Drink Champs - Episode 422 w/ Buju Banton

Episode Date: August 9, 2024

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode we chop it up with the legendary, Buju Banton!Buju joins us to share his journey. Buju Banton talks about the importance of independence and staying true to yourself.Buju shares stories of his first studio session, the evolution of Reggae and Dancehall music and much much more!Lot’s of great stories that you don’t want to miss!!Make some noise for Buju Banton!!! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆   *Subscribe to Patreon NOW for exclusive content, discount codes, M&G’s + more:  🏆* https://www.patreon.com/drinkchamps *Listen and subscribe at https://www.drinkchamps.com Follow Drink Champs: https://www.instagram.com/drinkchamps https://www.twitter.com/drinkchamps https://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps https://www.youtube.com/drinkchamps DJ EFN https://www.crazyhood.com https://www.instagram.com/whoscrazy https://www.twitter.com/djefn https://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions N.O.R.E. https://www.instagram.com/therealnoreaga https://www.twitter.com/noreagaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. legendary Queens rapper. Hey, hey, it's your boy N.O.R.E. He's a Miami hip-hop pioneer. What up, it's DJ EFN. Together, they drink it up with some of the biggest players in the most

professional, unprofessional podcast and your number one source for drunk facts. It's Drink Champs, motherfucking podcast. Where every day is New Year's Eve.

It's time for Drink Champs. Drink up, motherfuckers. What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up, What up. Drink up, motherfucker. What it good be? Hope it is what it is. It's your boy N.O.R.E.

What up? It's DJ E.F.N. And it's Military Crazy World Podcast. Make some noise! When I tell you we started this show, we wanted to, you know, pay love and pay homage to legends and icons, people that came before us and people that's holding it down. This man right here, I want to say this out front and I want people to try to challenge me.

This man might be the greatest performer on earth. Notice I didn't say greatest reggae performer or dance hall performer or Jamaican performer. I said one of the greatest performers on earth. No man wants to go on stage after him. We researched his

music and when I tell you Rasta, the man right there, since we've been doing this for eight years, we'll waste one day on someone's music and go research it.

Me and Rasta, man, listen to this man for five days straight. We couldn't stop listening. We couldn't stop because the man, like when I listen to that phrase, the man dim, he's the man dim. I know that people call him the king. He doesn't like being called the king because he's a humble servant.

But I tell you like this, from the people, you are king to us. You just sold out New York City, 36,000, two shows. first reggae artist to ever do that by himself he also in one year sold more singles than Bob Marley he is a legend legend icon of an icon in case you don't know who he talking about, we talking about the one and only Booju motherfucking Fonzo! Yo, I'm going to be honest with you. No respect. I was so honored, you know what I mean,

when they said that Booju is coming here because our show is about giving people flowers when they're alive, giving people their praises. And you are somebody that, you know, you deserve this, man. Like, you deserve, like, what you're doing and continue to inspire. But let's talk about when you first came home from jail, right? It was a moment in the airport, right, where the people rushed you, right? And I can tell you, you're a man of the people, but you also was a man

of privacy, I can tell. Yeah, it was a very, very, very painful, traumatic, but surreal moment, you know? Touching the side of Jamaica after so many tribulations and seeing the masses crowding at the airports.

You don't want anyone to feel like you don't appreciate the effort in giving you a warm welcome home. But you still wanted a mod to come of this process. All that was happening. A lot to unpack there. Yeah. And you came home diesel too. Well, I'm under work

you know I work out three times a day wow in those days I'm on around school I'm on around the yard and I'm on around the chapel so I have a fit a lot of jobs all right Yeah. So it's a difference, right? Let me ask you, this is a question I've been wanting to ask somebody for years. As a, okay, I haven't called myself it, as a Yankee. Yeah. Right? What is the difference between dancehall and reggae?

Dancehall is where the younger people express themselves. We get more sexualized. We get more slangy. Reggae music is where we speak to the soul. Reggae music is what our ancestors and our forefathers left with us to keep us close to the connection to God

because this music wasn't given to us by man. This music was a divine music sent to an island of 144 square miles with a population at that time of nearly 1.45 million people. But their struggles and their tenacity to withstand these struggles was so much so that the father himself saw it fitting for them to be blessed with a music of

their own to express their ideas and ideology and their pain and their praises. And so reggae music was born by the great stalwarts. First we had Count Machuke, and then we have King Stitch, the big U, the U-Ride, the I-Ride, we have the Bob Marley, we have the Peter Tosh, we have the Burning Spears. And we have countless other groups, the Scatolites, the Heptoons, the Techniques.

We had many great stalwarts who came along, who understood the assignment. Right. You understand? Right. And that's why reggae music is here now, because they understood the assignment. Right. Now, we came along as a later generation of musicians who knew that our predecessors understood the assignment and we needed

to understand the assignment. So I see myself as the last of the Mohicans in the reggae music. Saphir, who come with that old school knowledge,

who knows that this music must feed my people, educate them, uplift them, eradicate negativity from their minds, and allow them

to whine at the same time it's a great balance right right so let me just tell you you know I live by a bunch of white neighbors

wow bunch of white people and it's two things I like to do I like to bump reggae music around them

they don't complain for some reason you can bump reggae music at the. They don't complain. For some reason, you can bump reggae music at the highest level. And it's okay. There's only two musics you can do that with. It's reggae and salsa.

That's it. It's like they won't. But I see the difference. And I'm going to bounce it all over the place. Like when you first entered the game and then you became Rasta, and it seems like the music became more conscious.

Was that like... I wouldn't say I became. Okay. I would say I show you who I was supposed to be. It was always there. You can't become. Okay. You can't become something you aren't

because you're going to go back to what you was. However, who we are supposed to be is what we are supposed to be and we can't change that. However, we enter the door is just a precursor to get our foot

into the door because I see myself as a servant, you know. You know, one day, my mom said to me, I think you need to go live with your father and

after living my father for six months my stepmom out of the blue decide my school time was 12 o'clock and I bought I think it was 1030 11 o'clock in this life she wants to send me to the shop. I didn't know why. But anyway, I took the bag and I took the money. And I went through the door. And I was walking to the shop. And there was a mango tree on the car park.

And from afar, I spot this mango. It was so red. I kept looking at it. And the spirit came to me and said climb this tree, sit in it eat this mango don't come out until you are finished you know I put the bag in my pocket and I climbed the tree

and I ate the mango when I dropped the seed on the ground a car pulled up onto the mango tree and the door opened and a voice said, Jovian Isle you know Clementire and I looked down I said Bamba Claude yeah we My name was Clement Tyree. Slide out of the tree. It wasn't three days later till I realized how much cut, how much bruise I am on my legs. This was Chabarangs calling me

out of a tree. To go and call Clement Tyree. So I run to Clement Tyree and I said, yo, Chabarangs out there to you. They know they call me Buck because I wasabarang's out there to you. They do this, they call me Buck, because I was a,

you know, shuttle maker, so to speak. I said, Buck, bring him around from the back car park. So I run back to the top car park

and say, shabarang's, I'm saying, you must drive around there so when you see a big water tank, you turn right, and I'm going to meet you around there. So I sat there and watched these two entertainers mega star shabarangs

clement irie talking you know and they are they're getting ready to go to this this fit they said to me now clement irie said to me buck later and shabarang said no bring the soldier me buck later and shabarang said no bring the soldier so i sat in a car now with the driver shabarang's up front clementine were there and i was over here before went into the car he pulled a bottle of honey and he walked over to me and he said hold this and i was holding the and he And he poured the honey into the cock. And he put his finger into it and put it around his joint.

And started smoking. I said to him, why you do that? He said, to keep the vibe smooth. Yo. Holy shit. I knew right there and then it was a spiritual thing. Because my love for dancehall and for shabarang superseded so much things. Because back in the days, we had a sound system called Roadstar.

And Roadstar used to play in our community. And when you play shabarangs, it's crazy. Right. Because, you know, when I was growing up, there were a few entertainers who were worthy of my time. One was Major Worries. To me, Major Worries was a teacher of all of us. He was so advanced in his disposition and his lyrical delivery.

And ironically, Licka Twitch was a protege of Major Worries. Admiral Bailey was a protege of Major Worries. Shabarangs was a protege of Major Worries. And I became a protege of Major Worris. Admiral Bailey was a protege of Major Worris. Shabba Ronks was a protege of Major Worris. And I became a protege of Major Worris through listening to Major Worris as a real rude boy. Because in Jamaica, in order to do this music, you have to be firm.

Gotta be about that life, basically. Yeah. It's not about anything else, but you have to live your experience. And when people see, you know that your experience is not far fetched. You didn't create this thing to gain support, but you are really,

this is you. Right. So we are those real brethren, Tyon, Rankin Tyon, you know, you name them. So these are men who,

they didn't just have these names. right louis lepke you know i mean so we're real good boys in the thing because our experience was basically police brutality gang warfare you know i mean people trying to kill you trying to defend yourself against that people trying to hustle people trying to make it. So we deal with struggles. We surround that struggle of life to make it into somebody. So when the ranking call I from the tree, that was a turning point in my life to show I that I am truly a servant

who come to serve the masses. And even to this day, when we see each other, I would always remind him of that moment of you calling this little boy out of a mango tree. A shaba. Yes. Yes. And he never forgot. He never forgot. No. Shout out to the mango, too.

Shout out to the mango. So, is it true that you had an album release party at SOB's and a man of them come knock on the door? The man of them always come fuck with I, man. And it was Biggie Smalls? Yeah, man.

So I'm sitting in a limousine. I wait for going to SOB's. And a virgin come knock on my limousine doing a coochie sweater. When I went in the window, I said, what's up, brother? He said, hey man, my name is Biggie Smalls. Can I come inside? I said, man, Biggie Smalls,

you could have come in all day. And we brought him inside. Those days I was rolling with Lisa Cortez from Polygram. Right. He was already Biggie Smalls? He was already? No, he was on the Up and Coming. Up and Coming, okay.

He had the song Supercat yet? No. I didn't know that song. I didn't know any song of his but I just you know I'm a nice person when it comes to music because

someone inspired me so I must inspire someone else so I wasn't gonna be the sound the person gonna say no cause I'm not this asshole you know what I mean so I didn't know who he was it wasn't until when

Lisa Cortez came to SOB she said oh you met Biggie Smalls I said oh yeah I just brought him inside and we just chilling all the time.

Never seen him again from that. Yeah. God damn it. The world is like that. Yeah. At least you got to see him and got to see him humble

because, I mean, you're a legend, man. And you know, he's Jamaican, so he was probably... Well, you know, when Biggie came to Jamaica, he came in a wheelchair.

Oh, wow. That's right. He had an accident. And it's the most gunshot he has ever heard in his life because when he's performing they were looking shots well the only person who get more respect than Biggie Small in Jamaica two persons we love a DMX DMX okay and the last person went all out far in Jamaica all island all out was 50 cent you know many men okay the Don himself sent 50 cent on the stage on Zeke's yeah sent him and tell him go on the stage now we're ready for many

men you know right he went up there and sing it and it was all out you know was Busta Rhymes your first rap feature yeah because Busta Rhymes your first rap feature? Yeah, because Busta Rhymes used to hang out with Lou Skin and them and they put us together to do a song together. And we used to drive over his mother's basement. Long Island. Long Island. So this is where we do Wicked Rock. You know what I mean?

But, you know what I mean? Busta really hot. Yeah. The Busta I know are really hot, really bad man. Yeah. And I heard that y'all Kept going back in the sessions Like

Yeah because We have to get this right Right We have to get this right Yo Sound like a session with Busted Yes We're in the basement

In this mall In Long Island And then you were staying In the city So we drive from Manhattan We're staying at West Park Tonight on Broadway

So we used to drive All the way over to Long Island And no matter what Gotta take me back to the hood. Okay. So let me ask you, because I've been watching and watching and watching. You said something that was very interesting. You said Afro Beats gives props back to reggae,

to dancehall. Do they? I thought I heard you say that. I don't think they do. No, I never said that. I said they don't give fucking props back to dancehall and reggae to dancehall do they i thought i heard you say that i don't think they do no i never said that i said don't give fucking props back to dancehall on reggae oh my bad i heard it wrong now you really dislike it yeah yeah my bad i thought i heard it heard it the other way around but then i then i heard you say because i heard you say afrobe. I thought I heard you say that. The Afrobeats, like, you know, pay hobbies. The greatest musician out of Africa was Fela Kute. Yes. Fela Kute.

Lucky Dube from South Africa. We had Salif Keita. We have Yusuf Endor. We have Baba Mal. Now, no one wanted to go beyond the pale of what those brothers was doing. I went to Africa in 1991 and I spent like three weeks, constant at the universities, under boabab trees, educating people from Ghana, all over the continent about reggae music and dancehall.

But I was happy when they came to their senses to realize that music is the bridge that's going to connect us. But what I was disappointed in, they didn't try to connect with Jamaica, the Roots. They connect with everyone else except us. And you're talking about Afrobeat? Yes. Okay, okay, continue. Sorry. So they're connected with everyone else except us. But when we look at what they're doing, their music is not free in Africa.

