<\/p>\n
KINGSTON, Jamaica \u2014 What began as a music video shoot in Medell\u00edn, Colombia, has become a career-defining experience for Jamaican rapper Jakal, who says the city\u2019s culture and warm embrace of Jamaicans have inspired both his latest release and future musical direction.<\/p>\n
Jakal travelled to the Colombian city to film the video for\u00a0Sicarios, the lead single from his mixtape,\u00a0Crime Pay$ Vol. 4: The Pilgrimage to Medell\u00edn<\/em>. Released in May, the video was directed by American filmmaker Jason Williams, who recently served in a similar role on the Jamaican movie\u00a0Squatta.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt surreal while filming in Medell\u00edn, it was a dream come true to say the least,\u201d Jakal said. \u201cPrior to going to Colombia, the only thing I knew about Medell\u00edn was that that\u2019s where Pablo Escobar was from.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfter visiting Medell\u00edn, I know it\u2019s now my second home. The love they have for black people, for Jamaica, Jamaicans and our culture is unexplainable,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Once synonymous with the violent drug empire of Pablo Escobar and the Medell\u00edn Cartel, the Colombian city has transformed its global image in recent decades. Escobar\u2019s criminal network, which flourished during the late 1970s and 1980s, generated billions of dollars through cocaine trafficking before his death at the hands of Colombian police in 1993.<\/p>\n Jakal, who was born in Montego Bay, said the inspiration for Sicarios came from Carolina Panther by American rapper Sauce Walka.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I found out I was going to Medell\u00edn, I was listening to that song and it inspired me. So, I downloaded it, ripped the beat and did my version,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n The experience has also sparked an interest in recording more Latin-influenced music, with hopes of breaking into the thriving reggaeton market across Latin America, particularly in Panama and Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n \u2014 Howard Campbell<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n