Weh Dem Up To?: Everton Blender calls out fake Rastas in latest track

Upon hearing the interludes of "it's a ghetto people song, only them can sing this one" and "lift up your head and hold it up high", roots-reggae lovers instantly recognise the sounds of Everton Blender.

Dubbed as the 'real blender' of Jamaica's roots and music culture, the award-winning reggae singer, who is currently based in Florida, has yet again combined several messages into one thought-provoking track.

Everton Blender salutes real Rastas and calls out the impostors of the Rastafari movement in Long Hair Harry, which was made available on multiple digital platforms today.

According to Everton Dennis Williams, Blender's given name, there are many individuals wearing locks but don't know the injustice they do by doing so.

"I am making statement; the message is, if you have on locks make sure you are not a 'pretend-to-be', or keep away from doing wrongs," Everton Blender told THE WEEKEND STAR.

He continued: "There are too many persons that people think are Rastas but all they do is foolishness, disrespecting persons who know what it means to be Rastafari. I have been a witness of it ... just the other day passing by a corner store in Fort Lauderdale, I see a man peeping. He had locks, but when I walked pass on another side, it turned out to be a hat ... the first thing people going say is that is a Rasta."

A humble Rasta who has for long clung to his faith, and one who practises what he preaches about through music, Everton Blender is channelling that energy to warn any pretenders.

He said, "There was a time when Rastaman was the one who shub handcart in the streets, wear rubber tyre for slippers and used to get beat up nuff. Now everybody want to look like and act like Rasta but they must acknowledge that Jah had to provide for us to come through those rough times and respect that."

Long Hair Harry is not the first track of its kind in the veteran singer's impressive catalogue where he sheds a light on his faith.

Songs like the 1998 single Rastaman and Defender of the Faith, released 10 years later, also pay respect to Rastafari.

Since his last album, Where is the Love, released in mid-2014, the follow-up track is a much-needed message and the switch for his upcoming enlightening compilation which is still untitled.

While Everton Blender is more popular for mega hits like Ghetto People Song and Lift Up Your Head, he wants persons to remember him more for the messages, not just the successes of his music.

There have been many rewarding tracks, he said, and in the same breath he starts to sing, "don't you ever speak without a knowledge, a nuh every education come out of college, words that you say might have cause damage".

"Yes, man, songs like Don't You Ever Speak Without Knowledge and others like Shanty, Make It If You Try and Always Remember to Pray are big tunes as well and I can't stop saying to give praises to the Father. The Almighty never fail I yet and is him taking us through this time," he said. "You know I was actually going to come to Jamaica to work on a video but this coronavirus just slow it up. Anyway, Jah is watching over us, so I take it that when it clears up, that is when it will be the right time."