KINGSTON, Jamaica — What began as a music video shoot in Medellín, Colombia, has become a career-defining experience for Jamaican rapper Jakal, who says the city’s culture and warm embrace of Jamaicans have inspired both his latest release and future musical direction.

Jakal travelled to the Colombian city to film the video for Sicarios, the lead single from his mixtape, Crime Pay$ Vol. 4: The Pilgrimage to Medellín. Released in May, the video was directed by American filmmaker Jason Williams, who recently served in a similar role on the Jamaican movie Squatta.

“It felt surreal while filming in Medellín, it was a dream come true to say the least,” Jakal said. “Prior to going to Colombia, the only thing I knew about Medellín was that that’s where Pablo Escobar was from.”