his life inspired the 1972 film "the harder they come", jamaica's first feature film, starring jimmy cliff as ivan martin and directed by perry henzell. in the film rhyging is portrayed as a reggae singer and song writer, who is tricked out of the rights to his songs and is drawn into drug-dealing, but becomes famous as he achieves notoriety for his crimes. according to cliff, "rhygin was very much on the side of the people; he was a kind of robin hood, i guess you could call him". together with the movie ivan is also referred to in the song "the guns of brixton" by the rock band the clash.