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THE ANGRY LION

STEPHEN MARLEY PREPARES HIS DEBUT ALBUM MIND CONTROL

Stephen%20Smaller.jpg

Stepping out from behind the boards and into the spotlight, producer, performer, and songwriter Stephen Marley will soon release his long-awaited solo debut, MIND CONTROL on the Tuff Gong / Ghetto Youths / Universal label. The album is a rich and varied musical banquet—strictly ital of course—lovingly prepared by a master chef.

The production mastermind behind Damian “Junior Gong” Marley’s double-Grammy-winning WELCOME TO JAMROCK has appeared as a guest vocalist on all three of his youngest brother’s albums dating back to 1996. Junior Gong returns the favor on the boisterous beat-box-driven hit single, “Traffic Jam.” Said tune, which has been bubbling all over radio waves this winter, must be the most cheerful song ever recorded about a ganja bust.
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This playful mood is balanced by the preceding track, “Iron Bars,” through which Stephen channels the outrage of an innocent man incarcerated for partaking of a sacramental herb. “Let me out,” he roars, “I’m an angry lion.” That track’s only flaw is that Spragga Benz’s ferocious guest verse is so powerful that it proves impossible to follow (leaving one listener fiending for a full Benz album, but I digress). Elsewhere, Mos Def contributes a tasty verse to the tender “Hey Baby” but such a personal song doesn’t really require another point of view; the cameo feels tacked on rather than organic. Ultimately, the strength of this record is not in the guest spots, but the main attraction.

So much has been made of his production skills that it’s a revelation to focus on Stephen’s vocals for a change. Much like his father, he’s a man of many voices. On the blazing title track and cuts like “Chase Dem” Stephen sounds like he’s got a belly full of fire. Modern roots reggae gets no rougher. His deejay flow on “Traffic Jam” recalls the days when he used to bust two rhymes as the raggamuffin little brother in the Melody Makers. But on the magisterial album closer “Inna De Red,” Stephen’s voice bleeds all over a backdrop of Niyabinghi drums, Ben Harper’s bristling guitar, and children chanting the name of Jah. It’s a fitting conclusion for this impressive debut, serving as a reminder that at the end of the day, Stephen Marley’s musical mission is about much more than entertainment.

As Stephen and Damian Marley prepare to head out on a North American tour in anticipation of MIND CONTROL's March 20th release [check boomshots.com for tour dates], we rewind back to a conversation that took place many months ago in Los Angeles while Stephen was working on the album that would become MIND CONTROL. He spoke with electric intensity that evening in the recording studio. When talking about his own work, thoughts of his father, whom he refers to by the old street name “Gong,” are never far away. With every word, the depth of Stephen’s artistic commitment was crystal clear, as was his sense of responsibility for upholding a legendary family legacy.


IT SEEMS LIKE DANCEHALL REGGAE HAS BEEN BREAKING INTO THE MAINSTREAM MORE AND MORE.

Certain dancheall music is still kinda the lighter side of it. I would say is more party music than where you go to the club and you beat a Guiness and you burn a spliff you know? Well you know the more cultural side now is something weh you woulda really have to meditate. So you can’t really party and meditate at the same time. So you know… I mean, it’s natural. The way me see it is just natural. Just so it go man.

YOU HEAR REGGAE SOUNDS IN RAP AND R&B PRODUCTION RIGHT NOW… BUT SOMETIMES THE MESSAGE GETS LOST.

Well I guess that is what you call now substance. That is more purposeful. You know I mean? It’s not just for a club or not really just the lighter side of things. Well you know, this is more serious. You done know.

From ever since, is not everyone want to face reality. A lot of people would like to get away from reality. More than fi say, Bwoy, you face it. Or BLOODCLAAT—a this really a gwan? It heavy. So a whole heap of people kinda try get ’way from it. So them kinda draw to the lighter side of things. Which is natural, but... The substantial things them really cause effect pon the right people. Message in the music. Yeah mon.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE WORLD IS CHANGING AFTER 9/11—MUSICALLY AND OTHERWISE?

These guys are just implementing their plans. And it’s bigger than even your question, in terms of you know, the answer. You haffi just have knowledge of what’s going on. Caw it’s deep. If you check it, it’s deep.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT JR. GONG WINNING THE GRAMMY AWARD?