It's for crazy. I didn't know what to say you need to free africa if i am all the way in jamaica and my and my country and my people fight for free your continent with word sound and power and you have the ability now and all you're singing is you don't sing a song to free africa all now we need them bringing this to the forefront of your mind but we desire more from them you want the money go get it but what's going to be said about you later on and your posterity you didn't make any impact so reggae music still stand predominantly it is still the king's music yes i can honestly say i wasn't ready i wasn't ready you set it up you said it wrong i might have heard it wrong but then i also heard you say and this is something that i've really really really listened

to you okay okay yes please i'm in tell me one Afrobeat son that can uplift us. Uplift us, take us from... Kenya is suffering. People of... The young men of Kenya are revolting. South Africa is on a... Sudan,

South Sudan, you name it. But which one of these sons can I relate to for a peace of mind to tell me that I'm in a struggle and we are going to be better

in the struggle and even though the struggle is hard, we're going to overcome. Tell me. You know what? I don't think I can. Reggae music. Right. Listen. A lot of culture vultures

out there. We have sat and we have watched reggaeton taking reggae music. I was going there. They're fucking our music so hard and they're stealing our culture. I'm not knocking nobody, but you don't give us no respect, motherfuckers. I was going there. Let's finish with Apple Beats and then it's going to break. You're fucking your music so hard and you're stalling our culture. I'm not knocking nobody, but you don't give us no respect, motherfuckers.

Right, right. And you still expect us to come to and act like we take something from you? This is the king's music. Your music shall come and it shall go because it has nothing

to do with soul. It has nothing to do with building energy. Our music is time marker. You can't remember when you went on your first date, when you had your first sex, when you married your wife, when you go to the first dance. music is time marker. You can't remember when you went to your first date, when you had your first sex, when you marry your wife, when you go to the first dance.

It's time marker. Because it's the king's music. You can't remember when you're happy. You can't remember when you're sad. You can't remember all the things because there's a music to mark that time period. But everyone wants to take from reggae. They want to

ostracize us. Mm-hmm. And to pay us. Let's just stick it with Afrobeat for a second. That is direct from reggae, though, right? No. Really?

Afrobeat is from Africa, but the influence, you know what I mean? And I'm sure a lot of Afrobeat artists will say to you, oh, Afrobeat is Afrobeat and that has nothing to do with Jamaica. And we'll say to them,

our music has everything to do with Africa. We don't dichotomize. We don't separate ourselves from Africa. No point, no time, no day. Because the drum in our music is what speaks to our soul. I think the drum in your music speaks to your soul. But what are you saying? It's important for you to, it's easy for you to have anybody

to listen to you. Just don't get that wrong. But what do you have to say to them? you just don't get that wrong but what do you have to say to them there's a hard part i was thinking about joanna i was like that's not that's not off-lifting i was like maybe i should close my mouth yeah yeah yeah it's easy for you to have the masses to listen to you but what will you say to them you know we've gone from people singing singing about the freedom that they desire, people singing about the hope of their nation rising to the apex, the hope of their

people and the young men realizing that this is a great nation and they need to take the bull by the horn, to someone who's people want to plunge us back 45 years, 55 years, to where we're peons. Now, if you look in sub-Saharan Africa, we see Africa rising up.

The brain of Africa has become awakened from Niger, go right through. So we cannot continue on the trajectory like we don't know who we are. Right. And our music cannot continue to be uninspiring. Right. Simple. Right.

I mean, they say that all music comes from Africa. Yes. Yeah. But then, so you think that... Reggae music comes from Africa. Yeah. The drum is just that we get... Reggae music come from Africa. Yeah. The drum is just that we get a different,

we have speaking and our idioms and the way our cadence come across is much different. Right. Because we're able to bend words and we don't deal with English.

We deal with outlish. Yeah, because English is speak in and I speak out. Yeah. me goad. But that's the beauty about listening to your music is it's not just you know, you could dance to, like you

actually schooling people, like, what's the name of the record that reminds me of the Nas record? Were you talking about Guns? Damn, hold on, I got it written down. So you ever heard the record that Nas had called I Gave You Power where he's talking about a gun?

Was that record inspired by that? Mr. Nine, I grew up in a culture where those with a gun think they have the power. Gun man? No. It can't be police. It can't be soldiers. Those generally with a gun think they have the power gun man no it can't be police

it can't be soldiers those generally with a gun think they are so powerful right and they don't have they don't realize that what they have done

is show the younger generation typecast a kind of mindset that if you don't have a gun you're not powerful they have subconsciously broadcast this

that if you don't have a gun you're not powerful but that's what I'm telling you that if you don't have a gun, you're not powerful. But that's what I'm telling you, that whether you have a 9 to an M60, it doesn't matter what you have, it doesn't matter. You're not living right because a gun cannot hurt anybody.

It's the individual and the mindset that perpetrate the act and come with the end result, right? You put a fucking drink right here, it's harmless. When a person consume it, then it becomes a do-tard. same thing with a gun i'm sorry guys guns don't kill people people do

so the premise exists yeah guns don't kill don't kill people. People kill people. Mr. Nine said to Mr. 45, so it's like the guns are talking to themselves. We're not living right. Right. You know? So it was an attempt to... That's why I asked you,

because it reminds me of the Nas song, where Nas is actually talking to a gun, and he makes it so that it's no correlation. No, I've never heard Nas' song before. Okay, okay, okay. That's what's up. That's what's up. That's what's up. This is crazy.

This is crazy. You know, so we spoke about some of it earlier where we said when you came home, the airport incident where people were, you know, rushing you and you kind of like needed your time. But then this concert comes right after this. I read the reviews. They said that this might have been

one of the greatest concerts on earth I think Jamaica I'm satisfied with Jamaica I've seen larger concerts it's a monumental occasion for Iman still being humble and still giving appreciation for the love of God

I grew up in a simple home the love of God was always there, you know? My enemies tried to destroy me because you don't know who I am, but trust me, they know. And they dwell on a thing called credibility. And if you destroy the credibility,

it's easier for you to destroy the man, any man. Once you destroy any man's credibility, it's always easier for you to go at them. But my father, he stood in the breach and showed him that this is my servant. And he's here to serve me, not you. So yes, they thought they put me

away. But what they did was raise me up. Because you have to realize what man plan to hurt you with your father plan to help you with okay we're living in a world we know that this world especially nice is of America is his domain but we do not come to contest him we come to walk like job mm-hmm and we might get our robe style. And walk like a champion.

Even more champion than Job. Okay, cool. Because music has been used against the people now as a weapon. I was here in the early 1990s when I was a young man. You had no dreads. And I saw the trajectory and I saw what they were trying to do and they have accomplished it. They've accomplished killing the KRS-One. They've accomplished killing everything positive that comes through the music. And it went down a spiral of where to become debauchery and everything nefarious.

And every so often the people would gain their consciousness and they hit them with someone or something else. And they would drive the message home so hard that they have no escape we are fortunate enough to be an island where we can educate myself from these circumstances yet cultivate an identity for own and a spiritual awareness of our own and a firmness to take us through this struggle we do him to convert people because we're at a cult yes we aim to open the eyes of the ones who are here in the earth so they can partake of the goodness of god not the goodness of the devil because only last for a minute but the goodness of god is everlasting now you might say you might say well what is what is reggae music? Or how does reggae music play a part in this?

And I would say to you, music is here to teach us one lesson. If music is the only thing that shall never die, ask yourself, why do you get tired of some music in two months? Something is wrong. Ooh. Ooh. That's timeless. It should be timeless, right?

Right. Good. It's not anymore so what's happening it's disposable music yes music is never disposable artists are disposable see our profession our profession was divinely given to us it is written in the basic instruction before leaving earth that you all call the bible that a singer and a play of instruments shall go before the lord's coming so we what shall we go and do we shall proclaim is coming forward

we shall bring the people together you know i'm saying but if we're not doing that then we shall be thrown into the fire heap yeah so all my muslim brothers they know this and my orthodox brothers they know this my christian brothers who are standing up they know this this battle is not against flesh and blood it's not against none of you guys it's a spiritual wickedness and principalities and darkness in high and low places you know i mean so you can continue or you can head towards the light your choice, you all do did your mother give you the nickname Buju?

Achuwaya Achu Dreddy yes I how did this happen? I wasn't there. I was a baby. Oh, they just start calling you Bojo. I wasn't there.

I was the baby. I was there, but I wasn't aware. But I grew up hearing them calling him Bojo. Bojo is a Maroon word. A Maroon? Maroon. Maroon are some of the indigenous warriors on my island. We fought the British relentlessly.

Those are the Moors? Maroons are from, we're called Black Moors. My generation originated from Nigeria. I'm an Igbo man, according to my bloodline. And we fought the British relentlessly. We fought King Charles for 40 years. onto my bloodline. And we fought the British relentlessly. We fought King Charles for 40 years. And according to the British treaty,

anybody sustained a war over 80 years automatically win them sovereignty. So we fought him for 40 years and call a ceasefire. And when he bought into it, we fought him for 40 years after that. So we tricked them into fighting for 80 years without cessation. And we won our sovereignty from the British. Wow.

Yeah. And we ruled from the cockpit our sovereignty from the British. Wow. Yeah. And we ruled from the cockpit country down to the Clarendon. But now, our indigenous life and our indigenous way of life and our lands

are being threatened by the current government administration of Jamaica who seek to bring Chinese and other nationalities into the cockpit region, which is an indigenous

secret region to usurp us, the cockpit region, which is an indigenous secret region to usurp us, the Maroons, as the warriors. It's crazy that it's happening right now. Yes, but it's indigenous people all across the world around us, you know, where I'm from, Peru, because the multinational seats. People who don't have phones, they don't have, yeah.

They have, but the multinational, seek the national resources of the land. Like in the capital country of Jamaica, we are rich in backside. Right. Now there's certain companies

like Naranda and certain Russian companies who have been taking this backside for over 70 years and they will destroy your school just to take the backside under the school.

But there's no payment given to the community, nor the chief, nor the council of the indigenous community is done through the government structure where these people are just totally alienated and their land is being pilfered like you know it's crazy so it's a new generation of young men rising up what's the two political parties that you make i don't give a fuck about political parties.

That should be one of the political parties. You know because you see it's two sides of the same kind. Yeah. Absolutely. We hope for change and we we we hope so but you have to understand that a country is basically a corporation which an elected official as a CEO. A lot of people think a prime minister run a country, but you have to understand that these motherfuckers are CEO of the company called the country. And my board members, they have to answer. Sometimes these board members are so powerful that these assholes shit in your pants when they get a phone call from these motherfuckers.

You can't tell me that in the Caribbean we cannot improve our standard of living for our people and that's a disaster and we're running going up begging

left, right and center. And these are the same motherfuckers who have came into politics with $3,000 in their bank account in the US and leaving politics

with $600,000 million. So where this millions come from? But the Caribbean people are so passive. I think they put something in our water over the years.

We're not fighting anymore. We're accepting. We're not standing up anymore. We're laying down. And these motherfuckers we call our politicians, the real criminals and the real crooks,

they're having a blast. Because there's no check and balance. Check and balance don't come from your cronies. Check and balance come from people who feel the pain. And that's why you see, like even in Kenya, they were taken aback. They didn't know that the young men

and the young women of Kenya had their ducks so much in their mouth that they could tell each politician what they owned and where they live and where the investments were. That shook them. So we realized that, you know, in the region, we have to do better as the leaders. We need to stop electing people based on their skin color and them being charming. It should be on your mandate.

And we have to hold your feet to the fire to accomplish what you promised. Simple. And coming from the islands that historically were the ones fighting. Listen, the first island that fought to free us was Haiti. And where is Haiti today? In post-Caribbean countries, you look at Haiti in disgust because they don't see themselves as standing with them brother the first nation to fight for free us

and you ask yourself why is Haiti suffering so much and why are my Haitian brothers under so much pressure you know why because they stand up against the giant who they should have bowed to and they refuse and everyone wants them to bow

Haiti do not bow keep standing up we stand with you. Yep. So what? Let's talk about Penthouse Records for a second. We want to talk about it. How did you get down with Penthouse Records. Hi, man. Well, Penthouse Records is a store where I used to live, Chancery Lane, downtown Kingston.

Oh, my God, Jadé. Everybody has smoke except that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, give me a blood clap, Tymon. You can smoke up here. You can smoke up here. Take a roll of gin. Okay, okay.

Okay, okay. That's the first time,'ll be on a drink chat. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser-known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best-selling author and meat-eater founder Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids now and then. They'll say, and bestselling author and meat eater founder, Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here.

And I'll say, it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes.

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Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. As many of y'all know, Drink Chance wants to give flowers while people are here to receive them. Giving flowers and celebrating our legends while they can still smell them.

We have partnered with What The Flowers to create this movement where everyone can give flowers to the legends in their lives. You can now order a custom flower box for the someone you want to show appreciation to by visiting www.wtflower.com and paste your orders in the mail.

That's the hardest part. What were we talking about? Penthouse. Penthouse breakfast, yes. Roll again. Yes. So, you want to hear about Penthouse? Yes.

So, in 1986, August the 17th, I went to Blue Mountain Records, right? I was in a car, a taxi with Henry. Henry was a taxi driver with Clement Iyer. Clement Iyer was my protege. He's like, in those days, I used to DJ on sound systems. And I used to jump on the sound system truck like Friday, and I wouldn't come back home until Sunday. Why?

