The Breakfast Club - Ky-Mani Marley Interview

Episode Date: June 29, 2015

Ky-Mani Marley Discusses His Father's Legacy, Releasing A New Album After Eight Years More With The Breakfast Club Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God.

What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast

Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay.

Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues especially those that affect black

and brown people but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other so join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa

Parks did the same thing. Check it. And it began with me. Did you know, did you know? I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was called a moment. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise.

Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Real people, real celebrities, real talk. Join the Breakfast Club. A flash talk in your ear. Weekday mornings, 6 to 10.

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Angela Yee, Charlamagne Tha God. We are The Breakfast Club. Special guest in the building this morning, Kamani Marley. Yes, sir. Good morning, sir. What's up, brother? My brother.

Thanks for having me. That means adventurous traveler, right? Yeah. That's what my mama said. I saw you at my spot the other day in Brooklyn Footprints. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I like that little spot. First time I've been there. Really? I go there all the time. That's in Brooklyn Footprints. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I like that little spot. First time in there.

Really? I go there all the time. That's my little Brooklyn spot. This may be a stupid question, but you ever get tired of Jamaican food? Never. You know what? It's so much. It's so much because they say we're from many, many people.

So you have like Indian Jamaican food and you have Chinese Jamaican food and you got Jamaican Jamaican food. Yeah. It's a lot of options. I like the Jamaican Jamaican food, and you got Jamaican Jamaican food. Yeah. It's a lot of options. I like the Jamaican Jamaican. It's a lot to choose from, yeah. Gotcha.

Well, you have a new album coming out next week. Got a new album coming out. It's been a while. Yeah, well, why eight years of a break? Counting that money. I wish. I think, you know, it was just that I was, you know, trying to get away from my my last company and so we went through that process of paperwork and everything else and then after that it was making sure that when I do release this album that the production is on point and the lyrical content is on point

and we do have a complete album versus running in the studio making a few songs and then trying to throw it all out on the album. It was important for me to make sure that I was comfortable. I'm excited about it. Is there any pressure with your dad of course being Bob Marley to make sure it's kind of like he's the great NBA player and now you're in the league

and you want to score just as much or more? You know what? I've never felt that pressure. Because I think the mark that my father left there is, you can't duplicate that. You know what I mean? That won't be replicated. And so, for me it was just important to stay true to the legacy. Stay true to myself and just try to make good music and see what comes of it.

Now, is it true you weren't aware of your musical abilities as a child? Not at all. Growing up for me, the furthest thing from my mind was music. For me, it was all about playing football, playing basketball, whatever it may be. And so for me, I say it all the time, my musical career started kind of like a fluke. I met a friend I was playing around,

he had a little sound system, and he was like, he's going out to play tonight, so I should give him a fluke. I met a friend I was playing around he had a little sound system and he was like he's going out to play tonight so I should give him a dub play and I'm like bro I don't sing. He's like well you're Marley so it don't matter just say something. And you know I started playing around on the mic and at the time a producer by the name of Carl Peterson walked in. Carl used to do some work with my pops in the early days. You know he he kind of said to me, you got a nice tone, you should come to the studio and see what we can do. And I started going there once a week, started writing music, and one thing led to the other.

One of the earliest songs I wrote was a song called Their Dad, it was a letter to my pops. And that's what got me my first record deal. And it was funny because I wrote that song when I was about 16 and got the deal when I was about 18. You know, I took that little bus ride. Yeah, I am now. You also have memoirs called Dear Dad as well.

Yeah, I did. Right, and that was, I remember that came out like five years ago. Yeah, roughly about five years ago. Yeah, it was a little bit controversial at the time. Because there were some interesting things in there, I think, that people didn't know about you. Yeah. I believe the family wasn't too happy with some of it.

I mean, I don't think the family was unhappy about any of it. But I think when we, I come from very humble beginnings. And I don't know if that's what they, you know, thought would be controversial or not. But I'm from very humble beginnings. You know, I was living, I was raised in Jamaica until I was eight years old in a little wooden two-bedroom house, a little countryside. And I remember my grandma moving to America, and mom telling me, you know, grandma's filing for this, so we'll be living in America soon.

