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Protoje

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Protoje (Oje Ken Ollivierre, born 14 June 1981) is a Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter and label founder from St Elizabeth, and a central architect of the 2010s current commonly called the Reggae Revival. His albums The Seven Year Itch (2011), The 8 Year Affair (2013), Ancient Future (2015), A Matter of Time (2018), In Search of Lost Time (2020) and Third Time's the Charm (2022) join roots reggae to hip-hop, soul and contemporary production; “Who Knows,” featuring Chronixx, became his signature international recording. Through In.Digg.Nation he has developed and released work by artists including Lila Iké, Sevana and Jaz Elise.

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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.

  1. 0:01[Applause]
  2. 0:07Ando J
  3. 0:09Ando J yeah where you say he
  4. 0:12yeah where you say he
  5. 0:12yeah where you say he yeah
  6. 0:16okay who knows who knows who knows who
  7. 0:20okay who knows who knows who knows who knows I just go where the trade wi blows
  8. 0:24knows I just go where the trade wi blows
  9. 0:24knows I just go where the trade wi blows sending love to my friends and Fs and
  10. 0:27sending love to my friends and Fs and
  11. 0:27sending love to my friends and Fs and that's supp I'm pleas
  12. 0:30that's supp I'm pleas
  13. 0:30that's supp I'm pleas to be chilling in the
  14. 0:32to be chilling in the
  15. 0:32to be chilling in the west provide all my wants and needs I
  16. 0:36west provide all my wants and needs I
  17. 0:36west provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees green
  18. 0:40got the sunshine rivers and trees green
  19. 0:40got the sunshine rivers and trees green [Music]
  20. 0:42[Music]
  21. 0:42[Music] leaves see way drastically straight from
  22. 0:45leaves see way drastically straight from
  23. 0:45leaves see way drastically straight from mey I say every month philosophy I live
  24. 0:50mey I say every month philosophy I live
  25. 0:50mey I say every month philosophy I live the proper way and then me read a
  26. 0:52the proper way and then me read a
  27. 0:52the proper way and then me read a chapter daily Monday in a city hungry
  28. 0:55chapter daily Monday in a city hungry
  29. 0:55chapter daily Monday in a city hungry and eat and food down country drop off
  30. 0:58and eat and food down country drop off
  31. 0:58and eat and food down country drop off the tree
  32. 1:00the tree
  33. 1:00the tree you see say poverty no real then is what
  34. 1:02you see say poverty no real then is what
  35. 1:02you see say poverty no real then is what the reasoning
  36. 1:15revealing who knows who knows who knows
  37. 1:19revealing who knows who knows who knows who knows I just go the tradeing blows
  38. 1:23who knows I just go the tradeing blows
  39. 1:23who knows I just go the tradeing blows sending love to my friends and F hell
  40. 1:26sending love to my friends and F hell
  41. 1:26sending love to my friends and F hell and that's a I'm pleased to be chilling
  42. 1:30and that's a I'm pleased to be chilling
  43. 1:30and that's a I'm pleased to be chilling in the West Indies you I provide all my
  44. 1:34in the West Indies you I provide all my
  45. 1:34in the West Indies you I provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine
  46. 1:36wants and needs I got the sunshine
  47. 1:37wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees
  48. 1:40rivers and trees
  49. 1:40rivers and trees rele when the rain P up P the roof herb
  50. 1:43rele when the rain P up P the roof herb
  51. 1:44rele when the rain P up P the roof herb just a steam Pepper Pot P life is a
  52. 1:47just a steam Pepper Pot P life is a
  53. 1:47just a steam Pepper Pot P life is a dream if you got gratitude so go tell
  54. 1:49dream if you got gratitude so go tell
  55. 1:49dream if you got gratitude so go tell the regime can't stop where we do now
  56. 1:52the regime can't stop where we do now
  57. 1:53the regime can't stop where we do now information you think on your own or
  58. 1:55information you think on your own or
  59. 1:55information you think on your own or else you're a slave to the things that
  60. 1:57else you're a slave to the things that
  61. 1:57else you're a slave to the things that you know what do you know if you learn
  62. 2:00you know what do you know if you learn
  63. 2:00you know what do you know if you learn every day so be careful of things where
  64. 2:02every day so be careful of things where
  65. 2:02every day so be careful of things where you say who knows who knows who knows
  66. 2:07you say who knows who knows who knows
  67. 2:07you say who knows who knows who knows who knows I just go where the Shing
  68. 2:10who knows I just go where the Shing
  69. 2:10who knows I just go where the Shing blows sending love to my friends and F
  70. 2:13blows sending love to my friends and F
  71. 2:13blows sending love to my friends and F hell and that's supp I'm pleased to be
  72. 2:17hell and that's supp I'm pleased to be
  73. 2:17hell and that's supp I'm pleased to be chilling in the
  74. 2:19chilling in the
  75. 2:19chilling in the westes I provide all my wants and needs
  76. 2:23westes I provide all my wants and needs
  77. 2:23westes I provide all my wants and needs I got the sun shine rivers and
  78. 2:25I got the sun shine rivers and
  79. 2:25I got the sun shine rivers and trees leaves Africa but now We heart it
  80. 2:31trees leaves Africa but now We heart it
  81. 2:31trees leaves Africa but now We heart it is of importance I and I if we cannot
  82. 2:34is of importance I and I if we cannot
  83. 2:34is of importance I and I if we cannot show now what balance that we are how do
  84. 2:37show now what balance that we are how do
  85. 2:37show now what balance that we are how do we propos to carry it abro then I go to
  86. 2:40we propos to carry it abro then I go to
  87. 2:40we propos to carry it abro then I go to Ethiopia and you know plan the building
  88. 2:43Ethiopia and you know plan the building
  89. 2:43Ethiopia and you know plan the building of a nation and help every one a love
  90. 2:46of a nation and help every one a love
  91. 2:46of a nation and help every one a love one a man is just a man it shall be a
  92. 2:49one a man is just a man it shall be a
  93. 2:49one a man is just a man it shall be a coronation when we who knows who knows
  94. 2:53coronation when we who knows who knows
  95. 2:53coronation when we who knows who knows who knows who knows I just go as a
  96. 2:57who knows who knows I just go as a
  97. 2:57who knows who knows I just go as a traing blows sending love to my friends
  98. 3:00traing blows sending love to my friends
  99. 3:00traing blows sending love to my friends and F and that's a I'm pleased to be
  100. 3:05and F and that's a I'm pleased to be
  101. 3:05and F and that's a I'm pleased to be chilling in the
  102. 3:06chilling in the
  103. 3:06chilling in the w i provide all my wants and needs I got
  104. 3:10w i provide all my wants and needs I got
  105. 3:10w i provide all my wants and needs I got the sunshine rivers and trees green
  106. 3:15the sunshine rivers and trees green
  107. 3:15the sunshine rivers and trees green leaves and I say we just
  108. 3:20[Music]
  109. 3:22[Music] m we just move withy every
  110. 3:28time in the
  111. 3:31you see that
  112. 3:32you see that smile my my
  113. 3:36smile my my
  114. 3:36smile my my [Music]
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Articles & sources

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MusicBrainz — Protoje artist search/record context

WEB · rights discovery only · source reference

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

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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