless, cool character, and sometimes warningly, of a wild, reckless one. 'Him rad' can praise a person's nerve and swagger or flag that they are out of control and heading for trouble, and only the tone tells which. Related to being a 'radical' or a rude-boy tough, the word names the daring, unafraid character who does as they please, admired for boldness and watched for recklessness in equal measure, a familiar figure of the streets and the music.
Examples
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Di youth rad, him nuh fraid a nutten.
The youth is bold, he's afraid of nothing.
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She too rad, she a go get inna trouble.
She's too wild, she's going to get into trouble.
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Him a rad bwoy from di corner.
He's a tough guy from the corner.
Origin
From 'radical'; bold/tough/daring, admiring or warning by tone.
How it’s used
Bold/tough/wild; tone decides admiring vs warning. Compare 'rude-bwoy', 'gangalee', 'ruff-neck'.