Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.

Jamaica, 1973. When a young boy witnesses his brother’s assassination, a powerful Don gives him a home. But 10 years later, when he’s sent to London, his past catches up to him.

Reality begins to unravel for Hyacinth when a woman claiming to be her daughter arrives at her doorstep on her wedding anniversary.

A young black Jamaican girl from the underclass on the brink of womanhood works at a resort to support her large family. She faces a crisis of conscience when a tourist couple seems to be the answer to her financial predicament.

A young woman orchestrates a daring heist to recover a stolen artifact, covering her tracks by managing the whirlwind of a luxury wedding.