Yeah, I would DJ Friday night, Saturday night, and I'd come back home Sunday or Monday morning. Yeah? Right. I used to work on a sound system called Rambo International. And then I started working on Sweet Love. Now, Sweet Love Sound System was owned by Floor Gun, a very popular DJ. We run things, things don't run away. Anything we do, it has to... Floor Gun's brother was Red Dragon. Right.

So Red Dragon sing, So Red Dragon, to me, was person you feel right now come up, duck, every person you, ah, Lou Neva. So Red Dragon, to me, was the baddest motherfucker as a DJ. So my role was to warm the dance up. You rolled that shit, man. You made a lot of noise. You made a lot of noise. He said like this.

He did one thing. It was good. That shit was magic. By the way, let me tell you something. The whole time I was like, I got to watch how he rode a swift today. So I've been waiting for this this whole moment. Go ahead. I'm sorry.

My role was to warm the dance up. I used to, as a young entertainer, I used to be with an entertainer called Terry Gansey. So it used to be Butch Banton, Terry Gansey, Daddy Lizard, Clement Ivey, Flora Gunn, Red Dragon, Sanchez, Red Rose, you know. So one day the rain was falling and Clement Ivey said, give me back your lighter.

Yeah, no problem. He's going to Blue Ives said, give me your lighter. Yeah, no problem. He's going to Blue Mountain Records and he wants me to come. Now, the guy at Blue Mountain Records was a true revolutionary. His name is Omar Harris. He was very instrumental in the Brixton riots. Revolutionary.

And I loved him. So Brixton in London? Yeah. Okay. But I used to go to school, right? So every time I leave school or before I go to school, I go by the studio. I used to be in my car key and my bag used to be in front of me, but this guy would call me.

Come here. Let me see your book. And take my book bag and go to my book bag and shit. I'm like, fuck this guy. He was shaking you down? But he liked my style. Right. I didn't know that.

Anyway. One day I went there and the rain was falling. And Clementine was in the studio and he was saying he was going to Penthouse Records. And Omar Harris looked at Clementine and said, take Bojo with you. So we can have an experience of what a studio looked like. I was 16 years old. I didn't see what a studio looked like yet. but I was DJing in the dance hall on the microphone and you would never tell.

So they took me to the studio and when they went to the studio, you know, I saw all these guys inside with big fucking chains and shit. I became nervous. You know, and I said, hey, who's that? He said, that's Little Lenny. Then those days, Little Lenny had the biggest song in Jamaica called Gun in a Baggie.

She, she, she have the gun in a baggie. I said, fuck, that's little Lenny right there. And who's that one over there? He said, that's little Kirk. Whoa, that's little Kirk. Oh, before Lil Wayne, you had little Lenny and little Kirk. Okay, okay. Lil Wayne wasn't born yet.

He was still little. But Lil was born already. The little one come over here. Come over wasn't born yet. He was still little. But Little was born already. The little one come on the yard. Come on the yard. Yes. Anyway, Clement Harris said to Robert French. Robert French was a big singer in Jamaica. And he invited Clement Harris to the studio.

Clement Harris said to Robert French, this is a DJ named Bojo. I want you to hear him. And they laughed at my name. I can remember Tony Kelly was the engineer. And they said to me, oh, this guy finished recording. They said, Clement said, you want to hear what he sounds like? And Robert French said, yes. So Tony Kelly said to me, go around there.

You put the headphones on. And when you see that red light come on, that's your cue. And I went around there. I put the headphones on. And when you see that red light come on, that's your cue. And I went around there, I put the headphones on, and they turned on this red light, and that was my cue. And I closed my eyes, immersed myself, and delivered one of the best lyrics I knew I had stored in my cranium. When I opened my eyes, the whole studio was in fucking, it was like, I'm like, they like it. It was acapella or was it over a beat? Over a fucking beat. It was my first time I ever did one take.

I sang for three, four, three minutes, 45 seconds straight. No stop. But in those days also, we had dub plates. Right. And dub plates were live. So you go to the studio and the record will be cutting right while you're singing it so you can't make

no mistake so if the dub plate is three minutes you gotta be singing for three minutes with no mistake or else you don't get paid

so with that mindset I was able to go inside the studio and do that song it's called The Rule Out it's my very first song it was released

in Toronto on All Stars yeah so that was my first exposure to Penthouse now song. It was released in Toronto on All Stars. Yeah, so that was my first exposure to Penthouse. Now, trying to get back to Penthouse was difficult. So I would leave school every day and I would go by 56 Sly Pen Road.

No, I would go by Techniques Record downtown Kingston because my school was downtown and we are Spanglers, so we would go up on the avenue and we're Spangler so we go up on the avenue which is our wheel in our area there and I would go

to Techniques and Mr. Winston Riley had two sons Kurt Riley Donahue and a couple friends like Mitch Ainsworth

we came we're young men you know and one day I was there and I met this guy called Cableton wow

I was leading up on the Salvation Army wall and I see this guy coming away-Britain. Wow. I was leaning up on the Salvation Army wall and I see this guy coming away into the record shop and he came out and he stand up beside me and I look at him and I threw him up and I said, where you come from? You know what I mean? I tell him where I come from

and I was just there rolling. Anyway, I said to him, you're about to sit up in front of me and pen doors. I'm going to go check it out. In those days, we don't pay bus fare. We just jump on the bus and beat the shit up to go to Penrose. I go check it out. In those days, we don't pay a bus fare. You know, we just jump on the bus

and beat the bus up. Yeah. You can't charge me. I worked. So we went to Penrose and this guy would not let us in. This guy, the gate man. Anyway, you know,

we keep going back and keep going back and it was a it was a tussle but then i record a song done by by um for mr wingston riley who techniques records through the downtown called stamina daddy and this song take off in port more which is a different province and there was this engineer who worked at penthouse by the name of stumpy who knew about this song and what he was doing in that part of the island and he heard I was at the gate and he told him to let me in but Donovan Jermaine wasn't there and they weren't really having it because the gate man was there

I used to spar with some jungles and one named Junior Vibe me lick down the gate man cause he wouldn't let her in so I'm licking him down with a big stone so when the boss here say I lick down him gate man he go on I'm nothing to do with that anyway Stumpy play my cause and I go inside and I sing a song for them man for dead make them know we're not seeing the lead gunshot for bust up in a infirmar head Stumpy, stumpy, plea my cause and I go inside there and I sing a song for them man for dead. Make them know we're nasty in the lead. Gunshaft a bust up in the infirmar head.

And I sing a next song for them named Jackie and Jason, a gump and price, big up on the self. Yeah. So they give I a ear and then Dave Kelly like my writing style. And he start pick me up in the ghetto come in the ghetto come pick I up so they bring you to the studio yeah we know when I start coming to get to come pick I up and take I to various dances and various barbecues and various concerts at him alpha so I could own my skills you know so that's my first introduction to Penthouse I still never met none of them in Germany until about six seven to eight months later

when he come and he hear my music and first thing he said was this cannot be put out on his label because it was too rough so we asked him for a label and he gave us a label called rude boy Kelly and that was it and that was under a subsidiary. Yeah. You ever did business with, what is it, VP Records? No, VP Records is a stalwart in the Jamaican community because they are able not only to understand the music, but to market it to a demographics that need it and make it reach the masses. Now, they've been here for quite some time

and they've been doing tremendous work. We had VP, we had Superpower, we had Shelly. VP was Chinese people though, right? Yeah, but VP, we had Superpower, we had Shelly. Right. VP was Chinese people though, right? Yeah, we had VP, we had Superpower, and we had Shelly. Those are stalwart distributors from the, you know, who made the music a prominent staple in the United States of America with Clinton, Lindsay, and various other, David Leavies, and various other individuals who were able to use their platform to move this marginalized music forward. Right.

Yes. Is that the ultimate goal when you are a reggae artist coming from Jamaica? It's not only having a hit record in Jamaica, but what is the ultimate goal? Is it to get to England? Or the ultimate market? Ultimate goals differ. Okay. Everyone's ultimate goal is different. Okay. If you want to know what is my ultimate goal, I can't tell you what's the next guy's ultimate market. Ultimate goals differ. Okay. Everyone ultimate goal different.

Okay. If you want to know what is my ultimate goal, I can't tell you what's the next guy ultimate goal. Yeah, yeah. You know, I can't tell you, say, my ultimate goal is to have this music here, loved even by my ancestors who have passed and gone to be in the grave and turned and smiled and said,

yes, there is someone out there carrying on the message no matter you can't sing a bunch of fuckery but sing something positive for the people right at least once right may the angels smile because this is godly music you know right you know i go through some tribulation and it's just regular music could identify with it i ever play some hardcore music where i go relate to my situation at the present moment and uplift me and give me clarity. Right. Something that speaks to my soul.

Now, everyone different. Someone will find it in soundscape with no voice, but just music and raindrops. Right. You know what I mean? But I've taken solace in reggae. Okay. And a lot of people do. You know, it has not been the same for them

because you must admit the fact that we are trying to assimilate what is hip-hop. And the new generation is somehow leaning towards that. You know what I mean? We can't knock them because it's what they're exposed to. The current generation?

Yeah, it's what they're exposed to. Each generation sees things different. We have to hope that in time, at least one or two of them will come around to the reality that you are assimilating and not originating and creating and keeping your original consistency

abundant because if someone wants to invest in our culture and you're going to spend your money with a rap artist and you say you want something different, why would I send to Jamaica to get someone to rap on my track? I want someone to spit on my track from Jamaica, not rap on my shit. I can send to Memphis, anywhere, Los Angeles, have someone rap on my shit. But I send my shit to Jamaica for a difference. Because I want an hardcore feeling.

You know what I mean? I love this guy man in those so i don't know if you remember doing being a part of this compilation i lied why not so you're on this company i got this when i was in high school let me see it. Here. How are these? And it was introducing dancehall artists over hip-hop beats. Yeah, they. Why everything go on the foreign, they get the damn. That's all. That's the only one you got on there.

I have one name. Boom Adis. Boom Urban and that. They might fight. I mean, what I want them on? Red Fox. Nah, they're wrongs. The want, man. Red Fox. Nah, the rangs. The tape is crazy.

Captain Remo. Remo. Blows on scurvy. Remo there. These were the days when, you know, I used to perform in Biltmore Barroom. I used to come to America when I have a concert like two, three, four weeks before and perform with a band called A-Team with Nasty, the greatest drummer from New York City.

Oh my God. And you were hearing, you were obviously hearing early hip hop at that time. Yeah. What was your first impression of hip hop and what you thought, how you would collaborate with it if you would? When I was 14 years old,

I get my friend upstairs, bought, his mom bought him a boom box and we got exposed to hip hop we were listening to Slick Rick Doggy Fresh the show

six minutes six minutes Doggy Fresh your own Michelle my love so we grew up on Slick

we grew up on Doggy Run DMC you know what I mean so hip hop has always been influential but then when i start delving through the history of hip hop and realize that cool irk was a dj was a jamaican used to make the fusion more palatable i said okay the dynamics make sense right you understand so we embrace it i know with too much rapper i have couple rapper couple of rapper friends. You know what I mean? Like Fat Joe.

Yes. My brother. Yeah, but we can't name them more. Yeah. No, but I'll tell you this. I'll tell you this. On your release, I remember looking at social media and everyone being so happy that you came home.

Like, it was a universal love. It was a painful moment, not only for me, but for the entire music fraternity and to all my fans. For that pain, I want to apologize to them because I never want to see them cry over me. All right. I remember seeing footage of that concert, and I remember seeing ladies just saying man i just love boo too like like and i'm just sitting there and then you know you know how they do the behind the scenes thing of of you know you know uh like the concerts and like that and i just remember the cameras going and people just just expressing their love for you this is the first concert i'm talking about

when you came home yeah and i was just like damn i wonder did you see that I don't get a chance to see a lot of things but the love is just separate call you know it's just separated because I love my people them hello all people black white no matter just as long as the understand say love is love love no no color but you know we've been separated along so many lines racial political right Jinder we've been separated along so many lines everyone know we're Bojibante

and fuck with from where I'm done fuck with you know what I mean so I just want the people to understand when I man come forward

I don't come for for judge you I come for love you I ya I man just come for love you dreadlock with this music ya you know

I hope say ya fuck up hope you stop the fucker and get it, right? What you know our show is about giving people a flowers while they around we want to tell you how dope you are I won't say how iconic you are. We want to give you your flowers face to face man well listen up next thing you get some flowers and make your plant so so you're ready you know that's a flowers flourish them have to grow you know yes yes but i thank you guys very much. I love it. It's great. Love you. Love you. That's all. So, we're going to play a game real quick. It's called Quick Time of Slime. Now, if you want your friends to stand in as a drinker. It's a drinking game.

It's a drinking game. Hey, man. Give me a bottle of water there. A bottle of water. I'll join you with the water. I'll take some of my water. Yeah. So, hold on. It's the greatest drink. I'm a man. I got it. Yes. I'm in. I the water. I'll take some of my Moana. So hold up.

