JAMAICAN WARRIORS pt. 2

Lifted directly form his book…
”It makes white kids jump up and down at reggae concerts and shout “Jah”. These same kids would not be caught dead shouting out in praise of God at a rock concert”. (Page 107)

With that sentiment in mind…the time was the early 80’s and the place was Rhode Island’s capitol city, Providence. Back in those ancient times Reggae concerts were exclusively populated by white folks. Mostly deadhead hippie types with a few anarchy punkers tossed in to balance the vibes. Capitol city did have an extremely tiny population of Rastas. Four or five musicians from Jamaica. They either got lost on their way heading to NYC or were lying low from NYC’s finest. I never got the story straight. They were my next-door neighbors and their weed was strong enough to drop a charging bull.
I worked back then day in and day out in ghetto/barrio. Heard lots of great music blasting but never anything from JA. The homies pounded forties to Run DMC and LL Cool Jay. I would ask around about Reggae/Dancehall and the answer was always “that’s black hippy shit” followed by, “and that shit ain’t cool.”
Then a few years slipped by and the West Coast battled the East for supremacy with new styles. One style caught my attention. It was the most bloodshot sound I had yet to hear on the radio. Two words besides "Holy shit"…Cypress Hill. All of a sudden Bob Marley posters started popping up. Fades were starting to grow out. Sure groups like the Deep South’s Arrested Development had already reached into the roots bag but were passed over as fluffy intellectuals. Attitudes change. Styles repeat and after many years, the ghetto gospel of reggae came back home to the ghettos/barrios of the world. Even the Gangsta dropped odes to the Chronic!
Now when I breathe in the second hand ganja smoke of a proper Reggae or Dancehall show, I scan a crowd made up of everybody. Black and white folks. Red, gold and green folks. Both crazy baldheads and plainclothes Rastas. Old and young. Truly reaching that “One Love” ideal. Works for me.



This album cover is the most aggressive advertising campaign ever undertaken by a non-government agency. Like drawing in a lung full of righteous smoke this album cover drew thousands of curious seekers to Reggae.