Gang violence has cast a shadow over the life of dancehall artiste Rickey Teetz ever since he was a boy.

When he was only seven years old he saw the bullet-riddled body of a man who had been gunned down in his Rose Heights community and it changed him forever.

He called upon those experiences in his breakout single, Lighters Up, which has racked up over 100,000 views since its recent release.

“Something is going wrong with our new generation. The man dem are getting too comfortable about dying young; it’s like the new hobby is to get a gun or buss a gun,” the artiste, whose real name is Ricardo McLean, noted. “The thing is you can’t change everybody, but if I can change one person’s mind to do something positive with their lives I will feel fulfilled in some way.”

He continued: “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness, that is why I mentor youths in my community and why I focus on more positive music.”

Rickey Teetz is best known for songs such as 1000 Block, Dolla, and Prime.