Bob Marley becane a Rastafarian. The movement regarded Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as its Messiah. The belief that Haile Selassie, crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930, was the returned Messiah prophesied in the Bible and led to the birth of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica in the 1930s. His official title was “Lord of Lords, King of Kings of Ethiopia, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God and Light of the World”.

Rastas adopted Haile Selassie’s imperial name and saw his coronation fulfilling a prophecy in the Book of Revelation. They believed that Africa, and Ethiopia in particular, was the Promised Land and that black people were God’s chosen people, destined to be liberated from white oppression. Bob Marley played a central role in introducing Rastafarian culture and beliefs to a global audience through his reggae music and charismatic personality. Many of his songs paid homage to or referenced Haile Selassie, including “War”, which featured a speech by the emperor.