Representing two genres and generations, Singer Irie and rapper King Zeto share the same message on Stop Killing Each Other, an anti-violence song produced by Oscar Records.

The duo, who are based in New Jersey, agreed to do the song after a suggestion from King Zeto’s father, a longtime friend of Singer Irie.

“He asked me to do a song with his son and then we build the riddim, and voice this song. We wanted to do a positive song that can make a difference in the music industry, plus contribute to stop the crime and violence around the world,” Singer Irie told Observer Online.

Singer Irie and King Zeto’s father have been friends since the 1980s when the former was known as Patrick Irie. He was a salesman for different producers in Jamaica; the two met again years later when Singer Irie moved to New Jersey.

Growing up in a Jamaican household, King Zeto listened to different eras of dancehall music. He appreciated Yellowman, Ninja Man, Capleton and Sizzla, but also loved the flow of rappers such as 50 Cent, Drake and Prodigy.

A recording artiste for almost 20 years, his reasons for being in music transcends excitement.

“I was born with sickle cell disease, so music is like therapy to me. It helps me deal with the pain,” he said.

Born Wayne Campbell, Singer Irie is among a batch of vocalists who emerged from that community in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Others include Hugh Mundell, Junior Reid, Wayne Smith and Lacksley Castell.

Early in his career, he recorded songs for producers such as Winston “Niney” Holness, Sugar Minott, and Philip “Fatis” Burrell before migrating to the United Kingdom, then the United States.

Last year, Singer Irie had a hit song in the tri-state area with Chatty Chatty, a collaboration with Peter Metro.

– Howard Campbell