It's the greatest drink. I'm a man make it. I got it. Don't make me feel like a dick. Give me a cup. For the next 24 hours I'm Rastafari. You can pull over over here. So let me ask you, are you

vegan or you eat fish? I'm a fish, I kill fish. Okay, you kill fish. I mean, I eat a whole heap of fish in a creation, right? And then I tell myself, he's off a fish, got some fish here. Because I want to ask you a question. This is my friend Rasta.

He's vegan and he's Rasta. Rasta, you have a vegan, man, but I have a whole heap of work for you. You stay up on the vegan side, I go and kill the fish for you. No, we catch pescetarian. No, we catch pescatarian. We catch him with shrimp every now and then. Jody, I cheat.

Natti, I cheat. Cheat openly, Natti. Cheat openly. Go on and cheat. Thank you very much, daughter, for this water. Alright. I don't got it. No, no, no. You drink it for all of us. I'm drinking for him.

I'm drinking with him. He's your... Yeah, he's drinking for me. Okay. So did you explain him the rules? Yeah, I designated the driver. Yeah. Yeah.

I was. Yeah. You explained to him the rules? Rules? Yeah, we're going to give you two choices. You pick one. We don't drink. If you say both or neither of the two.

You drink. We drink. We all drink. Come on, let's go. Any stories, anything we mention, it's about just bringing anything up. Jay-Z or Nas? Nas or Badman? Nas. Nas, okay. That was fire. Tupac or Bob Marley?

Bob, every time. I wouldn't have asked that question. I mean, it's okay. That was fire. Tupac or Bob Marley? Bob, every time. I wouldn't have asked that question. I mean, it's on our list. I had to ask it. I gave you all a go. Yellow man or ninja man? Yellow, the king. Okay.

Biggie or DMX? Both. Jesus. Okay, yeah. You're in a tight spot right there. Peace to both. That was a good one. Shabba ranks or Cuddy ranks?

Shabba. Shabba. Kiaris 1 or Rakim? Kiaris 1. We can't go on Kiaris 1. Put some powerful work out there. His work speak for itself. Beanie Man or Bounty Killer?

Me no, no mercy. No rule no get me going thirsty. I don't need your mercy. You know, I just answered. What did I say? Bounty Killer. It's the voice. It's the voice. Yeah, he did it too deep. Any stories though? You got bouncy stories for days. No, no, no. Radley Priceless is the voice. It's the voice. Yeah, he did it too deep. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Any stories though?

You got bouncy stories for days. No, no, no. No, Rodney Priceless is the best. You know? That's his real name? I call him Priceless. Okay, okay. Because his name is Rodney Price.

Okay. But there's no price on such an individual. He's priceless. Okay. You know what I mean? That's my story and it's the best. It is the best. Red Dragon or Sanchez? No, Sanchez and reginald is two different

personalities one is a singer one's a DJ so the dichotomy you have to choose I'm Sanchez in a singer category and red dragon a DJ category so in this particular stage I choose both burning spears of the techniques burning spear this is still active techniques are retired you still doing the work a labor of love public enemy or dead press out the book public enemy Shout out to both. Public Enemy. Malcolm X or Marcus Garvey? Marcus Garvey. Marcus Garvey. You know what I mean?

Go ahead. They refused to come together with Marcus Garvey to share in the same ideology, and they all tried to railroad him in this blood clot. Marcus Garvey was Jamaican, correct? Yeah. They all tried to railroad him. All of them tried to railroad him.

From the NAACP come right. We know the history. We can't fool you. I don't know about black people. jamaican correct yeah that's the last real road him the one of them tried really from the naacp come right we know this training we can't fool you i don't know about black people they hold back black people in america they are one of the main reason why we did not come together to be bigger than it was because they were partisan and infiltrated by outside forces with outside agenda to fight against the soapbox doctrine, as they call Marcus. Soapbox doctrine. Soapbox doctrine. But his philosophy and opinion shines through even to this day. Cheers, Dears.

Wow. What the fuck is that? Shit, that's my shit. It's your secret message. Gregory Isaac or Peter Tosh? Both. Oh my God, brothers. Gregory Isaac and me, we share the same birthday right same birthday mmm super cat or shine head super cat my shadow super cat man reggae or the genre 360 you know

it's too great it's too great medium of expression Lady Saw or Patra both ok take another drink because they both represent

two different era and they both the phenomenal stuff for their generations Patra was the breaking point to show the world that our female artists were capable

and Lady Saw is a presently representation of what they can represent themselves as. Both dope, too. Very dope. And both spectacular in their own way. Yeah. Erykah Badu or Lauryn Hill?

Both. Drink on you. He's making this drink. You guys are going to jump. I think you're drinking bitters, though. You're tricking the crowd. No, no. I'm a winner. Welcome to... But by the way, bitters though. You're tricking the crowd. No, no. I'm a winner.

Welcome to... But by the way, bitters is very strong. You gave me bitters, right? It's a root drink though. I'm a root drink champion because I'm having water. That's right. That's fact. That's fact.

Drink my goddamn y'all. Okay. Shottas or Third World Cop? Two different dynamics. One depicts an era which I don't forget and the other depicts an era which I embrace.

Okay. Which one is that? So, Third World Cop, I mean, Dancehall Queen, right? Dancehall Queen depicts an era where it's just fun,

show you the groove. No, Shatters. And Shatters, right? Yeah. Dancehall Queen depicts an era when the music is growing, budding and it shows you and Shatters right yeah Dancer Queen the pekka era when the music is growing

budding and it shows you what end result of what it comes out to be in Shatters we see a culture a Bremen gun culture

which is on the horizon and we all know where that end up yeah now I man when it come to Jamaican movie

I like movie make I laugh. Got my people funny and dramatic. You know what I mean? If you get them serious, they will be. But if I say something on the big screen, I want to make I laugh where I know say, this is Jamaican. Right. A Jamaican would do that.

A Jamaican would say that. Right. You know, so we would do something. Brutality is everywhere. People have been fed too much trauma. I don't like it. Right. No.

And you don't like no phones neither. You said you don't own no phones. No, I'm going to use it in our room because we don't come to our room. If you don't have a phone, it's like you're standing alone. I thought that lyric was crazy. Or trust. But we don't trust it. Yeah. We'll that I thought that lyric was crazy or trust. But we don't trust it. Yeah.

We'll come back to that. Okay. Sean Paul or Shaggy? Both. Two different two different representations. Shaggy did something

that we all pay homage to because he broke. Yes. And it wasn't him. It wasn't him. It wasn't him. And Sean he still continues

doing his stuff and I mean Sean has pivotal and they're both great and both talented and I won't mince words no cap and they both go to the light skin Jamaican karate class and give it up Shaggy he's a drink champs alumni I do not disrespect my elders.

Yeah. Neither do I speak down or speak about anyone bad behind their back. Right. You know, I'm a principled man. Because a guy try to get fucked up. Right. No, no, no. So I try, do you know what I want?

Do you know what I want? Right. You know, I speak truth. Whatever I say is my opinion. Right. You understand? It's not a general consensus no if not dog is entitled him opinion and choose who to bite so leave me with mine respect oh okay you in the next one sister Nancy or Papa son Oh two different presentation two different era, two different eras. Chose both.

Okay. He want us to drink, though. No. Rohan Marley or Stephen Marley? You're going too fast, dog. Rohan Marley or Stephen Marley. No, you're talking about Rohan doesn't sing, as opposed to Stephen who sings.

So Rohan plays football. I thought you said Damien. Damien, I meant to say. Damien. It's Damien and Stephen here. You can't compare the father with the son. Okay. And Stephen's like Damien's dad, even though he's his brother, musically speaking.

We watch him grow, we help him grow and help him hone his skill. I would choose both because one is it, one is it. One is the predecessor of the other. It's okay. Go ahead, go for it, bro. Would you dare One is a predecessor of the other. It's fine. I got one that's not on the list. Go ahead.

Go for it, bro. Would you dare mention either one of these guys? I just want to know. Garnet Silk or Tenor Saw? Well, no. Two different genres of music. Because Garnet Silk is more spiritually aligned and spiritually, you know what I mean, centered. And Tenor Saw sings songs that we can relate to.

However, we didn't get enough of Tenasar to make a fair comparison, so I'll choose both. Okay. Of course he's choosing. I love how he answers everything genius. It's like a genius. You think he's going to say one of them. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He's like, word, word. Well, in our fairness and honesty, if we had gotten more of Tenasar, his life was cut short in Texas, yes? But what we saw, we love, and it stayed with us. Just like Nitty Gritty. Nitty Gritty gave us some work. You guys know of a guy called Nitty Gritty, right? Let them come.

Carry ready for them. She boom day. So those guys, they sung some songs that we wanted more but we just didn't get enough so it's unfair for me to to make a correlation between him and drawing inference with um garnet silk who has done so much records right and it's present even this to this moment in a psychic. Wayne Wonder or Garnet Silk? No, I have to choose both because Wayne Wonder... No, no.

Wayne Wonder is a different kind of singer. Oh, you just said that? Yeah, but Wayne Wonder... We can still address it. Wayne Wonder is a girl's M singer, good boy singer. Garnet Silk stays borderline really just girl's M.

So it's two different singers, Rasta Reality and Rude Boy Reality. Two of them I chose. Yeah, I got a song with Wayne Wonder and Lexus, and we shot it in Tivoli Gardens. Are you serious? Yeah, one of the most scariest days of my life. Why? You know why.

You did say when Biggie went to Jamaica. Too much things? Yeah, it was crazy. You know, my island is so nice, we named it twice. Jamaica, Jamaica. Jamaica, Jamaica. New York, New York.

That's just mad. Beres Hammond or Junior Reed? No comparison. Two different genres of music, and I chose both because both have done exemplary work um Junior Reed we grew up on from the Black You Eat Black You Who Rohera after Michael Rose, Ducky Simpson and uh what's her name you know so we remember that and we remember the impact of

the one blood to unify us all black people all across america and jamaica and the diaspora and you know it's two different comparisons i also remember mr um mr burson and od the boss as you call him and refer to him as someone who's not only been a mentor to me but a mentor to anyone who desire to enter the field of music and he's still consistent still making music and still able to be a guide rail to us because he's still alive. His respect to me, I can't put him in no category.

So this is one of the categories we are going to just say that Junary is a great artist, tremendous, super, whatever. But please put Mr. Armand in a different category. Okay okay thank you I like that

so let me ask you what do you like more performing the record or making the record making the record making the record yes I would have taught you

to say perform I would have lost that because making the record is where I enjoy it before you do so you think okay okay

okay I'm trying to think okay so that's where I really have my fun. So then I can have an idea of what you're gonna enjoy. You know what I mean? So like before I really record a song and someone say, what's your favorite song?

I can't tell you because I haven't recorded it yet. So until it's gone, it's no longer my favorite, but I have to live with my music for a little bit and love my music. So when you get it, you, I mean, sometimes I watch you see the lines that people react to because those are the lines

that really get me cracking up. So really and truly, recording to me. And then recording is also where I spend a lot of time because I believe in perfection. And I like to make my mistakes there because I can fix it right there.

Yeah, that's real. Okay, you want the next one Nicodemus or Tenorsaw or both two different but tennis tennisizer singer and Nicodemus is like the Godfather he was the first one to talk us over to settle in the middle of the rhythm um you I mean a lot of people don't understand that, but those who do, do. Right. Okay. This is the last one for Quick Time with Slam. I'm going to give you back to the interview. Loyalty or respect?

Loyalty. You know, respect wanes and people drift in terms of who they respect. Respect sometimes comes because of what you own, where you live, what you value. But if someone is a lawyer, they're loyal forever. And if you should take up your phone and you can't call none of those numbers after 3 a.m. and they answer,

you have a problem. Wow. You have a serious problem. Look, she and I are afraid of you. Both. Big ship never stops sailing. Okay, let's take it. You have a serious problem. Both. Big Ship Never Stops Sale. Okay, let's take a drop. I put my bottle away.

Big Ship Never Stops Sale. Two different genres, but two influential individuals who made tremendous music. You know what I mean? And the world love and revere their work. You know? I hope this questionnaire is not aimed to pit us at each other.

It will never work in that sense because you're asking me about people who have made tremendous contributions. I mean, we are all created equally, but we're not equally appointed. Thank you. We bring up these names out of respect for everybody involved. We are all created equally,

but we're not equally appointed. For each one's appointment I do respect it was hard it was hard I brought I have a bunch of records but today I could only find one

out of my stash all over the place Untold Stories Operation Willie don't tell me I got the bootleg man no no no out of my stash all over the place. What label is that? Untold Stories. Operation Willie. No, Operation Willie. Don't tell me I got the bootleg, man. No, no, no. So if you look at this label,

you will see like, this is like someone wearing a condom, right? You look at it properly. Oh, shit. Yeah. You had it for all these years. You ain't know you can hold a condom. Yeah.

So Operation Willie, I was sitting on a plane going to Trinidad and I was inspired to write a song called Ragamuffin, Don't Be Silly, Put a Rubber on Your Willy. In those days, AIDS was on the horizon in Jamaica, but there was a stigma attached to it. And there were kids born with AIDS and they would be abandoned. And there was this hospice that was taking care of them. And we became instrumental in making sure these kids got everything. Their lifespan was very short. And we make sure that they have everything. Their lifespan was very short.