And I just remember I had this image of what my home was going to be like and this new life that I was heading to. And I still remember the night, you know, coming over, landing in Miami and just seeing all the lights and being, you know, in awe. And it was night. So I remember when I got to the house, it didn't look like the house I had in my mind. Right. It didn't look like the house I had in my mind. You went to Florida.

Yeah, I was in Miami. I grew up in Liberty City. And so when I woke up in the morning, I realized that I was still in a two-bedroom wooden house with nine people, worse than the one that I left in Jamaica, and across the street from a crack house. Wow.

And so that was my introduction. People might have envisioned you growing up with like a silver spoon in your mouth. Everybody did. Exactly. You know, they would assume that your dad is Bob Marley, that you had riches and you had mansions in Jamaica. Right. But you were kind of cut off from the family. I wouldn't say cut off.

It was just, you know, the things that was happening at that particular time. So your family got mad at you for telling the truth? What they want you to do, talk about how you came up rich or something? The family wasn't mad. I think people just assumed that the family was mad. You know what I mean? But it's, your truth is your truth. You know what I mean? No matter what it is, no matter how good, no matter how bad, the truth is your truth and you can't really, you can't go around it. Do you ever think that record labels were possibly just giving you deals because of who, because of your last name? I wasn't getting no deals.

Oh. It actually can help and hurt you, don't you think? Yeah, it's definitely a double-bladed sword because a lot of people, you know, I think they assume that you don't need the chance or you don't deserve the chance because you're from such. And so then you have a lot of people that will give you that opportunity because, you know, they're interested

and they gravitate to the name and the legacy. So, you know, it works both ways. Right. Now, do you get, like, how is that broken down? There's so much Bob Marley stuff out there. I mean, everything. Bob Marley headphones. Merchandise.

Shirts. I mean, there might be a Bob Marley liquor. Like, I just used to drink a beer. Everything is Bob Marley. Does the family eat off of that? Yeah. I just met Rohan Marley the other day, and he was telling me about the coffee that you guys have coming out.

Is it weed in it? Not yet. Nah. I'm working on the fusion. Yeah. But you guys eat off of all that? Yeah, it's through licensing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.

Definitely, definitely. The family benefits from everything that's out there, Marley. How many brothers and sisters do you have? Wow, it's 10 of us. 10 of, wow. Yeah, it's 10 of us. Who are you closest to, Damien? What'd you say?

Because you guys are the youngest and work together a lot. I'm close to all my brothers, you know. I'm close to all, but I grew up at Rowan because we both grew up in Miami. So, you know, when he was playing for the Hurricanes, yeah, we grew up together in Miami. I would be closer to him in that sense.

Y'all really have sports in y'all family, man. He played for the Hurricanes. He was in the football club coming up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Played a lot of football, yeah. My mom is a table tennis champion, so we're a pretty athletic bunch. Table tennis in the room. What you mean? Table tennis? I'm know, so we're a pretty athletic bunch. Table tennis.

I'm pretty. I'm actually pretty. What you mean? Table tennis? I'm pretty good at table tennis. It's very. You ever try? You got to have good hand to eye coordination, bro.

Did she make money? I was in them days when table tennis was making the money, bro. I'm doing it. I think table tennis. You just represent. Nah, you. You going back and forth with your homeboy. Nah, she traveling the world.

But in them times, table tennis, table tennis making money now? I have no idea. Still ain't making no money now. I mean, it's table tennis, but it's a sport. It's the same thing as ping pong, right? We call it ping pong. Yeah, yeah, it's the same thing. Now, how do you make the most of your money right now?

Like, is it music? I know you got your clothing line. It's called confrontation. Yeah, it's not really, yeah. Something we're working on. But right now, it's definitely music.

Definitely music. You know, we did a few movie projects. We did the One Love thing. We did the Shottas thing. Classic Shottas. Shottas is kind of

like your life almost. A piece of it. You know, like Jamaica, Miami, selling drugs. A piece of it. A piece of it. I know, like Jamaica, Miami, selling drugs. Yeah, a piece of it. A piece of it.

