Today, July 23rd, 2024, marks the 132nd anniversary of the birth of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, who is the inspiration for Rastafari, an Afrocentric spiritual and cultural movement that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s, contributing to the birth of Reggae music (which translates to “King’s Music”), greatly brought to prominence by Bob Marley and continues to be a deeply sacred phenomenon rooted in its tradition of social commentary, African ancestry, ancient practices, and different forms of prayer.

“Prayerz Up” single and music video, strategically released on this day to commemorate the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah himself, Haile Selassie I, is a collaboration between California’s Oakland-based revolutionary Hip Hop artist Ras Ceylon and his brethren, Reggae/ Dancehall legend Sizzla Kalonji, and Chalice Row Records labelmate Young Shanty.

Since 2010, when Ras Ceylon first connected with Sizzla and was brought into his Judgement Yard Family, they have shared many stages, collaborated on numerous songs, and worked together on several community-building efforts through the establishment of the Sizzla Youth Foundation. That said, what makes “Prayerz Up” significant? Short answer: When Sizzla, arguably the most prominent Rastafarian artist since Bob Marley, revisited the song, he proclaimed, “The time is now to film this video. The world needs this!”

Without missing a beat, Masa Media brought out the cameras and started shooting on location at Sizzla’s Judgement Yard compound in the community of August Town, Kingston 7, Jamaica. The colorful Caribbean visuals compliment the hypnotic Monk HTS-produced soundscape (mixed & mastered by C-Sik), creating the perfect backdrop for showcasing Ras, Sizzla, and Shanty raising awareness of preserving nature, living righteously amidst a corrupt society, giving thanks to The Creator, and most importantly the power of prayer. When speaking of “Prayerz Up”, Ras Ceylon declared, “Our form of prayer may be different than one typically thinks. It’s not necessarily about getting on your knees and looking to the sky; prayers can go up in many different ways. This song itself is a form of prayer and we pray the listeners can open their hearts to God’s Will through the frequencies and messages within. Each prayer is significant and we gonna keep sending these spiritual kites up to the Lord of all the worlds, because it’s crucial in this time.”

“Prayerz Up” is the sixth single/music video from Ras Ceylon’s “To Srv The Ppl” LP which is available everywhere via the Billboard-charting, Miami-based reggae record label, Chalice Row Records, featuring notable guest appearances by Perfect Giddimani and Wu-Tang Clan swordsmen Prodigal Sunn (Sunz Of Man), La The Darkman, Timbo King, Kinetic 9 (Killarmy), and Solomon Childs.