And we make sure that they have everything that they needed in that time. And this was the Operation Willie Foundation. Wow. So the record's raising money for that? Yes, the label. I created the label and Operation Willie was on this label. And also I placed other songs on this label and the proceeds go directly. I had to put money from my pocket into it.

Right. Because, you know, records, you know what I mean? So, seeing that, you just brought me back to some of the works that we have done in the past. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores

and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian, Dr. Randall Williams, and bestselling author and meat eater founder, Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West

and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley

comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. So Operation Willie put a condom on you, Willie. Apple Podcasts. Of course. He said of course. Why not? Of course. I don't think you listen to yourself. Well listen, I've got 16 sisters. I wasn't listening to them. There's no Operation Willie for him. Yes, I'm on a mission. So you got one of the most interesting nicknames besides Boojoo.

Got him. Got him out. Yeah. Now that's from the Smurfs. Yeah. That's from the Smurfs. Yeah. That's from the Smurfs.

Yeah. That's from the Smurfs. Yeah. That's from the Smur buju yeah now that's from the smurfs yeah that was given to me by wayne one and frankie sly you know because growing up i was a i was a trouble maker i was a rude boy you know and i take talk from reading and cheating and i just do it right and gaga was like the foul dude in the Smurfs? Yeah, he was the bad guy in the Smurfs. Yeah. You trying to eat him?

Huh? You trying to eat the Smurfs? Yeah, that pot. Yeah, man. Cook all the Smurfs. You can blow people. So, when they named you that, did you like it? You know, all nickn it a Jamaica Tick. If you don't want a name to be stick on you in Jamaica, like it.

You gotta like it. Because if you resent it, then it's yours. That's a mistake I made. I resent it. That's kind of a cool name though. But over time, they keep calling me Gargamel, Gargamel,

Gargamel, Gargamel, Gargamel, Gargamel. It sounds kind of dope. It does sound dope. It sounds dope. And especially for people who didn't see this verse, who doesn't know that that's an evil character. That just sounds like a very unique name, Gargamel. Like, you ain't going to hear nobody else say that. Yeah, well, listen, huh?

Split break. Okay. Yeah, no, no, no. The problem, the problem. The problem. The problem. Sorry I... Nah, nah, it's all good. It's all good. Man, it's a revolution here where things are different.

I ain't no confirm. But in one year you broke Bob Marley's record for the most number one? Something you hear them say all the time, but I ain't but they act like I ain't supposed to be proud or something, but you know what I mean? Listen, let's be realistic. I am coming from an era where a record was a record. And this said record was sold for

a minimal of $7, $6, $5, $4, $3, $2. That's how it grew and come forward. Right. Then I'm on come to a time where I have no more Bamba Cloud record. I man find myself with a CD.

I man accept it. I man could still hear my music. And I man still hold something to represent my ownership of the music when I listen to then I mango sleep on wake up on your Simon have no record no CD what music another blood cloud I gone from a stage of owning my music I can play every time I blood clot want to a stage where if I have my phone on blood clot subscribe I can't hear my music

when it is something to me and we all sit and laugh and think it's a blood clot joke we want back the music real talk

a guy take i music and put it in the cloud and i can't get my music physically play my music

when i want to hear my music yet you want you're not paying i nothing for i music pennies right i never cost her pennies

to make this blood clot your trickery and the major players who's supposed to speak up about this trickery and murdering their blood clot robbery and stealing of intellectual property are silent I would have carried a box of blood clot records up the stage more than carry a phone full of blood because if I don't pay my phone bill I don't have any music in it.

Don't pay your phone bill, Apple don't give you no music. But I do want to preserve this record. One person who stepped up and I love what you just said. One person who stepped up and started talking about the robbery of the streaming was a person you got a record with, Snoop Dogg.

Yeah, Snoop. Snoop Dogg stepped up and said, this is highway robbery. How the hell can you download a billion streams and then give me $10,000? Meanwhile, the record label. So you think more people should step up like that? Absolutely.

Something has happened to us. We have moved from the parochial distribution where we got a physical product in our eyes. Yes. I understand. You think it's too bulky and the world is moving. But there are people like us I want my music, I want my record I want to put my record on, I want to hear the nigger go

it means something to me the other day I was in my recording studio and this young lady was doing her final papers at the University of West Indies and she wanted to do something on me and I said okay I welcome her and she came in the studio and was talking along the line of music and she has never seen a phonographic record

before. Crazy. And I had to take up a phonographic record on shore so you realize that there's a generation who doesn't know what a vinyl looks like. Right. Right. Or some aspect of that generation who doesn't know what a vinyl looks like? Right. Or some aspect of that generation that doesn't know what a vinyl and how it is played and how you receive sound through a piece of plastic. So are we moving so far ahead that we're taking the things that make us real humans away from us? much all right and what dj quick said that that the analog recording which i think transfers on to vinyl and tape there's an energy transfer there that's there you can't get that from the digital world right never no i like what you said earlier it's like people wanted that physical the physical thing they wanted to look at the producers they want wanted to be proud of the product. Remember those days?

Yeah. When you get a record and you rub it on your pants to take the plastic off. Plastic off, yeah. You just rub the front and the plastic just open like this

and you take out your record. Fresh new record. You want to put your shit back in the sleeve so good and put it back down in the jacket so good. Yeah. And you read the credits.

Oh, and when the music is playing you can take out your sleeve and read along. Yeah. I miss those days. Of course. You know who the A&R was. You know who the label was. you read the credits. Oh, and when music is playing, you can take out your sleeve and read along. Yes. I miss those days. Of course.

You know who the A&R was. You know who the label was. Now you just download something. But even from a financial standpoint, I don't think the young cats today will be able to get their life in order based on what they're being paid from the current mode of income. It's not going to happen.

It's not going to happen. So we're being robbed and our industry's being raped. Somebody's getting that cash. Yeah. But nobody want to talk about it. You come from the island. Right.

You see that industry grow, mature. Right. Yet the artists who made the industry is our sideline. Right. It can't be like that. Right. We need fear ofeline. Right. It can't be like that. Right. We need to see her play.

Right. Let me change the subject for a second. Back in the days, there was a group called Born Jamaican, right? Yeah. And it set off this whole thing. Jamaicans, that's Jamaican, but they're from America.

And like for us, I'm half Puerto Rican, and Puerto Ricans from the island don't really fuck with Puerto Ricans from New York. Is it like that with Jamaicans and born Jamaicans? I'm asking.

No. You know, we Jamaicans, we're proud of our heritage, and we're proud of I'm asking. No. Yeah. No. You know, we Jamaicans, we're proud of our heritage and we're proud of all our flag bearers. You know, once you ever drop a Jamaican blood

in you, no matter where you are Jamaican. Right. No matter where in the world you go, you're a Jamaican. Right.

And, you know, If you're born in Japan and you Jamaican, you Jamaican. Of course, you have Jamaican father, Japanese mother, Jamaican, of course. Okay.

But you find that we're very protective of our culture. You can't blame us. So when people, or births, you know, you must realize that this is one of the most abused cultures. Jamaican artists, and you know this, Nori. Uh-huh. The poets that be don't respect us man they underpay us she's just like

you know what I mean you know this I didn't know that until you said it though when we step out if you don't step out and assert yourself so these motherfuckers

can know who they're dealing with you're going to subject yourself to that so we have to always know what we're dealing with and let them know what they're dealing with, you're going to subject yourself to that. Right. So we have to always know what we're dealing with and let them know what they are dealing with. Yeah?

Mm-hmm. And it's just that. Mm-hmm. I'm sure my rapper brothers face the same thing. They have to step up and let people know that they know what they're worth

and know their value. So you don't respect it, it's up to you. Right. But if you want to do business with us, you got to respect it. Right. You know something that was interesting

when I heard you you was doing another interview and you was like I believe you call reggaeton culture vultures I believe you said that I don't want to misquote you I don't want to misquote you but then you said

I believe this is what you said you can correct me it's like they only work with each other. Like they don't work with outside entities. When I was 19 years old, right? No, when I was 16 years old, I remember. I remember a song called... Boom, boom, I mean my head around.

El Henera, right? Yeah, from Panama. The Panamanians, they show us love. Because I went there. And I met Cafu Bantanantan was the next forerunner you know i mean but then the music went to puerto rico then music went all about and all of a sudden it's like you created this then you want to take why you think there's so many lawsuits currently from jamaican producers with reggaeton there's a major lawsuit right now with steely and cleevy

steely and cleevy is one of our biggest producers. You understand? And these guys have been... Because it's the same rhythm. They take in, right? It's the same drum. Biting the shit. Yeah.

Because they think we're from the Caribbean and there's no intellectual property control or we have no idea what we're doing. But it's a new day in Gotham. Right. Oh. Theman's still alive and and then afro beast doesn't face no lawsuit like that but you're saying that they just it wasn't the the love is not there like we we should have a more tighter relationship with

afro be given listen i agree with everything when um nelson mandela was locked up in south africa yeah we was advised of africa to frame in terms of the music it was weenie mandela free zone africa the jamaican scene consistently making the world aware about african plight ethiopia you name it angola we we name our rhythm the mpla the mpla movement was from angola the liberation struggle in angola wow okay we name redeem shanghai sheikh based upon shanghai sheikh fleeing from mainland China to what is now called Taiwan, which was formerly Formosa. Oof.

You understand? So we are integral in world affairs, and our music speaks to the demographics of the globe. Right. It's real. So when we hear our African brothers and sisters doing music that we can identify with, but we're not hearing nothing to free Africa

or to free the minds of Africans. We are concerned. All right. Because if we are in Jamaica, we are singing about sexuality and violence, and they can say to us, my brothers in Jamaica, we remember when you used to speak to us from your heart, now you're speaking to us from your lips. And we have to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps.

Then we must be able to speak to our brothers across the pond and say my brothers if we are lacking pull us up that's deep that's one of the blood that's deep because you know essentially like you said handed out has this boom boom boom mommy mommy mommy and then I've seen it's the same rhythm I always heard now this is me

this is me being a little bit in that section I always heard them show love to Shabba I heard them show love to you and show love to other people who saw but I when you said I think you said this was like, but they don't work with us. And I was just like, damn, I didn't realize that. So did you have something with Butch Shaba and El General?

No. No. Did you have something with Butch and El General? No. And you go along the list. The answer is no, no. I take Butch out of the equation. What about, name somebody else

well you know they went to the same karate school right your mind is quick, Bojo. Yes, he's mad. So the reality exists that it's not present. There's none in the archives. And I'm talking something frivolous. I'm not capping. Go do your research. Yeah, no, you're right.

You're right. So, I mean, if someone comes from Africa and they say Bojo, like I've done some with Salif Keita, I've done some with several African collaborations. It's good because I want to speak to my people. I want to foster that bridge. We want to create this symbiotic relationship where we both understand each other. Right.

And can relate to each other. And the music is the common language of people. It's a universal language of all nations. Right. It absolutely is. Nah, that's real, man. That's real. I'm glad.

You know what? I'm glad to hear you say that because I want, it's going to be a lot of people that's going to watch this. And I feel like the situation will be fixed from, from, from your powerful voice and the voice of Jamaica, you know, um,

do you think, do you think it'll be fixed? Because you're the only one I ever heard step up and say something. I mean, maybe others has, has, has, but I haven't seen it.

Well, that's why I'm here today. And I'm not appreciated in many aspects. But that doesn't matter because, like I said, I'm a servant. You're not here to serve me. I am here to serve you. You are the people who make a sacrifice and make a decision between buying a bread, buying a shoes, paying your rent, and coming to see me. And in the end, you put all those things aside and you come to see me.

I'm here to serve you. I'm here to serve you in truth. I'm here to serve you in music. I'm here to serve you in my life. I'm here to serve you in hopefulness. Am I perfect? No. Because if you fuck, I'll take your head off. Okay? But I'm here for you. I'm'll take your head off. Right, right, right. Okay?

But I'm here for you. I'm here as your servant. Good. And a good servant must be serious. I'm ready to serve. Yes. Let me ask you, what's your favorite place to perform besides Jamaica?

Africa. I knew you was going to say Africa. What part of Africa? Every part of Africa is a children's ride. I bear my soul to the continent, man. Okay. From the north to the south. The south, the north, the east, and the west. You know what I mean?

Because they don't see a lot. It's far. So when I go, they have to trot and give them a good show. I sing out for them, you know? You stay a while, because if you're going to do the whole continent. Yeah, well, in time. But the last time I was there, I was in Stansted Stadium with my good friend, Mr. Lucky Dube.

May God bless his spirit and we had a beautiful time. It was an amazing moment. I want to say enough love to South Africa and all South Africans. Yes. You have been there. Great people, man. Beautiful place. Beautiful people.

Our people. Right. Now, you just sold out two shows, 36,000 in New York City. God damn it. I mean, I know you don't call yourself king, but there's a lot of people who do call you king. That's some king shit. I am a servant of the people and a servant of the music, you know? Right. You see, let me break it down to you. Yes. I know we're in the United States of America.

