IT has become the norm for Jamaicans at home and overseas to bemoan runaway crime and tough economic times in their country but singer Rasta Progrez prefers to look at the positives, which he does in Inspired, his latest song.

Co-produced by Gold N Rule Entertainment and Rockaz Elements Production, the single’s uplifting message is complemented by a music video that, while showing the hardships some of his countrymen face, projects the triumphs of athletes like Olympic sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Rasta Progrez, who is from Spanish Town, lives in New York but stays in touch with developments back home.

“I watch all the programmes everyday; I’m very in tune with Jamaica,” he said.

Rasta Progrez empathises with those who struggle. Life was not easy for him when he lived in Spanish Town, one of Jamaica’s most violent areas.

“Yes, I experienced it [hardship] a lot. My mother was a single parent, so you can imagine,” he said.

Released in July, Inspired is the latest collaboration between Rasta Progrez and Gold N Rule Entertainment. That independent company also produced Next in Line, his 2020 debut album.

Inspired is his follow-up to Blessed Assurance, which is produced by Rockaz Elements Production.