In mid-May, Jamaican-Canadian rapper Uzman released “August Free (Emancipation Anthem),” a vibrant Afrobeat-infused track that emphasizes the significance of recognizing Canada’s Emancipation Month, celebrated annually in August. Confident in the song’s relevance to today’s social climate, Uzman and his team invested heavily in promotion, ensuring that its empowering message reached wide audiences. Their efforts included a strong campaign, public appearances at major community events like the Jambana Festival, and strategic use of record pools to distribute the song to DJs across various regions.
Since its release, “August Free (Emancipation Anthem)” has inspired collaborative emancipation observances with St. Lucia and Buffalo—an island and a city that have both expanded their Emancipation Day celebrations to a full month. For the first time this year, they joined Canada in commemorating the occasion.
The song has also become a rallying point for Dewitt Lee, founder of Emancipation Month International, who invited Uzman to perform at the Juneteenth Festival in Buffalo, as well as at multiple official flag-raising events across the region. Uzman’s growing influence has further extended to international platforms, including a series of UK radio interviews discussing the importance of Emancipation Month and cultural pride.
Looking ahead, Uzman continues to build on this momentum. He is currently developing new music centered on Black empowerment, unity, and positivity, aiming to release more conscious material ahead of Black History Month. Based on the experience he has had with this record, he now feels motivated to visit several historic sites tied to emancipation, including Galveston, Texas (Juneteenth); St. Catharines, Ontario (Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad sites); and August Town, Kingston, Jamaica—locations that reflect the spirit and message of his song.
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 