Teaming up with Carribean rum brand Duppy Share, Kano has unveiled a short film titled A Blessed Place. Directed by Aneil Karia, the short film explores the UK rappers Jamaican heritage. The film is part of the rum brands endeavors to create their new rum, Duppy White, with the help of Kano as the brands figurehead. Both the film and the rum are inspired by the hybridity of the two cultures, and praising Jamaica’s international cultural influence. Watch the video below:

It meanders through his experiences on the island while also shedding light onto its culture and people, interspersed with shots of people rolling dice, smoking and chilling, and establishing shots of the famous blue mountains. Avoiding harmful and lazy stereotypes of the island and its people, the film depicts the minutiae of daily life in Jamaica in an authentic, grounded manner.

With music as the films thematic centre, the latter half features Kano spending time in a record shop, singing in a familiar patois. After spinning a record and exchanging a few lyrics with the shopkeeper, the film cuts to a nightime shot, where the soundsystems roll out alongside the bag. Liquor gets spilt, spliffs get sparked, and Kano and Duppy Share’s brand new Duppy White rum get advertised in the dance.

The film is artfully shot and edited, with juxtaposition stylistically used to protray the islands multiplicity; the hustle-and-bustle of the daytime markets cuts to the high-energy rum-fuelled night club, then to a serene morning scene. The opening few minutes rapidly cut between the busy scenes in the street to the tranquil vibes further up the mountains, with Kano himself saying “feel like this today, feel like this tomorrow.” Despite the islands size, there is simply too much to portray in one ten minute film.

Speaking of the island’s impact, Kano says this toward the end of the film: “Jamaica must be like the smallest place with the hugest impact. They influence pop culture globally and we see that in the music, fashion, carnival, the way people speak, all come from Jamaica, and thats what I love about Jamaica: They will never lose their identity”

“Whatever I do it has to be done with heart, with truth, and integrity, and its only right that if I’m gonna create a rum, I come to Jamaica I get the stamp of approval from the people.”