I don't know if you want to admit that on camera. It's in his book. That would have been embarrassing, though, during a period of time in your life to get arrested for selling drugs, something like that. Then, you know, that probably would have been a big letdown. That would have been. But, you know, you grow up in these environments, and sometimes I don't want to say I was a product of that. Well, I definitely was a product of that environment, but we also have choices to make.

Sometimes we go through things where we feel as though the choices we make is the only choice we have to make at that particular time and you know for me it was just it was an interesting road because I have a lot of friends that's that's not here and I have a lot of friends that's here but I never see the light of day again and um so for me it's it's going through all these trials and tribulation and you know feeling as though, maybe it's not just luck that's keeping me out of trouble. You know what I mean? Maybe my life do have a purpose. So it was important for me to start seeking and finding what that purpose is and making

sure that I move towards my purpose. Right. I watched the video for All The Way. You actually filmed that in Jamaica? Did that in Jamaica, yeah. It's a beautiful song. Yeah, thank you. What do you prefer, Jamaica or Miami, man? Oh, Jamaica, All The Way. You actually filmed that in Jamaica? Yeah, that in Jamaica. Yeah. It's a beautiful song. Yeah, thank you. Who do you prefer, Jamaica or Miami, man?

Oh, Jamaica, All The Way. Jamaica's paradise. You ever been? Absolutely. Actually, we all went together. Don't leave the resort. They'll kill you. And you know what?

And that's the BS about it. Because we Jamaicans, you don't hear about tourists being hurt. Sometimes you have a little one tourist that wandered out into the wilderness and, you know, they might get their property taken away. But you don't hear about Jamaican hurting tourists. Like, that's never in the news. I heard about a whole track team that got laid down, though, in Rob. Oh, that wasn't by us.

It was the Jamaicans. You said the violence was? I mean, the violence is just like here. It's within the community. You know what I mean? It doesn't reach the outskirts where the tourists would be. And so, yeah. So if you're listening, come to Jamaica anytime.

You're safe. It's one of my favorite places to visit. I'm going in September again. Nice. For my friend's birthday. Now, I told you I met your brother, Rohan Marley. Now, when you guys decide to do a venture, does it have to get approved? Say you say, okay, I want to come out with the headphones, or he's doing the coffee.

Is it something that you all have to sit down and say, okay, we're going to use the estate name for this? Yeah, the family goes through that. It definitely has to be approved because it definitely has. We have to feel as though it's along the line of the legacy and what the brand represents. So it's definitely a conversation that takes place for approval. Who runs the estate? My sister runs the estate.

Yeah, Sadella. You're relatively young, man. How old were you when your father passed? I was five years old, my brother. Okay. Yeah, I was five years old when my father passed. Do you have any memories with him? I have one memory.

You know what I mean? One memory. And that memory is him picking me up in a little town. I'm from a little town called Falmouth in Trelawny, um him picking me up in a little i'm from a little town called falmouth in trelawny and him picking me up he had my older brother stephen with him i'm a friend of his by the name of um sangi who's a guitar player and uh he picked me and my mom up and we went up to nine miles where he was from and you know it's funny i he had, he had just got back from America, so he had this nice slingshot, first time seeing one made of iron, and, you know, all the nice fancy things. We're used to the ones you just find a branch on a tree and make that. And I remember he had that slingshot, and me and my older brother went into the woods to go shoot at birds, and somehow the slingshot got lost on the way back.

And I remember my mom, Steven, at the time telling me that, you know, you lost daddy's slingshot, you're going to be in trouble. And I remember, you know, just going back and forth telling him he's the one that lost it. So I remember walking back to the house, he was standing in the doorway, and I walked up to him and I said, daddy, I lost the slingshot. Daddy Malou was the slingshot. And he looked down and he laughed.

And it was at that point I realized, okay, well, I'm not getting a B. So I went back off the play, and that's the only memory I have of my father. Wow. Wow. Yeah. How hard was it for you to put out the song, Dear Dad, that was a personal letter? Oh, man, you know what? I say it all the time, that that song for me was the hardest song and the easiest song to write.

