Squeezy Rankin’s justice for ‘mama good, good son’ tips the scale

WHAT does justice mean to you?

It’s a question asked indirectly by Anthony La Fleur, aka Squeezy Rankin, in his 2025 calypso, Justice.

In the song, Squeezy explores the dynamics of a criminal who has been not only terrorising the community, but also his own mother. Squeezy paints a heart-wrenching picture of a mother holding the bullet-riddled, lifeless body of her son, but her pain is juxtaposed by the relief and even happiness in the village where his reign of terror has ended.

Similar to the justice symbol of a blindfolded woman holding a scale, the mother is also blind to the sins of her “good, good son” who has killed at least three people and brought tears to other mothers’ eyes. The scale of his injustices seem to have outweighed whoever decided to gun him down.

It is an intricate analysis of Trinidad and Tobago, currently under a state of emergency after a record 624 murders in 2024.

Squeezy critiques parenting, a mother’s love, a mother’s pain, gang violence, policing, and highlights the desperation of society.

Squeezy’s story leaves the listener in conflict about who deserves empathy and who is the villain.

Does the treacherous killer, someone called Dr Evil and even the Trini John Wick, who got murdered, deserve empathy?

Did the murderer that murdered a murderer do a public service?

In an interview with Newsday on January 6, Squeezy, 47, said justice can mean many things to different people.

“Don’t vex because you trying to mourn and everybody happy because a pest gone,” he said.

The La Horquetta resident said justice can also come in the form of forgiveness.

“Sometimes forgiveness is also justice. You say, ‘Yuh know what, f--- that, I forgive that person.’

“The way you deal with it, you will be surprised it hurt that person more than if yuh did cuff them in their face or chop them.”

Squeezy, who has lost a brother to gang violence, said a lot of times people criticise the relatives of a criminal, but sometimes they genuinely aren’t aware of the depths of their deviancy.

“They know eh, but they don’t know the level of stupidness their child on. All you does see them as is your family. You don’t see the lifestyle.

“This is how I know you: you’re my brother, my sister, my nephew, my son.”

He touches on this in the song with an onlooker having to spell out the carnage left by the woman's son:

"Woman, yuh son went on a banging,
In a stolen vehicle,
Why you feel the next team swing back,
The boy kill three people,
Speeding off on the scene he went on,
A little girl get bounce down,
Yet she say heads have to roll for the one who take she son soul."

He said bad parenting is contributing to breeding criminals. He urged parents to try to work together for the sake of their offspring, even if they may no longer be in a relationship.

Although pointing fingers at society, Squeezy, a father of three, was not too proud to be critical of himself, saying he could have done a better job as well with his own children.

“I have one child, my son, living with me.

“I’m trying my best to steer my son in the right way, because I don’t want my son going down that road...

“Parenting is something what two parents have to do. Every set of parents have to have an understanding for the children’s sake.

“We can’t be ignorant and want to stay away from one another, because it’s the children getting hurt.

“Because of bitterness in plenty relationships, this does be the end result – children going astray.”

He noted children are growing up fixated on tablets and video games instead of morals and values.“My generation, we generation who came up hard, using latrine, toting water, hole in yuh shoes going to school, we say we’re not putting we children through that. Everything yuh child want yuh give them.

“Most of these children don’t know how to make up their bed in the morning. We spoiling we children rotten!”

He said society and politicians must take the blame for the way society has reached as we’ve become a selfish people.

Asked why fathers were not mentioned in the song, Squeezy said fathers rarely are the ones crying out saying their child needs justice, unless they really were “a good boy.”

He said most fathers give “tough love” and would quicker say to leave their son in jail if they’re a repeat offender.

He said although there is a problem of absent fathers in some homes, he does not see this as an excuse as he knows many people who grew up with just their mother but were good citizens.

He said the extended family plays a crucial role in raising a child, but he lamented this is slowly being erased and not enough family members are involved to take up the slack.

Mature Squeezy makes transition

Known primarily as a dancehall artiste with provocative lyrics, Squeezy said he is not a complete stranger to calypso.

He recalled singing in calypso tents in his early 20s and getting advice from Calypso Kerr.

“He told me, ‘Yuh have a different vibe, a different calling, but yuh running from yourself.’”

He said Kerr sang to him lyrics from Bob Marley’s Running Away and said he can’t run forever. In 2024, Squeezy, using his dancehall background, won the Freestyle Monarch, his first time entering the Carnival competition.

Squeezy said he had been doing some soul searching for the past 13 years trying to figure out his next path to stay relevant.

“Going on stage and singing, ‘Big up the girls who thing fat like dumpling,’ it started to feel inappropriate.

“I’m a veteran now, I don’t need to sing that.”

He said many times he went to perform at parties and felt a bit out of touch with his audience. He said he was not enjoying his music as much as he would have liked.

“I try my hand at the soca and sometimes meh songs does be a lil too lyrical for the soca – and I doh like to water-down meh content to please people.”

He said he began writing more “mature songs” for a conscious-dancehall style.

But it was while watching the Dimanche Gras 2024, his girlfriend prompted him to sing a calypso.

Although still apprehensive, he took the lyrics and concept for the conscious-dancehall song and turned it into a calypso.

One year later, soca artistes, calypsonians and an entertainment giant are calling for Squeezy to enter the Calypso Monarch competition.

“I know a lot of people didn’t expect this from me, but this side of me has been there long time.”

On the adulation being bestowed upon him by the likes of reigning Calypso Monarch Machel Montano, 2020 Calypso Monarch Terri Lyons, 2023 Road March champion Bunji Garlin and music veteran and businessman Tony Chow Lin On, aka Chinese Laundry, Squeezy said it has been overwhelming.

“It feels good. Remember, I am a king of radical, kinda outcast artiste. It have few artistes in this fraternity does deal with me. I didn’t really expect that level of support. I feel good about it that, yes, this man is a controversial (artiste whose) mouth has no cover, but this song bad. I respect that. Everybody show me that love and I have more respect for them now. Respect is earned.”

He said the song was written mainly by him with some additions from Anthony Pantin. It was produced by Pantin, Q-Ban Productions and mixed and mastered by Diamond Sounds.

There is also a gripping video for the song, produced by Kevan Gibbs, which has gained over 21,000 views on YouTube.

Squeezy said he is elated that it has been getting airplay from urban radio stations and hopes it can be a the catalyst for more calypsoes to get justice from urban stations.

What would it mean to win the 2025 Calypso Monarch? Squeezy’s eyes lit up when asked the question.

He confirmed that he will be entering the competition and wants to do it not for himself but the people.

He said he has received over 400 calls from the public urging him to enter the competition.

Whether it be sunshine, rainy weather or the bleak outlook for the current crime situation, Squeezy’s versatility, lyricism and aggression on the mic makes him someone to watch out for on stage.

His ability and willingness to sell himself and his music, as he has been doing on the streets of Trinidad, handing out CDs for over 20 years, gives him that fearlessness and edge that cannot be trained.

He said he already has another verse in the tuck that he will only be unleashing live.

A short film is also in the works so people can get a deeper understanding of the song.

“I’ve already paid my dues,” he said, “I’ve paid my dues for 25 years.”

Squeezy may be a considered a rookie in calypso but his ranking in the entertainment world is one of a veteran.