WHAT does justice mean to you?
It’s a question asked indirectly by Anthony LeFleur, 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 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 relations