You know, because even at the time of writing the song, I wasn't trying to write a Dear Dad song. I was actually trying to write some other lyrics and I was having a little writer's block. I stepped away for a second, went to read the Bible and came back. And for some reason, the first words was, Dear God, I have a letter here for me to that and that song pretty much wrote itself like it's the only song i've ever written that i i never had to think once of what the next word is going to be and and i remember that in the middle of writing that song i broke down because it was so it was so emotional you know i've never really expressed um anything i'm not really the one to bring my problems to people, I've never really expressed anything. I'm not really the one to bring my problems to people,

so I've never really expressed, you know, my feelings and what I'm feeling towards this whole situation. So I wrote it in a song, and I remember, you know, being halfway through it and just tears just running like a river and had to take a step away from it, and I came back to it, and, you you know just like I didn't stop the song just wrote itself and you know for maybe the first year of singing that song on stage it was a very emotional time but you know that song is

very very if you ever heard it it's a very personal song that's what it is which what traits and qualities are do you have that people who know your father say, yeah, that's your pops? Like father, like son. I think I always hear humility. Yeah. I think that's the trait. A lot of people say I sound like him, too. I guess that's what I got.

Well, the album is coming out next week, and it's very – you know what? I was listening to some of the songs that you have on there and I was wondering, do you ever go to the club and dagger or anything like that? You a grown ass man, boy. You should have your dagger in, man. Yeah. I go to the club and enjoy the festivities.

I watch the dagger. You don't wild out or anything ever? No, I'm in a wild out, but I enjoy myself. You know what I mean? But I'm definitely not jumping off of speakers or jumping off of my table or none of that. Now, you got a saying, all people are equal, no one is

above or beneath him. Yeah, that's true. I mean, that's just that's not even something that's up for discussion. That is what it is. You know what I mean? Because you have a dollar more than me don't make you any more special than me.

It just make you have a dollar more than me. Absolutely. And if you have a dollar less than me, it's the same thing. You know what I mean? And you're back on tour and back on the road? Say it again? You're back on tour and back on the road.

Back on tour. Tour on the West Coast, July 9th to the 29th. Take a break off in August and we're touring the West Coast July 9th to the 29th. Take a break off in August, and we're touring the East Coast in September. We also have a little album release party at LPR on the 29th. It's that Monday, next Monday. So, yeah, I'm excited. You know what I mean?

I'm excited. I'm looking forward to getting back on the road. I'm looking forward to letting the on the road I'm looking forward to you know letting the people hear what I've been working on so we can't tell

when you're excited you're pretty calm you're very laid back and calm you know why too I'll take your word for it though cause you're high

there you go okay I get it I'm high on life we appreciate you joining us oh and one more thing I wanted to ask you about was the Marley documentary

what did you think about that did you love that documentary? Yeah, I love it. I love it. I love it. That documentary was on point. I even learned a few things that I didn't know. You know what I mean?

So that documentary was nice. If you got a chance to watch it, it was a nice documentary, well put together. What are some things that you didn't know you said that you learned from the documentary? Oh, wow. I can't remember right now, but it was a few things in there that I didn't, I had no knowledge of. Oh, of your pops? Yeah. Okay, okay. Did you go out of your way to do research, though? right now but it was a few things he was like wow you know I didn't I had no knowledge of all of your of your pops yeah okay okay did you go out of your way to do research though like when you got old like when you got older like I do want to know the history of my pops like did you talk to people

you know what I never really went out of my way to do research because there was always somebody there telling me about it got you I mean whether it was my grandma god bless her soul she's gone now but she you know always telling you stories and then you go to Jamaica and run into a whole bunch of his old friends, and they give you history, you know, a little piece of their history. So it's been like that. Absolutely. All right, well, thank you again for joining us. Brad, thanks for having me.

Nice show in stores. Monty Marley, the Outlander Stores. And it's the Breakfast Club. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag.

This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh, my God. What is that?

Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. Keep tail! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series,

The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses

Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show, Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence. And we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other. So join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all.

Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand-new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone.

The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different, inspiring figure from history, like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. And it began with me. Did you know, did you know?

I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was Claudette Colvin. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.