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Richie Stephens sings about 'Concrete Jungle' in new track

Published:Wednesday | November 7, 2018 | 12:00 AMShereita Grizzle/Gleaner Writer
Richie Stephens

Singer Richie Stephens is sending a message to his fellow Jamaicans in his latest single - Concrete Jungle. The track, which was released recently, speaks about survival tactics people employ as they try to stay alive in their concrete jungles. Speaking with The Gleaner about the new track, Stephens explained that with young people constantly battling issues created by the environment in which they were raised, he felt the song's message is timely. He wants the youth to make decisions that will positively affect their lives, by showing them the outcome of making the wrong decisions. "What I want people to hear when they listen this song, and what I want them to see when they watch the video, is how easy it is for a youth to lose his life, and how difficult it is to survive in the streets wherever you are in the world. Concrete Jungle is a song that talks about social injustices, It gives me an opportunity to explain how I feel about what's currently going on with our young people. I've seen what is happening worldwide - with the Internet, on the streets with young people; that's what influenced the song. And it's really resonating with people all over the world. Pound for pound, I think we have a winner here, let's wait and see." She says so far, the response has been positive and persons have been requesting him to perform it while on tour. Stephens, who is currently in Singapore, will be making several appearances across Asia and Australia in the next few days. "The response to the song is so great that I was forced to put the song in my set. People are seeing the video on YouTube and are asking me about it. The people love the message, the simplicity of how I deliver it, and the catchy hook." Stephens explained that the video, which was shot on location in Jamaica, London and Italy, matches the song perfectly, as it adds depth to the track by showing what he is singing about. "The video is done in short-film style even though it's a little over four minutes, that's because we want people to see exactly what we're singing about. That to me is one of the most important things about a video. The story must show what you're singing about."