How we feel bout that? We feel good, you know, is an achievement, and is our achievement. No guy never help we. Big magazine never come interview we and dem ting. So, y’understand? Me feel good bout that. But then we don’t make music for awards, still. So—you know? We ah move. Yeah. Bless. Give thanks. But… The Mission. So we still want the numbers then. Cause that mean more people. That mean people. You understand? And the support we supposed to get. From we born we stand fi something. Yeah, and a whole heap ah guy go round that sometime and me see them. You know? I mean… Cho!

SO THERE IS A LARGER PURPOSE TO THIS TOUR?

To show what we stand for. Every time we move, every time we speak is just to show what we stand for. So I mean the tour is a part of it. We a play music from 78, 79. So we couldn’t just come now fi show… Who know, know. Who no know, nuh know. I and I steadfast—you know me ah say—with we mission, you know? So the tour is the beginning of something positive to look forward to every year. And next year still, next year we hope now, Jah willing, fi bring in our music, our people, more and more. Know weh me ah say? Yeah, this year we kinda set it and say yeah, it kinda feasible.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIP HOP AND REGGAE RIGHT NOW?

A good likkle ting’s happening still, but we haffi know weh we ah do. Caw then [snaps fingers] it will just go like that too. Becaw the world big and America’s the biggest. Done know. So we haffi know weh we ah do, and recognize what’s going on and face it the right way. You know, cause right now, just because a likkle thing is going on, you have some people kinda just sell out fi nothing. You done know. Them no hold on ’pon the value and them feel say caw it’s a fast riddim and bbbrrrrrr... [makes a machine gun sound]…

Yeah, but what happen to the creative part? The longevity? Wha’ happen the next five years from now? Ten years from now, wha? So we haffi set weself as a fraternity, as Jamaican music, fi know say Yeah, now are the time fi everyone… yeah. Don’t make them feel say it’s one ting… Make them know say the whole ah we deh-ya. Me is just one player. You have whole heap more like me weh need fi shine too. And that must be done. Caw me’s a youth me probably can count the amount of dance me go.

REALLY?

Yeah, I mean, you know? But see dem man deh… Within dancehall you have man like Capleton, you know what I’m saying, you have heavy gunners still. The youth dem weh set it. The real thing. When you check it—them youth yah fi get highlight an’ ting. The man dem who go through it, who set it. Who give it the meaning weh it have. And we haffi know that. Caw weh me come from, me respect them.

IT’S GOOD TO SEE SOME OF THOSE VETERANS GETTING THEIR DUE RESPECT.

Yeah man, and Elephant and dem man deh too. Dem ghetto youth deh. Me love that. That’s good.

IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE THE PRODUCERS GET MORE CREDIT THAN THEY DO.

Well them haffi stop sell out.

SOME PEOPLE TRY TO PUT THE ROOTS AGAINST THE DANCEHALL… LIKE OIL AND WATER.

No!

SO IT ALL BLENDS TOGETHER?

Yeah mon, how you mean? I man is still is of that generation also, of dancehall. Yeah, we still grew up on Dillinger same time when we ah listen Gong, Dillinger an’ Big Youth an’ dem man. Them man deh are the real… Them man deh make it name dancehall. You know I mean? So still it was always one music, you know? You have the rootical and, you know me ah say, the more streetical rebel-ous type ah ting was the dancehall. And then the more spiritual thing, the roots ting balance. Balance.

WITHIN HIP HOP YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE PORTRAYING GANGSTERISM... WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND REAL REVOLUTIONARIES?

I mean portrait is a picture, is an image of something. When you portray something is not the real ting. You know? I mean… substance is still the thing. Substance is what a rebel stands for. And what a gangsta stands for—him kinda defend a next ting. A rebel now, him defend a cause, a purpose. A gangsta kinda defend him ting or whatever. But—Rasta is the key. You done know. Nuttin no ruff like Rasta or tuff like Rasta or lovin’ like Rasta. You know? Any which way you wan’ come… RASTA.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EVOLUTION OF DANCEHALL MUSIC FROM DILLINGER DAYS TILL NOW. DO YOU THINK TODAY’S MUSIC IS EQUALLY AS RESPECTED?

