Mutabaruka, born Allan Hope in Rae Town, Kingston, Jamaica on December 26 1952, has developed his own style of singing as a musician, since he started music as a teenager. "Poetry backed by rhythm of reggae"

As a student from a technical school, while working his interest grew in the Rastafarian faith and he joined the Black Awareness movement in the wake of the upsurge of "Black Awareness" in Jamaica and America.

Mutabaruka, aware that any nation without a root is like a tree without a root, held on fast to his African culture, philosophy, heritage and idealogy. He read extensively books such as Eldridge Cleaver's "Soul on Ice" and the "Autobiography of Malcolm X", which were books one couldn't read in Jamaica at that time. He believes in freedom and emancipation and equal rights and justice to be given to all oppressed people.

Mutabaruka's ideologies and philosophies are sometimes radical, but the man don't preach violence. He believes that the fight for human rights, freedom, African redemption and African liberation can be achieved through many ways, but not violence. From the angle of his own perception, he believes that white supremacy is the cause of all the elements of destruction that are taking place in this world. "The elements of destruction has polluted the atmosphere, the first and second world wars, have also contributed to that" he said.

He stressed "Every religion oppresses women, because every religion was created by men. Most religions don't include women in the power structure of the religion. Every woman is oppressed, because we are living in a man's world" About discrimination in Europe, Mutabaruka said "I don't live in Europe so I don't know, but I know that over 500 years of European colonisation has caused pain and grief to African people".

Speaking about his music, Muta said "The difference between my music and others is that I'm a poet, just saying poetry. The others are making poems become songs. And I'm concerned with Africa centred ideas and thinking beliefs. What we are talking about is coming from the ancient African philosophy." (Excerpts of interview taken from one of his tours in Europe). The first two albums of Muatabaruka "Check It" and "Out Cry" messages are loud and clear.