A lot of people get it twisted, you know? We desire not to get caught up in all of that. We just continue being humble, being touchable, accessible, reachable, communicate to the people. Because my people are used to people they can identify with and resonate with. Not people who are alienated from them. And people who are, you know what I mean who are you know i mean there's a buffer between them and 20 people pushing them boxing them shoving them right i'm not i don't deal with that kind of you know i mean because the same people that my security will push away the same

people that will make sure i can't pay him all right so you know the moment you realize that, humble yourself. Like I told you, our profession was directly called out by the Father. It's the singers and players of instruments. It didn't say bartender. It didn't say bartoff. It didn't say all these things. So you have to know that you're doing something. It's easy to have people listen to you, you know, like I said earlier. But it's important to figure out what you have to know that you're doing something. It's easy to have people listen to you, you know, like I said earlier.

But it's important to figure out what you have to say to them. So let me ask you a question. Bob Marley movie, I love it, right? Yeah. There was one part of the movie where he stepped to his manager and he was like, yo,

whenever there's an Africa play, it's not a money play. Like meaning like he just wants to go to Africa whenever they ask for him. Is that how you feel about Africa as well? Africa is a beautiful place where I have made many sacrifices over the years. Many, many, many sacrifices. The first time I go to Africa, I come back to Jamaica and I have to pay my entire bond out of my personal pocket. Several times it happens to us.

Because you give people the benefit of the doubt and think they're going to do business, but it never materialized that way. personal pocket. You know, several times it happens to us, you know, because, you know, you give people the benefit of the doubt and think they're going to do business, but it never materialized that way. But it can't be a money thing, because once I'm on the ground, the show must go on. But nevertheless, we pride ourselves in doing good business, and as black people, we have a bad stigma

attached to us that we don't do good business. So it's important for us to have good agreements and stick to our agreements and execute the agreements accordingly. You know, it may good for the next brother who comes into the territory to do business, who calls me on the phone and say, how was your experience? Okay. All right. Very good. So all things are relative. Let's talk about Bonafide Love.

Bonafide Love, Boj bantan wayne wonder bonafide love was originally done by errol dunkley and then it was done by den rye um it was remade by budjie b Wayne Wanda for the Penthouse label. I think it's one of the most pivotal recordings me and Mr. Wayne Wanda has ever done. But it's a remake from the original. Okay. Yeah. Now, when you made Hot Life with Snoop Dogg, who smoked more weed?

I don't know. It seemed like it was a fun record to create. I was in my studio 10 carlisle avenue and we were speaking on the phone so i said where you at he said he's in the spaceship he called it yeah he said he called his recording studio spaceship i said i'm sitting here under the tree so he said is it a mango tree i said yeah and we were both smoking so So I was on the tree smoking, in the spaceship smoking.

I started singing, I life. It makes so much sense. And I said, good weed all day and night. I said, hey. So I went into notes and I started writing it. And I said, hey, I'm going to write your part as well.'m gonna write in patois so i wrote and i sent it to him that's why

he did it so much in patois i will steal down the phone and fuck it right up it was good man it was a good day good vibe and it shows me that he's a true artist because it's not many people can do that and delve into their creativity just like that and i mean it's all it's all chemistry as well yeah yeah it's good good kid good brethren you know you know what i love about you is you a man can't put you in in a box you can't say you're just one way like you make feel good music you make you know club music you make you know what i mean you make conscious music like how do you do that and and not be whack like you know what i you make you know what I mean you make conscious music like how do you do that and and not be whack like you know saying a certain people can say like certain people could

go to another genre I don't know I'm a free-spirited person I have to be happy you know my children my guys think I'm the funniest father in the world right you know I mean I love to laugh people don't know that side I mean I don't show them that side I mean they don't need to but music should come from a happy place so if you're a person who's constantly angry you're gonna make angry music if you're constantly bitter your music will reflect that you know I mean I never go to my bed with an argument. I tell you how I feel and that's it.

Tomorrow I'm going to say, Nuri, what's up? You good, nigga? Right, yes, right. Oh, man, this is so great. The music has to come from a pure place, yeah? Right.

So when that is intact, you know, the inspiration flows, you know? So let's talk about, I'm saying it wrong because i'm dyslexic don't be conqueror don't be conqueror yeah yeah with steven molly when you both perform and you're both sheltered here oh my god why did you go there i know my i know my i know my no because at first he said you shared a tear and then you said he shared a tear and then you both was like yeah tear and then you both said we both shed a tear. Yeah man, that was an emotional moment because, you know, that relationship and friendship with that bird ring come like a jar.

It's heaven sent, you know. The irony is I used to run with them brother Ziggy Marley in the mornings. Four o'clock a.m. Ziggy used to pick me up at my house and we used to go running on the beach. The first morning Ziggy brought him brother, I never ran with Ziggy again. Wait, so you used to run with Ziggy, then he brought Damien and you never seen Ziggy again? The first morning Ziggy bring Steve Marley at my house to pick her up to go run on the beach. Jogging? Yeah, I never run with Ziggy again. He lost him.

And Steve became my best friend from that time until this day. Right. We make music together. When Damien wanted to enter music, was there making sure that he get the rudiments of his right. You know, that's a good friend. That's Bob Marley in this time for all of you. But you don't advise you won't see why did you ever meet bob i know you got once my mother used to sell in the square of barbican square and once a blue mitsubishi tony pull up and this

rasta man was driving and pushing me through there and said, mother give me a pack of Craven here. And my mother gave me the pack of Craven here, which is cigarettes. And I run across the road and give it to him. And by the time I should put it in his hand like this. Bob Marley smoke cigarette? There was a guy in the car who asked my mom. And by the time I gave them the cigarette like this,

the whole community was down on the car. And it was all saying so my first encounter with them as a little little kid yeah it's bob marley me and your shaba me there's a these are like ordained meats, you know? Well, God is good and he don't make no mistake. All right. Oh, God damn it. Let's talk about Haile Selassie. Ethiopia.

This is what the Rastafari culture follows, correct? Yes. So how did this start? He came to Jamaica? Well, before we would come to Jamaica, as Rastis, we read the basic instructions before leaving earth, which the Adam knew as the Bible. And there have been many a prophecy, and we know that Ethiopia, the whole Africa was called Ethiopia before C.C.Ros Africanus went and conquered what we call the Carthage and drive Hannibal Lem South. And then named the continent after himself. The whole continent was called Ethiopia,

the whole continent. The whole African continent. Nubia. See, and then colonization come and dissect the continent and put invisible borders and name this Chad, Congo, this, that, that, that, that. But through the't colonization of Ethiopia she remain untouched and her name remain the same she hold her upon that piece but the

Dynasty goes back as far as Solomon and Sheba and too many like and to rasma Conan right you understand and then they say he was from rasma Conan then Holly celasi okay and then they say Halisalasi was from Marasma Conan then Halisalasi okay and then and he's a family with Jesus well according to the lineage the bloodline

come from the line of Christ wow wow the bloodline come from the line of Christ so

according to the lineage and genealogy that was true according to Rastaman ideology so in this time we know that and genealogy. That was Teresa going to Rastaman ideology. So,

in this time, we know that God don't dwell outside of us. We know him dwell inside of us. Because you have good thoughts and you have bad thoughts,

right? The bad thoughts are the evil thoughts and the good thoughts are the godly thoughts. You see? So, we see the Christ

come and he move out of the earth and he shows if you have faith as little as a mustard seed, you can move a mountain. And we see the Christ come and walk and show us just humble yourself and love the Lord thy God and love your neighbor.

And certain things he teaches us which I don't think it only rests on two pages. So if you want to realize and realize what he really taught if you want to realize and realize what he really taught us, you have to go and do some research. But all these things help Rastafari to realize that a game has been played on us.

We haven't been taught the truth. Something is amiss. And why everything about this black, black male, black out, and you name it, black cat. You know what I mean? Black book, black list, and everything that's supposed to be. Black belt. So we realized that there's a campaign against not only a particular color,

which is stupidity, but against our people, our race, our nation. Because no matter how much success you achieve in this country, you will always be nori. Unless you go play their ball. So I joined a karate club. So we have to hold forth to this that brought us into a different reality than the one we thought we knew.

And we see a lot of people coming now putting on dress do not even understand the premise the foundation what it means what it represents you have commercialized something that is near and dear to others right but but so let me ask you i just want to re-elaborate that how did this Rastafarian culture come up did Haile Selassie physically go to Jamaica yes he went to Jamaica of course Haile Selassie visited Jamaica

visited Jamaica visited many places in Jamaica many Rastaman who many people thought were fearless in their thought were venerated because the emperor indeed came to the island wow wow and marcus garvey but marcus garvey marcus garvey is from jamaica and he traveled to the americas and traveled to england to spread the message of unification from the you in IE you know I mean the United Negro Women

Association yes and I have me had many charters across many continents him from South America to the Americas and expound upon the liberation of the black man and woman mm-hmm if you was to say people if people like, you know, leave Jamaica, who do you think they go to more, London or US? Well, there's an existing trend to gravitate towards the United States of America. Right. And the migration stream has shown us that there are indications and indicators have shown us it's a major place for migration. Okay. How happy was you when they told you you could come back to America?

Well, I was elated because initially I wasn't told I could come back. I was told that I was permanently banned. And I said to the person who said that, let's see what God will do. Wow. Hold on, let's make some noise for that. You said, let's see what God will do. that's hard yes so what happens someone gives you a call and say you can come back to because i heard you was touring in africa and i heard you was touring in the caribbean well actually in order to finish in honesty i don't want to show anybody another

blood on the bus because i'm very tactful but this my issuance of my visa to travel to America was was um sent to me in 2022. and when I went to the embassy to pick it up the lady told me you're permanently banned and I looked at her I said let's see what God will do and it wasn't until 2023 last year this year 2024 that it was really given to me not from that office office, but it was given to me. From the higher ups. Come on, you connected, God damn it. You can be number one, be strong for you. But, I mean, was that feeling like God did? You see, you know, I'm here to serve my people.

Right. You see how happy the people in New York was? Yes. Not only because they saw me, but because they were able to receive something that they're longing for. You know what is that? A concert. Yeah.

To hear music. Yeah. To feel uplifted. To feel like there was no car stolen. No one got robbed. No one was mistreated. Yes. It was just a night of pure,

two nights of pure fun, love, and entertainment. Because of good energy, good vibe. And you know, they try, like I told you, in order for you to destroy somebody, they go after the credibility of, and then they go for the jugular. My people did not buy it.

Many bought in. But listen, the vice of the people is the voice of god what says talk to me yeah let's talk about hills and valleys oh powerful that's powerful free the people too we are liberated though truly we are liberated through that divine spirit you know over hills and valleys how did you how'd you make that when would you like what was you in the hills and then valleys actually i was on tour going through this the swiss alps on my tour bus oh that's the just the joint where the snow was on top yeah i was going through some tunnels yeah and tour through the swiss alps because i used to spend three months here touring the Americas, three months touring the European countries, R4, then another tour in the Caribbean.

And that's where I used to spend my time. And it was an inspiration I received while I was traversing the earth. How does it feel performing for the white people like that? I would say, yeah, in Europe. It's great performing. You have to understand that reggae music is an international music. Yes. And they speak a universal language that connects.

I told you, it's the king's music. Yes. Like my white friend over there, I had to tell him, stop. Yeah, and it's the king's music. It resonates. He was buck bucking like this. I said, you can't do that. It resonates.

It resonates with the people. It doesn't matter your ethnic background. Yeah. It resonates with the people. It doesn't matter your ethnic background. And gone are the days when we can separate people along their racial or them color lines when it comes to music. You know how much people love Kendrick Lamar, they're not like us. Right. I don't know how we got here.

Don't fight me. No, I'm trying to tell you, our music is diverse. Right, right, right. So don't believe that through I'm on the reggae music, there's a demographic who's not. More people in Europe

love reggae music than America. Wow. Don't fool yourself. And in Asia, too. Okay? Just think about it. When I play a concert in The Hague for 100,000 people in Holland, The Hague.

Wow. 100,000 people. Wow. Don't get it twisted. Whenever I'm on vacation and there's nothing but white people, that's what they playing, reggae. You know? Reggae music.

Yeah. You have to understand also my forefathers cultivated Europe more than America. Mm-hmm. In terms of making the music heard and bringing the music to the masses. They cultivated Europe a lot more. So Europeans are very much deep into reggae music, much so. And then let's just talk about your relationship with Khaled. He was also a person that I've seen campaign you so much.

Like when you came home, I'm not saying U.S. Like when you, when you, when you came home, I'm not saying us is your home too, you know, your second home, whatever, but he was campaigning for you so much. How did y'all develop the relationship? I know y'all worked together back in the days.

In, there was a hurricane that this guy in Miami called Hurricane Andrew. And in those days, we used to have a warehouse on 117th Street, southwest of 117th Street, crashed on the Coast Guard. I was walking down the road now after all that,

trying to find out which part and which part and which part. So we find a radio station. That's how we met up with Daddy Saw and Joeyey brother fuka then joey but mix 96 yeah because miss 96 was on the air this was lady terror dj fergie and uh a couple ones and ones well khaled was a part of that but we eat it off right away. Because it has a vibe. I'm talking skinny quality.

