Shottas

Shottas is a crime drama about two friends who grow up in the tough neighbourhoods of Kingston, Jamaica, and choose the life of the "shotta", the local term for a gangster, as a way to survive. As boys, Biggs and Wayne begin with small robberies and move into a criminal career that eventually takes them to the United States. There they rise through the ranks of an organised criminal world, held together by the loyalty they share, before their activities lead to their deportation back to Jamaica. Once home, the pair look to resume the life they left behind.

The film is directed by Cess Silvera, Lyndale V. Pettus and Adam Doench, from a screenplay by Silvera, who also produced alongside George Furla and Randall Emmett. It is a Jamaican and American production. Ky-Mani Marley plays Biggs and Spragga Benz plays Wayne, with Paul Campbell, Louie Rankin, Wyclef Jean and Screechie Bop among the supporting cast.

Released in early 2002 and running about ninety-five minutes, the film has found a larger audience over the years than its original showing suggested. On IMDb it holds a 6.1 rating from roughly 5,200 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7.7 from a much smaller group of around 384 voters.