‘Big Up Kamala’ goes viral with almost half million views

Jamaican reggae artiste Richie Stephens is warming hearts in the US with his recent single, “Big Up Kamala Harris. ” Since social media influencer Sherry Southe-Tyme posted it on Facebook, it has racked up 443,000 views/plays.

Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic presidential nominee who will face off against former President Donald J. Trump in the Presidential Elections on Nov. 5.

Southe-Tyme said she was startled when the post started racking up thousands of plays on her page daily.

“I posted the song on Aug. 28, and I was very surprised at the response that the song received,” she told Caribbean Life on Monday. “I started receiving notifications that various people were following me. At one point, I received over 1,000 new followers in one day.

Social media influencer, Sherry Southe-Tyme. Photo by Anthony “ER Guru” Turner

“The song is helping with Kamala’s visibility in the Diaspora,” she added. “Many Jamaicans in the Diaspora identify with this song, mainly because of her Jamaican roots and, most importantly, because the song was written by a Jamaican.

“I think that a video for the song would also be helpful,” Southe-Tyme continued.

Harris, the daughter of retired Jamaican-born economist Dr. Donald Harris and the late Dr. Shyamala Gopalan of India, rose through the California political and law enforcement ranks to become the first female vice president in US history.

Stephens said he was inspired to write the song by the vice president’s brilliance and her Caribbean roots. 

“I respect the brilliance of Vice President Kamala Harris,” he told Caribbean Life. “And regardless of what some naysayers say, her roots are Jamaican and Indian, which cannot be changed.”

Stephens said “Big Up Kamala” has gone viral without any promotion.

“It all happened organically, and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “People just grabbed the song and ran with it because of the sound, and it is relatable.

“And it is not just those from the Jamaican/Caribbean Diaspora who love the song,” he added. “Americans are intrigued by the song.”