Sizzla was born in Kingston in 1977 to devout Rastafari movement parents.[2] Like them Sizzla subscribes to the Bobo Ashanti branch of the Rastafari movement. He was raised in August Town, Kingston Jamaica where he studied mechanical engineering at Dunoon High School.

The 1980s witnessed a dancehall explosion, and with the music came the lifestyle: drugs, guns, and "slackness" (vulgarity).[4] Formally adopting the Rastafari faith, with its advocacy of repatriation to Africa and its use of cannabis, he joined the ranks of the Bobo Ashanti in the mid-1990s.
Sizzla began to develop his own style whilst serving his musical apprenticeship with the Caveman Hi-Fi sound system.[5] He has used his music as a vehicle for his message, kickstarting his recording career in 1995 with a release through the Zagalou label,[4] he then teamed up with "Bobby Digital" Dixon for a series of singles.[6] Extensive touring with fellow roots and culture artist Luciano followed, earning Sizzla notability.