America don’t know how fi deal with one drop.

YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO DANCE IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BEATS.

Yeah is like you haffi relate to it. You haffi relate to that bloodclaat. But still, you done know, just like Gong say, “A good man still no honored in his own country.” Ah so it go you know. What I mean by that still is, if that message music was put out there, it’s got substance. Substance is the thing. I’m not saying anything wrong with party music. But the more you do this… is the less you have time for that. To stand out, it’s what you have to do. Certain things you haffi refrain from because…

WHAT IS THE NEXT LEVEL THAT YOU ARE REACHING FOR?

The next level? To see the people know. The people still no know, because them no get it like that. They get the commercial thing. They try that, and it kinda no fit. Certain things still need to be heard. But once the people get it them nah let it go. Them thing deh affect your life. Not just how you look or how you talk , like Yeah mon or What’s up dude? Once the people them really get it, that ah it. So that’s why we never stop. One of them blow yah must get in.

YOU SEE YOUR MUSIC AS MUCH MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT. IT’S PART OF A LARGER STRUGGLE.

This music is nah no joke thing. Y’understand. Even the whole militancy of the music and the whole frame of mind supposed to show back inna yourself. Remember this now. I and I grow around the Gong, the ultimate fighting machine. You understand? Him fight you with words weh liberate a nation. So you can’t get more powerful than that, in terms of raw power weh come out of a man. You understand. So we grow with that. We grow with that kind of purpose. So we know say, Yo, Certain thing light. Me nah take nuttin from nothing still. But you know heavy and you know light.

Member the Gong now. It come back again to substance. Weh you stand for. Weh you a deal with. Remember say is music make them try assass… Is music make them come fire shot.

YOU MEAN WHEN THEY TRIED TO KILL YOUR FATHER BEFORE THE PEACE CONCERT?

For music. For weh this man yah say and ah deal with, even inna Jamaica. It ah liberate the people them so… The music heavier than a magazine cover. Life. It deal with llife. And it have an affect pon we life. You done know, We know what the struggle is about.

I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO SOME PEOPLE ABOUT THE ZIMBABWE CONCERT, AND HOW MUSIC CAN BE A FORCE WITHIN A COUNTRY’S STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION. WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THAT CONCERT?

Yo—me remember. That show was a bloodclaat show to bloodclaat. Caw me never know what teargas was. And you know, me see the people them a run and a drop. Them time you have some bloodclaat tank and them ting deh push down the fence.

TANKS?

Yeah because member say, Prince Weh Him Name did deh deh still.

PRINCE CHARLES?

Yeah, that bwoy deh. [laughs]

AND A BIG CROWD OF PEOPLE?

Yeah, so when the people them get a way now, fi him army panic. Caw fi him army come with him you know.

SO THE PRINCE WAS ACTUALLY LISTENING TO THE MUSIC TOO?

No… is like Gong break pon the stage. And the people get a way to bloodclaat. And me ah tell you, me see the tank and dem ting and ray ray. But you know, true we deh pon the stage, me deh deh ah look an ting. And Ziggy a run come and me say, How the people dem a drop? And him a say “tear gas.” So that was how we get introduced to tear gas.

DID IT BURN YOUR EYES?

Yeah man and the Gong come run with two towels and put it over we face and them carry we off.

YOU NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT IN JAMAICA?

In Jamaica we protected in terms of we nah go anywhere without we family. But yo, that did big though. That was powerful. Y’understand. That was powerful. Beca’ we go back the next day and do the show... Yeah because it haffi stop you know. And Gong get vexed and say "No! Show tomorrow." So we lick the show the next day.

AND HE GETS UP AND SINGS A SONG THAT SAYS “EVERY MAN HAVE A RIGHT TO DECIDE HIS OWN DESTINY.”

Some people become things. You have some man who become good. We born certain way. You never hear we talk bout under no gal… or no…eh-eh. You always hear one thing. If you like it or not. If it sells or not. If it plays on the radio or not. We not gonna change tomorrow. [bangs the table] YEAH… So the struggle continues.

For years without tears and fears. www.boomshots.com

Posted on February 28, 2007 5:39 PM

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