Quick Cook is pleading for an end to gang violence in his community of Cassava Piece in Kingston.

“As a youth who come from Cassava Piece, I am asking for peace in the area; too many young men are dying because of the gang violence, dem nah live fi see 30 much less 25. Old people afraid to go church because all middle day shooting a gwaan, businesses ah get lock down because people afraid to come outta dem house. It is my community, I have to speak out for the people who don’t have a voice, who get held hostage by this situation,” Quick Cook told the Jamaica Observer’s Splash.

According to the police, the ongoing conflict in the community has claimed the lives of five men and led to six gunshot victims in the past year, the last incident happening just a week ago.

Quick Cook is promoting the video for his latest single, Pressure of Life, on the Dilemma rhythm. The song was released in May 2018 on the Keno 4Star Productions label and is being distributed online by Zojak World Wide.

According to the artiste, the feedback is encouraging.

“The grung hot with da song ya, because this song is about the struggles of survival in life, the high murder rate, the crime, the low standard of living of the people. And mi feel the pain of the people inna the ghetto, so we have to represent for them who a face it daily,” Quick Cook said.

According to police reports, the upsurge of deadly violence in Cassava Piece began on June 2, 2018 after a gunman allegedly fired on a popular dancehall entertainer from that community.

“The war nah go done until the two sides dem come together and walk through Cassava Piece and show the youths dem say it can stop. How many more persons ah go die before common sense win out and mek it stop? Too many guns on the street, and it’s troubling,” said Quick Cook.

Quick Cook’s given name is Damian Lumley. After graduating from Shortwood Practising School, he worked as a deejay on the community sound Super Prince. He later went on to release No ID — his debut single back in 2012. Other singles that followed include Badmind Nuh Wa See Me Rise, Nah Bruk Mi Focus, Good Book and his most popular track Bread.