He used to come to Jamaica, but he loved the music so much that he would always be throwing me beats. Gojo, try this and that. And I'm riding in the car with him, and I'm open. But I realized that he had a vision. I said, let's record it. Let's make it into a dub plate. And we'm riding in the car with him and I'm open. But I realized that he had a vision.

I said, let's record it. Let's make it into a dub plate. And we started doing him shit. So he used to go to Jamaica to play for Fully Loaded. And when he came and saw the reaction, because in those days, when you do good and you get a gun salute, it's all gun salute. One gun salute.

And when he saw that, realized that this kid could, and his his playing skills how he did his thing and he was his love for the music not the money because in this game if you love the music it loves you back right if you love the music it loves you back i'm telling you brother and he loved the music and it loves him. He love him back. As simple as that. So our friendship is not based on who the world say he is now but on who he truly is. You understand? And he'll always be my brother.

Always be my friend. You understand? Good heart, good spirit, loving family, good kid. And he loves music, most importantly. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation

by guests such as Western historian, Dr. Randall Williams, and bestselling author and meat eater founder, Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say, it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated.

I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Is there a real place called Holy Mountain?

Yeah, man. There is. In Jamaica. Wherever you find it. Wherever you find it, brother. Yes, yes. No, that's real. That's real. Ah. Driver! Don't stop at the house.

That record had New York City on the motherfucking, when that shit came on, driver! Yeah, that's my part. Driver! Like, I'm sorry. I heard it.

It's not so aggressive. Driver! Don't stop a child. You have to finish it. I already know. You won't get a driver You have a license back there I have a license back there But how did you come up with that formula?

Oh, I had a driver One night I had to get to a studio I was actually down here in Miami I was leaving from my house In Fort Lauderdale to get to the studio And I was actually down here in Miami. So I was leaving from my house in Fort Lauderdale to get to the studio and I had a driver. I'm going to tell him, push it. Push it. Let's go.

And by the time I got to the studio I was singing, driver. So I put my program that I was going to do on hold and sent it to Jamaica on the phone to get the rhythm from the taxi to make the demo and fly home the next day because I knew it was a smash.

Wow. But I made it there. Right on the spot. Yo, you one of the motherfuckers that write about anything. Yo, that's crazy. I would have never thought that at all. Make some noise for that. Music is real.

Yo, that's real. Music is real. That's real. Holy shit. Okay. We ain't speak about this yet. What? Walk Like a Champion.

No, that's the girl's favorite. Such a classic record, man. That's the girl's joint right there. Okay. That's the girl's joint right there. Because EFN is going to do the record over. It's going to be Drink Like a Champion. Oh, yeah?

That's what we were saying. Just don't fall over. We want the duck play version for drink champs. Yeah? Yeah. Okay. We'll talk about it.

But how'd you make a champion? So, that was a Penthouse production. Came to the studio one day and there was this guy sitting down with a bass on a stool.

So his name was Leroy Sibley. He's a very famous singer from the group called The Heptones, but he's also a bass player. And he was singing a song. I can't remember the song. Excuse me.

But the rhythm was so groovy and, you know, normally, because Pentos became my home base. So when you come here to work and I came, I wouldn't come out. I would just stay there and hold a vibe with you to make sure whatever you're doing. Because in those days,

Donovan German was like the boss, but he was so cool. His man have a record in studio and just low. Pure youth to run it. He would come to America and come back like once a month, put his hand on the side and said, let me hear what you want to make. And they would have to play what we did for him.

And then he just jumped on the plane and gone again. So we have the studio. So anybody come there and say, Nana McLean from Canada. And all these people would come to the studio. And you know. You guys had free reign. So yeah.

So we was just making music. So I was there checking it out. And I'm like, so I'm good. I like the beat. And that's where the inspiration came. We just making music. So I was there checking it out. And I'm like, sound good. I like the beat. And that's where the inspiration came. We just went recording. So it was nothing but no championship?

No, there was no championship. It was more like an inspiration. Oh, OK. And the music was talking to me. And I was just talking back to it. We had a great conversation. And you just said, well, that's a job. Yes. Yo, this story is fucking amazing,

man. Hold up. I'm normally pronouncing this wrong. Say what? Batty Ryder? Batty Ryder, yeah. Okay.

No, Batty Ryder, don't get it twisted. Batty Ryder is a short, a very short, short that the lady wears, that ladies wear, and exposes their cheeks.

Yeah. Their ass cheeks are exposed uh-huh yeah so this was a trend back in the time in the early 90s and it was uh the coming out for the ladies back in time because we're coming from an era where woman was fairly clad okay i mean borderline prudish fear the cloud and conservative conservative yeah so this was also a coming out era where fashion and embracing of fashion and trends was becoming more social norms yeah okay so it's about up close and personal even though that's a rhythm right yeah how close and personal yes yeah that was a song yeah the title of a song. Yeah. Is that something that's common in the culture? Is like pretty much everyone rhyming on the same beat

and making their own version of a song? No. What happened was, first for a DJ playing the music in the dance hall, right? The producer now has to put his mind, think about them. He has to think about them he has to think about them so you put this hot song on this beat but there's only one song if the selector and the

guy was playing the music of four songs to keep the juggling going that's such a dynamic so we try to give them more play so that's particularly for the club. Yes. To keep it dancing. Because even though when I make music, I try to make music that I have three and four songs on the beat. So the selector can get a grace. Because when you do, when you go one song, sometimes it's difficult for them. Just play this once and then move on to something else.

But if there's what you call a juggling, you can play this, play that, mix that in, and then go in, I mean. So you make it more. But I don't think no one is doing that anymore either. I don't know what's going on with that. You think that died in the late 90s? No.

I mean, there's a new trend happening now when new innovations are taking place. I mean, let's face it. We're not 19 anymore. We're not 20 anymore. Those who are 19 and 20 now, they're seeing the music through different lens. So there's a paradigm shift, obviously. So we have to hope and pray that they catch the bull by the horns

and integrate some of the good things that we discovered. And literally seeing it through a new lens. Absolutely. Everybody's their phone lens. Absolutely. Literally. So, you know. When you said you DJed earlier, you took them off. Yeah. DJ. So, you know. When you said you DJ'd earlier, you took them off.

Yeah. DJ. No, no. The word DJ is always misconstrued in America. The guy who play the music is called a disc jack. Disc jack. We in Jamaica say a selector. Right. Now the guy who owns all the mic and rap like I do is called a DJ. That's an MC to us, right?

And that's an MC to you. Yeah. That's crazy. Can you DJ right now? I'm on DJ all the time, man. You can? Yeah, man. You can rock a party right now. You know who the one that's too thin? The one that's too slim?

The one that's kind of overweight? The one that's too... You know who that was? So... So After me put a flow upon your nails And touch upon your lip I love the way you roll Instead of you move your hip I told you I'm in it forever And we never quit Me and the mister

You feel me the miss Sister Bojo I love it when you do it like this In a dance I'll make you turn I'll make you twist We dip on the gym Chams and we not drink a shit Water them a drink the water may you see for you and give them reggae music

nice like this the next album coming out from butcher bantan is called i'm not telling the title as yet can't do that but it it's 100% dancehall. Why? I haven't given the massive any dancehall music since I came home. And, you know, I need it. Even if you know it's a gargamel,

it's still the gargamel. I got to beg on the talk. They be talking about gargamel. Mind your own business. I didn't even know what I was doing. I didn't have it together at all.

So, if there's anything that you could do in this game, do over, if you had one thing to do over, what would you do? You know, if I had one thing to do over, I would have smacked that mother. I'm sorry. I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready. I'm joking. Now, you know,

if I had one thing to do over in this game, bro, I'm serious. I would make it my earnest, earnest, earnest duty to make sure these motherfuckers know that Dan Salt is here to stay forever. Earnest, earnest, earnest. Duty. To make sure these motherfuckers know that Dan Salt is here to stay forever. And Reggae Music is going to live forever.

Because I didn't think they'd get the message. They didn't get the memo. I put some leaflets under their door. They didn't read it. And that's one of my biggest regrets because I know a lot of people, right? They see this music. They love it. They want to get close to it.

But we've never been given the mainstream. You never used to know every rotation. Unless we're selling out and singing like we're some guys from Disney you know I mean this is gonna come when we're gonna have pirate stations and my only regret is that I didn't get off to another first person to get one in America you guys need a pirate station that's what you guys started out so talk about regrets that's what we regret we but we've lost some of that. He had been started out a pirate. So talk about regrets. That's what we regret.

We should have pirate station all among this motherfucker. One pirate station, and we knew we could have done it because guess what? It's been difficult for them to climb all these tall buildings to find those antennas, bro. Right. What do you— We use the antenna every day. That's what DJ Raw did on the bus. What do you enjoy better? Independent or major label?

Independent, man. It means I take too long to turn shit around. Yeah. Independent. Now, also, the most money I ever make in the music business was when I was independent with Gargamel Music. Yeah, because I made my own boss. You understand?

In those days, we have mechanical. Those days were the real days when we were selling real records. You know what I mean? That's what we're dealing with now. But independent is always good. You have more creative control. You can see where your budget is going. You have more financial control.

Yeah, man. Independent. Gargamel Records, right? Gargamel Music, my boy. Gargamel Music. Gargamel Records, right? Gargamel Music, my boy. Gargamel Music. So Garg comes down and says, Buju, you got one record to save the whole humanity.

You. I, man? You. You got to make this record, Buju. And you will get one feature and one producer. Who is your one feature and the one producer some farm was done blast feed but i went choose my feature you know creation you know his brother named stevie wonder him do a thing back in that time.

Yes. You know, you can't see. You can't fool me. That's what we say here at Drink Chats. He do a thing. We have stories all day. He do a thing. He do a thing.

Call. So you think it's Stevie Wonder for the future? call what's that song called you guys are not into. I'm not telling you. I'm trying to think. I'm trying to think too. Baby, try me to teach me. Body never turn you down. Baby, try me to teach me. Don't get it yet?

Sound like Stevie Bop. You're joining us. All right, you guys are so slow. Master Blaster, guys. So the Master Blaster, right? The Master Blaster, it's called. The Master Blaster, right? By Stevie Wonder.

It's one of my favorite. So, you know, I mean, no matter what mood I'm in, I can listen to the Master Blaster. And's also this song cut by this guy from India called japa man so it's like a meditation song you know you know japa man this idea day you don't you guys will even know that from but that's a beautiful beautiful beautiful vocal right here producer one of my greatest producers have passed away Bobby digital Dixon you know is that a Donovan German good producer you're talking local right are you talking

internationally whatever you want yeah donovan jermaine produce butcher bantam and steven stevie wonder that should be something classic you know i mean crazy i love that how you picked uh artists that's here but you picked the producer that's passed away no no no no no one of the producers who i wanted to do it with has passed away okay which is bobby diskin bobby digital so the next best producer i know okay is donovan jermaine who's still alive and able to make such a vision materialize you know what i'm saying i could see this record happen that could happen definitely that's gonna happen so um because reggae music stevie wanders and ardent love of reggae music and he has showed it because he performed with Bob Marley before.

So we know that he knows the culture. And he's a musical maker. Yeah. We have Ron Isley on here. Ooh, from the Isley Brothers? Yeah, man. And he said that he saw Stevie Wonder crossing the street. A busy street.

And I bet Stevie saw him too Jack said he got in the elevator with him I was watching TikTok and someone waved on some award show and the brother did this so I'm like you're winning bro he said I see you Shaq he said he got in the elevator So I'm like, you're winning, bro. He said it's a shock. He said, I see you, Shaq.

He said you got in the elevator with no one else. First of all, how do you get in the elevator, you're blind, with no one else? And then he pressed the thing, and he said, I'll see you later, Shaq. Come on, man. No, it's all photographic memory, man. Photographic memory.

It's very true. It's very true. Let's talk about Ring The Alarm. Why? What's going on? Yo, that record. For lack of a better term, I don't want to use the Jamaican accent. But I got to use it for this.

Go ahead, man. Mash up the place. Oh, Ring the Alarm. Now, that rhythm is a phenomenal rhythm. That was produced by Techniques, Mr. Winston Riley. And that was on the Techniques label. And the rhythm is called St stalag 20 21 19 20 now stalag is like the prison in Russia Stalingrad yes we call it stalag so if you don't understand what we name

rhythms we call our beats names right yeah yeah we call it we give our rhythms names so that beat is called a stalag and the stalag rhythm is one of the most call our beats names. Right, yeah. Yeah, we give our rhythms names. So that beat is called a stalag. And the stalag rhythm is one of the most powerful. It's crazy. Yeah, and that was Bojabantan with Tenasar. That record brings the fuck up. So the irony of that song is that I grew up listening to Tenor Saw

because he was just such a rude boy, roll up his pants foot, always in a Nitz Ganzee, and when he's on the stage, he's a flashy man, and hey! And then he passed away in Texas, and to find myself years later with his track in a studio, working on it was i couldn't ask him i couldn't ask him any more than that it was an amazing feat and i'm happy i was able to accomplish that that's fire so let's talk about destiny oh mama look from when you call me now destiny come at a painful point in my life, a turning point where every 10 years a man goes through changes in his life.

