Reggae icon Sizzla Kalonji is set to be honored with the Key to the City of Lauderhill and a U.S. Congressional Honor at this year's Jamaica 63rd Independence Celebration on August 3.
To celebrate the moment, the City of Lauderhill will host the 'Solid As A Rock' Concert, named after one of Sizzla's most enduring anthems. Joining the lineup are icons Lady G, Admiral Tibet, Etana, Hal Anthony and "Festival Icon" Roy Rayon, all backed by the powerhouse Code Red Band.
Sizzla, known for his fiery lyrics and social commentary, will be the featured guest at the annual event held in Broward County—a region with a vibrant Caribbean diaspora and deep-rooted Jamaican connections. This year's celebration takes on added significance as it spotlights Sizzla's impact beyond music, recognizing his lifelong mission to uplift disenfranchised communities and reconnect people of African descent with their ancestral heritage.
"I was emotionally moved. Touched by the gesture. Filled with joy and excitement. As my fans worldwide would be so happy," Sizzla told DancehallMag.
"Receiving the Key to the City can be a life-changing moment, filling you with a sense of pride, purpose, and responsibility, especially on the back-to-Africa mission."
For the prolific artist, born Miguel Collins in Kingston, Jamaica, the recognition affirms the spiritual and cultural calling that has defined his decades-long journey in reggae and Rastafari:
"This meant a lot to me as my forefathers had fought for the worldwide recognition of the black culture and its purpose—to reunite the disenfranchised and broken African people to their original roots and throne of claim," he added,
Sizzla, a devout Rasta, believes that artists have a pivotal role in global transformation:
"It reflects that our voices, actions, and contributions as artists can shape the world in a better way and also can be the basic ingredients towards uniting a people scattered in the world because of slavery. It even more so populates and enhances the annexing of our African kingdoms and empires through the culture of Rastafari and reggae music."
As someone who has consistently used his platform to advocate for African sovereignty, spirituality, and self-determination, Sizzla views the honor with humility:
"I've always seen myself in a great position to aid and assist my African people to the highest level, but with life comes the unknown—you never know what plans the Almighty has in store. Therefore, I'm humbled."
In typical Sizzla fashion, he credits his guidance to divine order and the sacred teachings of Rastafari.
"From the first inception, we were established as a royal nation with the principles of prayers, chantings, and charges over the holy temples. Our order is of prayers and chantings, reciting the psalms, proverbs, and books of prophesies daily. Therefore, it is not a part of our thought or culture to be deterred from the protocols of Zion because of the popularity it breeds. We are on a mission, and that mission is to liberate the people as our duty is to the people in love."
