ENTITY · PERSON

Protoje

Well supported

Protoje (born Oje Ken Ollivierre, 1981) is a Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter and one of the leading figures of the 2010s "Reggae Revival." The son of singer Lorna Bennett, he founded the In.Digg.Nation Collective in 2014, mentoring artists such as Lila Iké and Sevana, and struck a distribution deal with RCA Records in 2020. His catalogue includes Ancient Future (2015), home to the Chronixx collaboration "Who Knows," plus A Matter of Time and In Search of Lost Time, earning multiple Grammy nominations.

Share a memory Correct this record Add a source lead

At a glance

Type: person
Confidence: Well supported
Era: Open era →

People & roles

Connections

Watch & listen

Open source ↗

MusicBrainz — Protoje artist search/record context

WEB · rights discovery only · source reference

Clickable source URL for reggae-revival verification; external reference only.

Source link ↗

Protoje - Who Knows ft. Chronixx (Official Music Video)

YOUTUBE · rights discovery only · performs

Official youtube upload (channel: Protoje); embedded as a discovery-only reference pending editorial review.

View transcript · 114 lines

Automatic captions — a machine draft pending editorial review.

0:01[Applause]
0:07Ando J
0:09Ando J yeah where you say he
0:12yeah where you say he
0:12yeah where you say he yeah
0:16okay who knows who knows who knows who
0:20okay who knows who knows who knows who knows I just go where the trade wi blows
0:24knows I just go where the trade wi blows
0:24knows I just go where the trade wi blows sending love to my friends and Fs and
0:27sending love to my friends and Fs and
0:27sending love to my friends and Fs and that's supp I'm pleas
0:30that's supp I'm pleas
0:30that's supp I'm pleas to be chilling in the
0:32to be chilling in the
0:32to be chilling in the west provide all my wants and needs I
0:36west provide all my wants and needs I
0:36west provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees green
0:40got the sunshine rivers and trees green
0:40got the sunshine rivers and trees green [Music]
0:42[Music]
0:42[Music] leaves see way drastically straight from
0:45leaves see way drastically straight from
0:45leaves see way drastically straight from mey I say every month philosophy I live
0:50mey I say every month philosophy I live
0:50mey I say every month philosophy I live the proper way and then me read a
0:52the proper way and then me read a
0:52the proper way and then me read a chapter daily Monday in a city hungry
0:55chapter daily Monday in a city hungry
0:55chapter daily Monday in a city hungry and eat and food down country drop off
0:58and eat and food down country drop off
0:58and eat and food down country drop off the tree
1:00the tree
1:00the tree you see say poverty no real then is what
1:02you see say poverty no real then is what
1:02you see say poverty no real then is what the reasoning
1:15revealing who knows who knows who knows
1:19revealing who knows who knows who knows who knows I just go the tradeing blows
1:23who knows I just go the tradeing blows
1:23who knows I just go the tradeing blows sending love to my friends and F hell
1:26sending love to my friends and F hell
1:26sending love to my friends and F hell and that's a I'm pleased to be chilling
1:30and that's a I'm pleased to be chilling
1:30and that's a I'm pleased to be chilling in the West Indies you I provide all my
1:34in the West Indies you I provide all my
1:34in the West Indies you I provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine
1:36wants and needs I got the sunshine
1:37wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees
1:40rivers and trees
1:40rivers and trees rele when the rain P up P the roof herb
1:43rele when the rain P up P the roof herb
1:44rele when the rain P up P the roof herb just a steam Pepper Pot P life is a
1:47just a steam Pepper Pot P life is a
1:47just a steam Pepper Pot P life is a dream if you got gratitude so go tell
1:49dream if you got gratitude so go tell
1:49dream if you got gratitude so go tell the regime can't stop where we do now
1:52the regime can't stop where we do now
1:53the regime can't stop where we do now information you think on your own or
1:55information you think on your own or
1:55information you think on your own or else you're a slave to the things that
1:57else you're a slave to the things that
1:57else you're a slave to the things that you know what do you know if you learn
2:00you know what do you know if you learn
2:00you know what do you know if you learn every day so be careful of things where
2:02every day so be careful of things where
2:02every day so be careful of things where you say who knows who knows who knows
2:07you say who knows who knows who knows
2:07you say who knows who knows who knows who knows I just go where the Shing
2:10who knows I just go where the Shing
2:10who knows I just go where the Shing blows sending love to my friends and F
2:13blows sending love to my friends and F
2:13blows sending love to my friends and F hell and that's supp I'm pleased to be
2:17hell and that's supp I'm pleased to be
2:17hell and that's supp I'm pleased to be chilling in the
2:19chilling in the
2:19chilling in the westes I provide all my wants and needs
2:23westes I provide all my wants and needs
2:23westes I provide all my wants and needs I got the sun shine rivers and
2:25I got the sun shine rivers and
2:25I got the sun shine rivers and trees leaves Africa but now We heart it
2:31trees leaves Africa but now We heart it
2:31trees leaves Africa but now We heart it is of importance I and I if we cannot
2:34is of importance I and I if we cannot
2:34is of importance I and I if we cannot show now what balance that we are how do
2:37show now what balance that we are how do
2:37show now what balance that we are how do we propos to carry it abro then I go to
2:40we propos to carry it abro then I go to
2:40we propos to carry it abro then I go to Ethiopia and you know plan the building
2:43Ethiopia and you know plan the building
2:43Ethiopia and you know plan the building of a nation and help every one a love
2:46of a nation and help every one a love
2:46of a nation and help every one a love one a man is just a man it shall be a
2:49one a man is just a man it shall be a
2:49one a man is just a man it shall be a coronation when we who knows who knows
2:53coronation when we who knows who knows
2:53coronation when we who knows who knows who knows who knows I just go as a
2:57who knows who knows I just go as a
2:57who knows who knows I just go as a traing blows sending love to my friends
3:00traing blows sending love to my friends
3:00traing blows sending love to my friends and F and that's a I'm pleased to be
3:05and F and that's a I'm pleased to be
3:05and F and that's a I'm pleased to be chilling in the
3:06chilling in the
3:06chilling in the w i provide all my wants and needs I got
3:10w i provide all my wants and needs I got
3:10w i provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees green
3:15the sunshine rivers and trees green
3:15the sunshine rivers and trees green leaves and I say we just
3:20[Music]
3:22[Music] m we just move withy every
3:28time in the
3:31you see that
3:32you see that smile my my
3:36smile my my
3:36smile my my [Music]

