‘Cold City’ featuring 5 Star (back up vocals by Vanessa Bongo) is a hard-hitting commentary on the sinister relationship between guns, poverty, politics and law enforcement. It calls out for corrupt politicians to be held accountable for the bleak state of the nation. 5 Star sings,
This one goes out to yard and abroad.
Gun import from abroad to mi yard
So how politician don't get hold pon nuh charge?
The system is a fraud - memba dat!
5 Star paints a vivid picture of the hardship of everyday life in the ghetto for Jamaican youth who "reap what dem never did sow":
Swoop in, blue light, that a flash up & down
Kick off the door, fi go snatch a man gun
Rude boys and police dem a clash a Jamdung
Youth squeeze the trigger and him catch a phantom
5 Star is a rising roots reggae artist from Sons Of Liberty (S.O.L), a crew of young Jamaican musicians with roots in hip hop music. Driven by the desire to raise political and social awareness through his music, 5 Star draws on his experiences growing up in Kingston to create powerful music.
5 Star says, “Music is an expression of my philosophy, my reality and the realities of others I've been exposed to. The ever-burning inspiration for being a musician is the impact it can have on people's life, their identity, principles they are exposed to, and how it can help them to become enlightened, motivated and elevated”.
lyrics
* LYRICS *
This one goes out to yard and abraad
Guns import from abroad to the yard,
Dog a eat dog, yet a bere mawga dog,
The system is a fraud - memba dat!
CHORUS
So why down inna the city so cold?
Only Ras Tafari know
And man a reap, what dem never did sow
And dem a say a true no money nah flow
Why down inna the city so cold?
Only Ras Tafari know
Politician walk with them ego
And rude bwoy war 'gainst the 5 – O.
Swoop in, blue light that a flash up & down
Kick off the door, fi go snatch a man gun,
Rude bwoys and police dem a clash a Jamdung,
Youth squeeze the trigger and him catch a phantom
Corn start to beat like dem bang a one drum
You better jump fence when the banger dem come,
Politician dem hear say that the quarrel just done
Start distribute gun, a fresher barrel just come
And Johnny say that him a hold the strap
Chest puff up and a chat, him control the block
But when him take a stack, is a soldier that
Him get flat, and fire shot, clap! The soldier drop
Boof! Him say him cold and him nuh feel sorrow
Trod it on the road side that real narrow
Phone start to ring then him feel paro
Friend lef him pon the ground like a wheelbarrow.
CHORUS
The juvenile dem a run dem gang
The thugs dem short but the gun dem long
And likkle man, you might be number 1,
But if you playing this ya game you better understand something
Or a better mi say overstand
Shotta a move like some soldier man
Bigger dog start fi bark like a doberman
Likkle dog have to run go to obeah man then
Him gone a shop go buy a cold dragon
Pow! Hear something pop like a soda can, and
Him run up inna a colder man
Weh a go lef him in the dirt like a pound a yam, damn!
Full clip it nah go hold no blank
Man a buss it til dem shoulder cramp
Dem a play domino and as him pose the blank
Him hear clank! Life couldn't save a Scotia Bank.
CHORUS
Bim! This one goes out to yard and abroad
Gun import from abroad to mi yard
So how politician don't get hold pon nuh charge?
The system is a fraud
Yard and Abroad
Who nah walk with the 'matic, walking with a standard
You step inna the street then you better stand guard
The system is a fraud, check the track record
Mi nah stop record. - Selassie I; Empress Menen I.
