March, 12 2007
It’s been a long time coming but Stephen Marley is finally about to drop his debut album – Mind Control
Spending time with Stephen Marley is a pleasant experience. His temperament is almost always light and breezy, and smiling is a regular occurrence. But then, he has plenty to smile about.
Following on from the success his younger brother Damian found with his 2005 album Welcome to Jamrock – largely produced by Stephen – the 34-year-old devout Rastafarian is gearing up to release his debut solo album, Mind Control.
There’s already been plenty of excitement surrounding the album’s lead single, Traffic Jam – an ode to a 2002 experience that saw Stephen and his brother Julian jailed for a few hours for possession of marijuana. Almost disillusioned by the fact that “a plant” could end up landing him in jail, Stephen – the second son of reggae icon Bob Marley – shares his thoughts on the herb…
“Anything used out of context can be harmful. I’ve heard of people dying from water consumption. Yeah man, there was a drinking contest to see how many glasses of water a person could drink, and one person died. Water consumption was the cause of death. So too much of anything is good for nothing. Marijuana has many great purposes. You don’t just have to smoke it – you can drink it. So as long as there is liquor legally available, as well as pharmaceutical drugs – both of which, people can use to harm or kill themselves – I will always be an advocate for the use of marijuana.”
He continues: “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a personal thing – so I wouldn’t encourage people to use it. But I don’t think it should be highlighted as a dangerous thing, without its benefits also being highlighted. To be put in jail for it seemed kinda harsh, when you think of some of the other serious crimes that people are in jail for.”
Well, Akon made a hit about being Locked Up and the currently incarcerated Jah Cure won’t stop making tunes from Behind These Prison Walls. So Stephen certainly isn’t the first artist to be lyrically inspired by finding himself on the wrong side of the law. And Traffic Jam – featuring Damian – could well be a smash for the talented artist. Having originally found fame as part of The Melody Makers – the Grammy award-winning group, comprised of Stephen and his siblings Ziggy, Cedella and Sharon – Stephen went on to enjoy success as a writer and producer, working with the likes of Mr Cheeks, Erykah Badu and Capleton, as well as a number of his siblings. But why has it taken quite so long for the talented artist to release his own solo effort?
“Bwoy, I had to know the people were ready for me,” he laughs. “No, there was a lot of work to be done before I could release my album. But now is the time. Everything was ready, in terms of the record label being ready and me also being able to take time out from my other commitments as a producer. More than all of that, Jah said the time is now. And it’s a beautiful thing, ‘cos when Damian just started, I used to support him. Now he’ll be able to come out with me and I love that.”
Insisting that there’s no competition between himself and any of his siblings, Stephen is keen to continue his father’s legacy. The main producer of the Marley family’s Tuff Gong label, he says he has no desire to distance himself from his father’s legacy.
“I feel that I have made my own mark in music, but in a sense, it’s all one legacy. I have my children – but they’re my father’s grandchildren. So it’s all one legacy. You can’t really divide it. It can only be extended.”
And he’s certainly done his part to extend the Marley legacy. Guess how many kids he’s got? “Ten. They range from age one up to 16. I didn’t plan to have ten, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re ten beautiful souls. If more come, so let it be. I’m quite a strict father most of the time, because that’s how I was brought up – discipline was important.”
It could well be that sense of discipline that enabled him to develop a range of skills within the music business. Not only does he write, produce and deejay/ sing, he also plays a range of instruments, including saxophone, piano, guitar and drums. With a musical icon for a father, it’s no surprise that music is his first love, (with football coming a close second.) Aged just nine when his father died, Stephen recalls one of his fondest memories of him…
“Bwoy… I’m not gonna get any new memories, so I hold on to every one of them dearly. But I remember one time, I was about six and we were at my grandmother’s house – my father’s mother’s house. He was making some carrot juice and you know, at age six, you nuh want no carrot juice! But I was sitting watching him, and as he was adding the carrots, he said: ‘You know what this ah go give you? Vigour!’ So I said, ‘Yeah – vigour!’ Then he took some celery and as he added that he said: ‘You know what this ah go give you? Strength!’ So I said ‘Yeah – strength!’ Every ting him say, me agree.”
He continues: “But when him finish mek the juice, me see him go get two glass! Sometimes he was stern and he would’ve made me drink it because he knew it was good for me. And this time, because I was in agreement with everything he was saying, I think he was sure I was with him and I was gonna drink it! But when me see him ah come with the two glass, I shook my head, and said: “No man!” He just laughed and I laughed, ‘cos I knew that usually he would’ve made me drink it. But I kinda charmed my way out of it that time and the two ah we just laughed. But bwoy, I appreciate carrot juice now.”
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