by Howard Campbell
NEW JERSEY – It’s been one year since singer Juwdah Man released his first song, Nuh More Senseless Killing, which addressed the troubling crime situation in Jamaica. Based on recent developments in the country, he says it remains relevant.
“The crime is not getting better, it’s getting worse we really need more songs like these to uplift the people dem. If they sing all these gun songs and everybody get bad and mad, sing more love songs and everyone will show more love,” he reasoned.
Juwdah Man has lived in East Orange, New Jersey since 2005 and visits Jamaica intermittently to visit relatives. He follows developments back home through social media, and much of the news is not good.
This month, the bodies of two women were discovered in rural parishes. One, 43 year-old Karen Cleary-Brown, was found in a shallow grave with stab wounds; she had recently returned to Jamaica after living in the United Kingdom for 30 years.
Over 1,400 homicides were recorded in Jamaica in 2017.
But Juwdah Man points out that Nuh More Senseless Killing is not restricted to Jamaica. Black-on-black crime is rampant in the United States, particularly in Chicago.
“In the US, the black-on-black crime is caused by lack of real role models. They need strong people who can reach not just blacks, ‘cause America is made up of all kinds of people looking for a way out,” he said.
Born Phillip McKenzie, Juwdah Man was raised in Portmore, a sprawling community on the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. His biggest musical influences are neo-roots artists such as Capleton, Jah Cure, Admiral Tibet, Josey Wales and Half Pint.