That was one of my 10 year changes where two rows before you pick a choice. The Spirit came to me and said, humble yourself. You're a servant. this is your role and I was in California I was staying at the Nikkei Hotel on uh La Cinega the Nico Hotel yeah yeah the Nikkei had a Nico it was a Japanese street was um a fat burger yeah yeah you know I found two hundred dollars downstairs that place one day. In Fat Burger or in the hotel? Fat Burger! I was walking! I had no dress those days, though. No, no, no, no, no. I had no dress those days.

But I wasn't eating no burgers. I was just walking. I found two fucking hundred dollars roll up. First time I found that, I'm on in America. Okay. And I came back to the hotel and I was inspired. The rich man, because I was back to the hotel and I was inspired the rich man because I was looking through the window seeing all these edifice in front of me and I was inspired but I thought I came about basically I still want to hear the

making of this record, Untold Stories. Untold Stories now was, I was working on the project called Till Shiloh and we wanted something different. So in those days, I used to go to the studio in the night. Now I go to the studio in the day. I used to go to the studio like six o'clock and I'd be there until eight o'clock the next morning,

sometime 12 o'clock the next day. And one night I came, I came about 11 o'clock and I'll be there until eight o'clock the next morning sometime twelve o'clock the next day and one night I came I came about eleven o'clock and there was this Russian inside the studio sitting down with his guitar with dreadlocks a rasta man with some white beard and I said to Donovan what's going on he said that's Glen Browning who want to make a song tonight so you want to make a song I said said, where are the rest of the musicians? Oh, shit. So we're going to make a song with only guitar. And I'm like, yeah, sounds good.

So I started playing, but I love music. And I love the guitar, you know? So once he started playing with us, we was there until about 2 o'clock in the night. That's what we got. Was that the first time that you made a record like that? Yes. And did it change anything from that point?

Because it was different for us. It changed a lot of things because, you know, that was also my first. Beyond that music, I dove into production myself where I produced Easy Road and I produced Mighty Dread and I produced Small Axe. And I produced Rampage and I just started producing Butcher Lantern. Because I found that there's a direction that I have delved in and making this song and working with Glenn Broney opened me up to other possibilities that was

latent inside of me musically. Because I was primarily dancehall. It's stripped down, it's soulful. And then I became more musical, so Yeah, it's stripped down. It's soulful. So, and then, you know, yeah, I became more musical, so to speak. That was dope.

So let me ask you, that's my friend right there. He's from Peru. Oh, yeah? He's never been to Jamaica. Oh, yeah. So if he goes to Jamaica, where do you,

where do you should tell him to go? What do you, what are your interests? What is his interest? He likes to wrestle. Wrestle? He likes to wrestle. Wrestle? He likes to smoke.

If you like to wrestle, you're going to fly past Jamaica, do a U-turn, and go to a place called Memphis. We could be in New Toronto, Mexico. No, I'm just kidding. But for anybody who ever came to Jamaica, what are some spots that they need to experience Jamaica?

You got 154 square miles to traverse. You got beaches. You got mountains. You got rainforests. You got good cuisine, the best food you can think of. Lovely hospitality. So you got from Kingston to Negril to Ocho Rios, Montego Bay.

Those are prime spots. Then you have enclaves like Portland that you can still find a beautiful place and and and have a great Jamaican experience. Right. So, I mean, I can sell my island all day. Right. Go and experience that shit for yourself. Is it nice parts of Kingston? Beautiful. Nice parts of Kingston, right? It's not all gun ting, right? Oh, no, no. that's a misnomer like yes please look i'm sure you know when you look at the television they show you haiti all they show

you is right gang violence right yes would you have been to 80 you see that 80 beautiful part just like what it did to us with africa all right yeah it shows only the rubbles and the dirt roads beautiful country yeah yeah just like jamaica you're going to see a lot of zinc fence and the rubbles and the dirt roads. People have things in their nose. Beautiful country. Yeah. Just like Jamaica. You're going to see a lot of zinc fence and you're going to hear about the crime. But it's a beautiful country. Now, you have to understand these things exist everywhere

and there's a particular demographic who make profit from selling you trauma. Mm-hmm. Mm. Okay? But if you haven't been, excuse me, to these places

and have the experience for yourself, I'm not saying that it's all kosher everywhere. There's good and bad everywhere, but you're not going for a bad experience. You do not plant the seed of having a bad experience. You're going for a great experience. So your mind is already geared towards having a good time. So nothing will interfere with that.

You understand that you are the sum total of your thoughts? Right. Okay. So that being said jamaica is entirely beautiful now is it totally safe 100 nowhere in the world is yeah okay so you be mindful you stay on your six what anywhere you go you're a soldier right right gone are the days now man are not man anymore. They want a fucking traveler's guide. Right. Mm-hmm.

And a map on their phone. Through the lens. Last time I went to Jamaica, nowhere had good weed, but then they said... Liar. No, no, no. Man, he disrespects

right now. Then they say, they got the high grade. Where did you go? Montego Bay? Yeah, it was some shit like that. We went to... Well, Capone went to Tivoli Gardens at Mountain View. Am I saying it right?

Mountain View. They found the high grade. Listen to me. Now that the stigma has somehow died down as a concern, marijuana in my country, I would like to tell myself.

Yeah. And with the advent of these marijuana shops popping up, I still think there's an abundance of, it all depends on when did you go

because what I've seen since I've gotten home is the abundance of herb dispensaries that that sells good quality herb but i'm on i still don't do commercial herb i want my from the field to my hand i don't want some guy you know what i mean right because for profit don't inspire right because remember back in the days they have they have black wheat brown wheat no i don't know what a black weed you still have indica in indica indica okay indica okay okay okay okay indica okay and purple skunk and purple ears yeah so that was from the earth yeah man grew up from the sun and you let me grow tall and this and that.

Remember in those days you used to smoke one giant all day? Yes. You know how much I saw you smoke since I sat here? Yeah, yes. Back in those days you smoked one giant for one day, man. Right. And it just keep out and it keep lighting and you just feel nice. Right.

They have commercialized the herbs so much that even the potency has been reduced. All right. Let me tell you, man, I seen an interview with you, and I believe the brother was from Jamaica, and he kept saying how you preserved yourself, meaning like you didn't come home looking crazy. You came home looking like you said, you was working out three times a day. But not only that,

it was your style. Most people are spitting. Most people go to jail and then they lose their style. So many people lose it because they're not writing in there, they're not practicing. How did you come home and you still sound just as good as you used to sound and in some cases even better?

You know know that place has taught me one particular thing that when someone does something to you that is designed to hurt you and then you know in your heart they're wrong you don't fight with them because no one on earth will ever believe you it's only god can prove your innocence. But you have a choice. You can stay on that trajectory and stay this bitter motherfucker or you can forgive them and live your life. The greatest weapon we have

against all our adversaries is our forgiveness. They don't understand it. They can't see why. Forgiveness, you say? Yes. They don't know why you're not hungry. They don't know why you're not bitter. They don't know why you're not hungry They don't know why you're not bitter

They don't know why you're not traveling without To grind And that drives them mad So the ability To forgive Enables us To continue our life on the path That the Father wants us to continue on.

The ability to project ourselves outside of the bad circumstances into good light is what we have. We are in control of that. You are in control of that. Now, if you allow them to make you into a monster, they will have achieved their

desire. They would have won. Most people in your position would have got broke down. Oh, I'm telling you, brother, that's the intent. Right. That's the aim of the enemy. Okay? And the only way you circumvent that,

you have to forgive him. We said, Father, forgive him not, because he know what he did. Not a bullshit, but you forgive them because they don't know what they did. They know what they did. So you deal with but you forgive them because they don't know what they did. They know what they did. So you deal with them. I go do my work.

Simple. You ever got to meet Michael Jackson? No, I haven't. No. No, I haven't. How about Prince? No, I meet the king. Bob? No, of course I. Which king? Of course I meet Bob. I tell myself, I'll get him a cigarette

and then I'm K. I don't know how you would. I don't need to meet the prince. Okay. Oh, I get it now. I get it. He's just learning the lyrics. He's fucking up.

He's fucking up. I get it. Yo. Man, I don't know. I just want to thank you, man. I really want to thank you. Hey, brothers. I want to thank you for all these roles that I can't plan. Yeah. Man, I just want to thank you, man. I really want to thank you. Hey, brothers. I want to thank you for all these roads that I can't plan.

Yeah. The tour? Yeah, you say it loud, man. Come on. You speak it. Yeah, so no, no, no, no, no. I want to drop this in, man. Yeah, please.

So my tour kicks off. Okay. My tour is called the Overcomer comma tour why the overcomer guys have been through a lot a whole lot and it was a love of the people love the almighty god that brought me through it for me to be here sitting down right now in united states of america and drink champs you love the people nori come upon all those days yeah so i would say we have overcome a lot and this store exemplifies that spirit of overcoming. A lot of people out there have gone through adversities in their life.

And if you're an overcomer, come out. Come celebrate with me. Because this is the overcomer tour coming your way. One show only. To miss is to this. I don't know when you're going to see the next one. But right now, we're overcoming and I'm coming over. So be there.

And it's you by yourself? No. No, this is Bojo Ballantyne alongside Friday. overcoming and I'm coming over. So be there. And it's you by yourself? If you by yourself, what's that get? No, this is Bojubanton alongside Friday. This is a school singer called Friday. I love Friday's music. You know what I mean? I like his presentation on God Did

project and we invited him out and he accepted my invitation to be on tour with me. So Friday's going to be on the road to Bojubanton alongside alongside Richard Phelan from Jamaica giving you some hardcore dance and music in your soul. And let's go. Let's overcome because I'm coming.

I just want to say this one more time. I said this on your intro, but I truly believe you're one of the greatest performers on the planet. I try. I'm on try. I'm on try. Listen, I enjoy doing research when I do this. So I was watching your interviews. I was listening to your music.

But when I started looking at your concerts, I could not stop. I just kept looking at how you bring the people. And you make people cry. You make people. It's just like, it's something I've never seen before. You know what I mean? I feel it. I feel it. And from I feel it? I feel it. I feel it.

And from I feel it, I want the masses to feel it. Every night is not the same. Sometimes you go out there and your spirit is high, high, high. And sometimes you go out there like... I was in Limon, Costa Rica. And the spirit came to me and said said get up and go to the beach and i'll get up and i went to go to

the beach and security stopped me and said i cannot go to the beach right now because they're doing a loading and they don't want people on the beach walking into the loading so i went back to the room and then the promoter came to me and said you want to go to the beach i said yeah the security said they're doing a loading. Let them handle business. He said, no, man, come. I'll take you. Because the spirit came to me and said, you need to go to the beach.

But this guy stopped me. So here comes someone to fulfill that. So we went to the beach. While I was standing on the beach, I just felt sad. I don't know why. So sad. I don't know why. So sad. I started walking down the beach and a song came to me,

saying, I love you, Lord, cause your mercy never fails. I said to the guy who was the security, I said, you know this song? He said, yeah. I said, I love this song. I will sing it.

So I pull it up. I started listening to it on the beach. And I went back to the hotel room. I spoke to one of my sons about four o'clock. And I went on stage about eight o'clock. While I'm on the stage, I just felt a great feeling came over me. So much that I was actually crying on the stage.

I wanted to come off the stage and come into Jamaica to hear that my son died the same night here in America. I felt that. I felt a piece of me left me. I was on the stage. So people feel things. And if I can feel that,

what can the masses in front of me feel if I am being true to myself and my art? It's amplified to that. So, am being true to myself and my heart. It's amplified to that. Hmm. So it's like the musician, it is a vessel that embodies something that when he go out there and he pour out him wine, if the wine is coming from a dirty vessel, the wine is dirty, full with sediments. But if the wine is coming from a vessel that's clean

or palatable. Wine going drink and people going feel uplifted, rejuvenated, inspired, filled. Thank you guys for having me here. Yeah man, thank you man. We'll take a couple pictures and then that's it. I'm here. Yeah, man. Thank you, man.

All right. Yeah. Yeah. Holy shit. Drink champs is a drink champs, LLC production hosts and executive producers, N O R E and DJ E F N. Listen to drink champs on Apple podcast, Amazon music,

Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Drink Champs, hosted by yours truly, DJ EFN and NORE. Please make sure to follow us on all our socials. That's at Drink Champs across all platforms, at TheRealNoriega on IG, at Noriega on Twitter. Mine is at Who's Crazy on IG, at DJ EFN on Twitter. And most importantly, stay up to date with the latest releases, news and merch by going to drink champs dot com. Hazardous sounds, Rise of the Machines, Pasture Mentals Volume 1, available now on all platforms.

Download today. Rise of the Machines Song Contest. Seeking out all artists that want to take their career to the next level? Go ahead and join today by downloading the album, picking out your favorite beat, and making a song, verse, or hook to it. Submit it to hazardoussounds at gmail.com, and you will be judged by celebrity judges DJ EFN, Dream Champs' own SB Killer, platinum producer, and Scram Jones, multi-platinum producer as well. You can also submit via IG by recording a video and performing the song.

Simply tag Rise of the Machine Song Contest, and we will repost your video as well. Winners will be announced September 7th. Join today, and may the best artist win. This is an iHeart Podcast.