McGregor makes bold statement on ‘Kiss Of Judas’ - Etana, Rick Ross collaboration hailed as masterpiece

Reggae songbird Etana and American rapper Rick Ross made a bold cultural statement in their recent collaborative single, ' Kiss Of Judas', produced by Kemar McGregor.

Tackling the themes of betrayal, jealousy and loyalty, McGregor explained how the song's storyline was conceptualised.

"Personally, over the years in music, people are not loyal, especially the artistes. Is like, before dem get a break, yuh a di best thing to dem ... and di moment they get that spotlight and start mek some money, dem sell mi out right away and chastise mi instead of giving me the credit and show me the respect," he told THE WEEKEND STAR.

"Suh that's the kinda vibe mi dida medz when I was creating the track and then I started thinking of Jesus and his 12 disciples and how Judas was the closest one to Jesus and I could personally relate to it," he added.

With a familiar storyline of pain and betrayal, Etana and Rick Ross never hesitated in being co-writers to the song after McGregor presented it to them. For Etana, Kiss Of Judas is among the "most genuine songs" she has written.

"I truly appreciate the lessons I've gained from my experiences that inspired its lyrics. It's all part of a journey of growth and learning," she said. McGregor also credited a friend, Denesha Lawrence, for her input on the lyrical composition of the track.

Fusing reggae/dancehall, hip-hop and Afrobeat rhythms to channel an organic but deeply reggae-infused sound, McGregor said his intention was to "make a bold statement that we have not lost our culture and we can still compete among the best".

"Reggae and dancehall producers need to know that we're not competing. We should only be competing among the mainstream markets and start solely owning the rights to our music. With this track, I'm now the first producer in the history of reggae/dancehall to drop a record with a major artiste independently and competing against all the major stations across the US. And for that I say, this track is a game-changer and put [our genres] on another level," McGregor said.

"The mixture of the different genres makes this song so powerful and very soulful with the Rick Ross energy and rap game on this record being so different, which created a masterpiece. This is not to brag or boast but to encourage other producers that we can do it. We can make records/videos to compete in America and that's the bold statement I'm talking about. We are losing our identity when it comes to reggae and dancehall music and nobody can do it best like local producers," he added.

Fans were further thrilled by the movie-like plot showcased in the video, which was released two weeks ago. Fans praised the creative geniuses for "bringing back the feel of cinematography to music videos" while others stated how "hooked" they were from start to finish. The video has already racked up more than three million views since its release on YouTube only.

Etana said in addition to the spirited, prayerful gems and pleas to a higher power for protection, she hopes the underlying message of the song will connect.

"The lyrics in this song is clear and I hope that from these said lyrics, the listener will be reminded to be more cautious in sharing time, space, energy and when choosing to trust people believed to be closest. Some a dem secretly envious of what you have, who you are, or of your natural God-given gifts. An envious person can be a very resentful and covetous one. Proceed with much caution," the singer warned.

While searching for a rapper "with a real vibe and a connection with yawd", McGregor said Rick Ross popped up as the "perfect combination" and with the unmatched chemistry and vibe on set, the artistes never disappointed as this was his "best experience ever as a producer".