August Town which is the home for  Sizzla Kalonji’s Judgement Yard, will always have a special place in his heart.

Despite the constant violence that has plagued August Town which already saw 14 deaths this year, Sizzla has maintained an unwavering dedication towards the St Andrew community.

“What is happening in the community has affected me in many ways because this is where I grew up. August Town is my community, the people are my people, and so anything that hurts the people hurts Sizzla. I am always there. Despite everything that has happened in the past, I never left and I don’t intend to leave now,” he told The Weekend Star.

After the government stepped in an established a place of operations in his town earlier this month, the Dancehall/Reggae Heavyweight is lauding their decision.

“The yutes are behaving themselves and so I know we’re going to get past this. The Government stepped in and so with the checkpoints they have established, things are getting better and I must commend them for that,” he said. “I am going to do my part to help, like I have always done, because unity is a must. We want to get back to an August Town with no murders, and not just for a year, but for a whole entire century. I have big respect for August Town and a lot of faith in the people.”

The “Thank You Mama” singer who performed at A Taste of Reggae Sumfest virtual show last month, took Downsound Records’ CEO Joe Bogdanovich on a tour of Judgement Yard.

“I’m always doing a whole lot of work with the yutes in the community to help maintain the peace. I have set up organisations that have provided jobs to the people in the community to keep them off the streets and keep them positively engaged,” he said.

“If you don’t do community service, you’re not my friend, honestly. This is how you reach out to people and how people can get to know that you’re dedicated. Not just with your words but with your actions,” he said. “When people see how much you’ve done to help uplift the place, they respect you and will do their part for the betterment of the community.”