The Secrets of The Reggae Prophet: Joseph Culture Hill

The Secrets of The Reggae Prophet: Joseph Culture Hill

Joseph Hill was born in 1949 in Linstead, a town in Saint Catherine Parish in the southeast of Jamaica.

He was raised in a Christian family and began singing in church at the early stages of his life. However, he came into contact with Rastafarians and adopted their philosophy of life. Joseph Hill was the lead singer and songwriter for the roots reggae group Culture, most famous for their 1977 hit “Two Sevens Clash”.

Joseph Hill and Culture developed a reputation as a performing group after a performance at the ‘One Love Peace Concert’ in 1978, and was soon regularly touring the United States, Europe and Africa. 

In his lyrics, Hill often explored how the legacy of slavery continued to have an influence on Jamaican citizens. Yet, what made Culture unique was that Hill always tempered his messages by having a smile on his lips and a dance in his feet. He was never without a good joke at hand.

Hill had received a number of honours; an induction into the Jamaican Reggae Walk of Fame and a 2005 Independence Award presented by the Prime Minister of Jamaica. In 2005 he received the Culture Shock Bronze Medal in recognition of his contribution to Jamaican music.

As a member of the Rastafari movement, Joseph Hill was a devoted worshipper of emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. Indeed, Hill’s honorific/nickname, “Keeper of Zion Gate” reflects his position as one of reggae’s and Rastafari’s greatest voices.


Hill died after collapsing following a performance in Berlin on 19 August 2006. Joseph Hill together with his culture band recorded not less than twenty-two albums before his departure. At his funeral in September 2006, Hill was eulogised by, amongst others, Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller who recognised his contributions to Jamaican Culture and ambassadorship to the world.

His son Kenyatta subsequently took over his role in Culture. Truth be told, since the demise of Joseph Hill as the leader of the Culture band, the group has never been the same. However, the legacy of Culture still holds as the prophet in reggae music.