Hero: Finding My Jamaican Roots in a Song About Becoming Your Own

The Life of a Modern Renaissance Man: A Video Journal, entry 30

Sometimes the person you've been waiting to rescue you is the person who keeps looking back from the mirror. That's the idea behind Hero, a song I created with Gabrielle as our musical duo, GRACE.

We blended neo-soul and reggae, and I leaned unapologetically into my Jamaican heritage by rapping in patois. That mattered to me. Being a first-generation American with Jamaican parents has shaped my voice, humor, identity, and the many ways I understand culture and belonging.

We filmed the video around beautiful Palm Beach, and I took on much of the camera and editing work. It's one of those projects that combined my love of music with the visual storytelling I'd been developing for years.

The message was about recognizing agency, courage, and the power to participate in your own rescue. I'm drawn to that idea because I know how easy it is to wait for a perfect opportunity or a magical sign that everything is about to work out. Sometimes the sign is that you're here, capable of making the next move.

I look back at this collaboration as part of an important chapter of my creative and personal life. Our paths have changed, and the work remains a record of what we believed and made together at that moment.

I still hear a call to step forward with purpose. That message has aged well.