It was not on the 2023 music cards to see rapper Lil’ Wayne and Jamaican dancehall stars Buju Banton and Shabba Ranks collaborate on a song much less be featured in a music video, but director Jeymes Samuel has unveiled the official visuals for “Hallelujah Heaven,” a track from Legendary Entertainment’s much-anticipated film, The Book of Clarence. Non-binary anonymous Los Angeles based videographer Child directed the video, shot on location Jamaica and Los Angeles.
Shabba has not released a song since 2011’s “None A Dem” on Chino’s Pepper Riddim and this is the first time all three artist are working are collaborating on a track.
He is one of most popular dancehall artists of all time winning consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album with his 1991 and 1992 albums “As Raw as Ever” and “X-tra Naked.”
Although he has not released new music in over a decade, music’s fastest growing genre reggaeton, can be traced back to Shabba Ranks’ 1990 song “Dem Bow” from the album “Just Reality.” The ‘Dem Bow’ riddim, which is currently the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit produced by Bobby “Digital” Dixon, played a pivotal role in shaping the early Puerto Rican reggaeton scene, and its influence remains integral to the genre as admitted by several artist like Maffio, El Chombo, Tainy and others.
Hollywood film stars LaKeith Stanfield and RJ Cyler made appearances in the video which features all the main singers along with Samuel. The song, written and produced by Jeymes Samuel, the brother to Henry Samuel, aka Seal is released by Roc Nation and serves as a preview for the film set to premiere worldwide in January 2024.
Discussing his creative journey, Jeymes Samuel expressed his long-standing desire to bring The Book of Clarence to life. “The Book of Clarence is a film that I wanted to make for many years. While I was working on The Harder They Fall and all my other projects, the story and the music for The Book of Clarence was always there percolating in my mind,” Jeymes said in a release.
“Collaborating with Lil’ Wayne, Buju Banton and Shabba Ranks was so dope, I loved getting them all on the same track,” he added. It is the first time all three artist are collaborating.
The film, a fresh interpretation of the classic Hollywood era Biblical epic, follows the story of Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield), a streetwise individual striving for a better life.
The soundtrack promises more exciting collaborations, including contributions from Jay-Z, Jorge Ben Jor, Kid Cudi, Adekunle Gold, Jorja Smith, Yemi Alade, and others, with further details to be unveiled soon. TriStar Pictures is set to release The Book of Clarence in theaters nationwide on January 12, 2024.
In another exciting development, the Black Promoters Collective has announced a partnership with the Jazz In The Gardens Music Festival, featuring headliner Maxwell. The festival lineup also includes performances by Babyface, Jeezy, Scarface, Jaheim, Tamia, Marsha Ambrosius, and more.
