Kerida Shushana Johnson, known professionally as Hempress Sativa, is a contemporary reggae singer and songwriter from Jamaica. Her music aligns with the roots reggae tradition with variants of Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, and R&B.
Born and raised in Papine, Jamaica to Rastafarian parents, Sativa was exposed to music from a very early age. During an interview with World A Reggae, she spoke of her early life:
My father would give my siblings and I the microphone and record anything that came out. So I have on records what I sounded like at age 4 and older. At the age of 13, I performed for the very first time at King Bebo Lawn at a Twelve Tribes of Israel showcase.
Since rising to prominence in 2013 with chants like “Judgement”, “Marching Out of Babylon”, “Ooh Lalala”, and “Jah have mi Back”, Sativa has maintained her presence both on the local and international market while striving to maintain rooted in her Rastafari Livity that is consistently conveyed in the contents of her songs
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