[1] The film documents the world of underground music in Jamaica following the efforts of three musicians (Turbulence, Kemoy, and Ice Anastasia) to break into the mainstream, and vicariously exploring a variety of socio-cultural issues relating to poverty, violence, and post-colonial corruption.
[2] The film also aired on the BBC and enjoyed a well received theatrical debut in Jamaica, where it was reviewed by the Jamaican Observer as the "Rise of a new Classic".
[2] The film, documents Turbulence’s rise to prominence as an internationally recognized and nationally celebrated reggae artist, and highlights the political and socially active nature of his music.
First released in 2004 on the Scallawah riddim, "Notorious" rose to Number 1 on local and international Reggae/Dancehall charts in Jamaica, New York City, London, Toronto and Japan in 2005, bolstered by the supporting music video by Rise Up director and cinematographer Luciano Blotta.
According to Wright, Rise Up is "particularly interesting as an example of creative ethnography" and "stands in stark contrast to a reductive filmic tradition of exoticism, Orientalism, and tropicalization.