Source link ↗

In stories

Story · Well supportedThe revival generation finds its voice

A 2010s wave of singers reclaimed roots reggae for a new century.

Story · Well supportedIs it still reggae? A living genre argues with itself

As fusion, revival and trap reshaped the sound, the authenticity question came home.

Debate & reception

How people argued about the music — praise, criticism and public debate. See all debate & reception →

commentary

The Reggae Revival: conscious roots as a rebuke to dancehall's commercial dominance

The early-2010s 'Reggae Revival' associated with Chronixx, Protoje, Kabaka Pyramid and Jah9 was widely read as a deliberate reassertion of Rastafari consciousness, live instrumentation and lyrical depth at a moment when slack, commercially dominant dancehall crowded roots reggae out of the airwaves. Some framed it as reggae reclaiming its authentic, message-driven identity for a young global audience; others cautioned against a simple conscious-versus-dancehall binary, noting that several Revival figures came up writing and producing for dancehall and bridged rather than opposed it. Chronixx and Protoje's 'Who Knows' became an emblem of the movement.

Stance: roots consciousness reclaiming authenticity from commercial slackness vs a false binary, since Revival artists emerged from and overlap with dancehall

debate

'Reggae Revival': renaissance or marketing label?

Two views on the 2010s Reggae Revival: some credit Chronixx, Protoje and Jah9 with reconnecting reggae to consciousness and live musicianship; others, including Chronixx himself, reject 'revival' as a marketing frame that boxes in a living scene and implies the music had died. Sources: Westword; Afropop Worldwide; Radio Dubplate.

Stance: a genuine roots renaissance vs a limiting marketing label

debate

'Reggae Revival': a real movement or a media label?

A documented debate over the term 'reggae revival,' framed from both sides: proponents describe a genuine roots-and-culture renaissance led by a new generation and a shared aesthetic; critics call it a journalistic and marketing tag that flattens diverse artists, some of whom have distanced themselves from it. Neutral framing; no verdict. Sources: Jamaica Gleaner archive; LargeUp; United Reggae.

Stance: a genuine roots renaissance led by a new generation vs a journalistic marketing tag artists never chose