Jamaican reggae artist Keznamdi today (August 24) released captivating visuals for his track Justice, from his latest Bloodline album. 

The six-minute music video, which doubles as a mini-film, was directed by Ivor Mccray and juxtaposes the injustices faced in the 1960s (the infamous Coral Gardens massacre) by Rastafarians who were regularly imprisoned, beaten, trimmed, exiled and sectioned in Jamaica, to present day. 

In his eyes, the song merely highlights this social injustice has been re-awakened—on the heels of the plight of Princess Nzinga King, who reportedly had her dreadlocks trimmed while in police lock-up weeks ago.

Filled with powerful and sometimes emotive imagery, Justice features guest appearances by Jamaican actors Kadeem Wilson and Kalia Shea Silburn-Hall-Reid, as well as fellow reggae acts Jesse Royal and Mortimer.

The mini-film was shot in its entirety on location in Jamaica.

Keznamdi said the alleged trimming incident made him ’embarrassed to be Jamaican’, as he was reminded of the denial of a five-year-old girl to attend Kensington Primary School in 2018, also due to her hairstyle. 

“We should all feel embarrassed that Jamaica is home of Rastafari yet is the last country in the Caribbean to protect Rastafari Rights and allow the movement to advance economically. So yeh…mi nah tek back nuh talk – mi embarrass to seh Jamaica emancipated and independent when we are not freeing Rasta to rise up to its rightful place. The Jamaica I proud of is the one that full accept Rastafari,” Keznamdi clarified in an August 11 Instagram post.

Justice is heavily influenced by the sounds of Errol Edwards, who also stars in the mini-film, and aims to not only bring to the attention of the wider Jamaican public that social prejudice faced by Rastafari is resurging but is accompanied by a call to action. 

This call to action is in the form of the ‘Rasta Rights Matter: Support The 10 Demandments’ petition which Keznamdi, via Skyline Levels, is encouraging all to sign. 

The petition is a unified global protest demanding the Government of Jamaica to take immediate concrete action to address the ongoing harassment and gross violations of human rights plaguing the Rastafari movement.

They are seeking a minimum of 15,000 signatures to get action through Prime Minister Andrew Holness on the 10 specific Demandments outlined in the petition to ensure the freedom and rights of Rastafari, which they say are now under serious attack.

Those wishing to support the petition can follow here. 

In the meantime, Keznamdi, a St Andrew native, is currently on tour in the US alongside reggae quartet Rebelution and Kabaka Pyramid. 

Most recently, he performed at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre to over 15,000 people. 

Keznamdi’s tour will have him be performing in a total of 40 cities in 50 days, spreading reggae music and Jamaican culture. 

While doing so, the lyrical singjay has also been churning out this Tour Bus Sessions series via YouTube; an acoustic-style musical musing, filmed on the tour bus. 

His most recent episode features the song Natty Dreadlocks, produced by Popstyle Music. 

Justice is the second track off Keznamdi’s Bloodline album released in May 2020.

Watch the ‘Justice’ mini-film in full below: