This text was initially revealed on HoneySuckle Magazine and seems right here with permission.
It is simple to undestand why considered one of our favourite artists and public figures, Damian Marley, has made such a powerful affect on the whole world. The famend lyricist is the youngest son of Jamaican Reggae legend Bob Marley. The well-known rapper and DJ mentioned spirituality, social justice, hashish and his function at Last Prisoner Project.
“I Am ‘Jr. Gong'”
Damian Marley by Nabil
It’s not day-after-day or ever, actually, that you simply meet somebody whose work you may observe for his or her complete life. Most individuals crash and burn once they discover early stardom, however Damian Marley, it appears, has discovered a method to all the time keep ‘slick.’
Damian’s complete household is prolific, his brothers, sisters, and fogeys. However to me and a lot of the Honeysuckle employees, Damian has all the time stood out.
We noticed him carry out together with his household at Kaya Fest in 2018, the primary time in a decade all of the Marley siblings had appeared onstage collectively, and have written about his distinctive place in music in previous points. But weaving all through his complete profession, and his pure lifestyle, is hashish.
Whereas the Marley Household basically has been lauded for bringing better consciousness to worldwide hashish consumption by means of numerous manufacturers and tasks, Damian has struck a selected notice for social justice in partnering with the California-based firm Ocean Grown Extracts. The family-owned enterprise, co-founded by Damian’s long-time supervisor Dan Dalton with siblings Casey and Kelly, operates on 24 acres of land within the metropolis of Coalinga, together with a 77,000 square-foot facility that was previously a jail.
Damian Marley by Nabil
“I simply suppose he’s sensible,” Dan says of Damian. “So effectively thought out, so gifted, an unbelievable lyricist and producer. I feel his strategy to music [and cannabis, and life] is so genuine, no bullshit. It’s all for the proper causes. I’ve discovered so much from him.”
In 2019 Ocean Grown launched the model Evidence, which donates proceeds from every bag of flower bought to the restorative justice nonprofit Final Prisoner Mission (LPP). Damian and Dan each sit on LPP’s advisory board, alongside quite a few influencers within the hashish area such because the group’s founders Steve and Andrew DeAngelo, actor Jim Belushi, and musician Melissa Etheridge.
After a protracted public silence throughout 2020, it appears Damian is now blazing all his fires. He sat down for a telephone chat to debate his subsequent massive strikes, which embrace creating the model HURB with Dan and international hashish pioneer Berner, new music that pays homage to Jamaica’s legacy of reggae and dancehall genres, and the various ways in which life is a circle.
“Jr. Gong” on Covid, Hashish and Faith in Jamaica
DAMIAN MARLEY: Yeah, due to lockdown, we’re like everybody else principally, taking it straightforward and I would like a while to only be at dwelling and self mirror a bit. Truthfully, I’ve been in Miami all through the entire ordeal, since February of 2020. Which is the primary time since I used to be 17 that I’ve been in a single place so lengthy.
However in Jamaica they’ve been having lockdowns the place from Saturday till Tuesday, you couldn’t depart your own home. And then you definately’d exit Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, after which for half of the day Saturday. Then Saturday night, lockdown once more. So they simply went by means of about three to 4 weekends straight of that; they’ve been having main lockdowns there. And naturally, the inhabitants isn’t anyplace close to as vaccinated or prone to take the vaccine as individuals right here. So within the poorer communities it’s been a little bit bit tough. We don’t have the services that you’ve right here when it comes all the way down to hospital beds and such.
Should you’re overwhelmed in America, think about how it’s there. They’re making an attempt to make it possible for it doesn’t get out of hand, regardless that it’s already very taxing… It hasn’t actually ripped although the inhabitants like the way it has right here, per se. However on the similar time, we are able to’t afford for that to occur. At one level, there have been solely 20 ventilators on the whole island.
Is there a whole lot of non secular opposition to the vaccines in Jamaica?
Not essentially non secular. I feel it’s total distrust, not having belief in our authorities and leaders. Jamaica is a really politically tribal place, so there’s all the time been a whole lot of common distrust of our legislators. You possibly can even hear it in our music… I suppose the world basically may be very polarized when it comes all the way down to the vaccine. However Jamaica, for essentially the most half, I might say leans towards being not in help of it by way of the common citizen.
After I was in Jamaica years in the past, practically all people smoked weed, however the authorities was very conservative and in opposition to it.
Ganja Tradition in Jamaica
How does hashish play an element within the tradition immediately – in wellness, non secular practices, recreation and well being?
We’re rather more ahead pondering now, consistent with the remainder of the world, or I ought to say consistent with locations like California the place it’s authorized there. Or perhaps the phrase you’d use is decriminalized. I might say it’s authorized, as a result of you may have authorized dispensaries the place you should purchase herb now. You possibly can smoke recreationally. It’s not a lot conservative because it as soon as was. And likewise, the mere indisputable fact that America has opened as much as it so much, Jamaica tends to observe that.
Hashish is one thing I take advantage of all through my day. It’s a part of my each day upkeep. It’s been an enormous a part of our tradition from lengthy earlier than it was anyplace close to authorized. Sure, it’s been used as a spiritual sacrament by way of the Rasta which I’m part of. Our religion may be very health-conscious; we’ve all the time been advocates of leaning towards a extra vegetable-based food plan. And simply caring for the temple.
When it comes all the way down to hashish, we as Rastas have all the time mentioned that the herb is a therapeutic of the nation. What I’m glad to see now could be that with it changing into accepted by society, now we are able to truly begin to do extra research on the precise medical a part of it, the science of all of it. And that has been exhibiting promise. Truly, Jamaica isn’t the chief in that by any means both. However even in California and different locations the place persons are getting the possibility to do a bit extra medical or scientific analysis on the vegetation, we get to see that our non secular inclination was proper all alongside that this plant has nice medicinal worth.
Social Justice and The Final Prisoner Mission
Damian Marley at Proof picture by B+
Properly, I’m proud to be part of the motion. In fact we had been apparent advocates that this herb needs to be free for everybody to make use of to start with. So if it’s now changing into free for individuals to make use of, it’d solely be proper that the people who find themselves locked up for it now will be launched. Ten years in the past, we had individuals who would by no means be seen anyplace close to a hashish enterprise, or that trade who at the moment are enjoying an element in it, and are capable of earn cash from it.
But you may have the unique individuals who constructed and maintained this trade over time when it was unlawful, and a whole lot of them are nonetheless behind bars. All our lives we’re smoking herb. We’re not criminals in any sort of case aside from smoking herb. So for us, it’s expensive. It’s expensive to our hearts. It’s a part of our lives, that’s one thing that we’ve all the time needed to look over our shoulders for, for years, up till now when [it’s becoming legal.
Damian Marley at Evidence by B+
That’s why the work that LPP is doing, the mission to get people free, whether it be through political clout, helping people with lawyer fees, is very important.
LPP is doing wonderful things with its expungement and reentry programs. how does the work you are doing with the Dalton family and Evidence contribute to that?
Whenever you purchase a bag of Evidence, some of the proceeds go to LPP. And we as cannabis consumers have a common set of values. You usually find that there’s a lot of social upliftment thoughts that run within cannabis users. So [I encourage] everybody to take a look at these totally different tasks that we’ve been engaged on within the hashish area the place it comes all the way down to that. It goes past simply smoking and having an excellent time. There’s a whole lot of good work being accomplished there, so make yourself familiar.
Damian Marley and Berner’s Hashish Line: HURB
Berner and Damian Marley, by Nabil
It’s a collaboration between Berner, Ocean Grown Extracts and myself. So Cookies and our facet of the workforce. And it’s making an attempt to bend each of our cultures and backgrounds on this. Everybody is aware of what Berner stands for by way of the hashish trade. I’ve my very own model of what I stand for, my tradition, and the place I come from. So we’re looking for some new similarities and issues that we are able to work on collectively in that area, with Berner and me because the curators of this new model.
Berner and Damian Marley, by Nabil
This spring you launched your single “Life is a Circle,” which displays the intertwining legacies of racial politics and environmental justice by means of the story of Virginia Key, Miami’s first Black-only seashore. How had been you feeling by way of your profession and creativity, what’s subsequent?
I’ve been within the studio so much throughout the pandemic. During the last 12 months and a half, I’ve been spending a whole lot of time listening. And you can not pay attention if you’re talking, what I imply? So I must heart myself and work out what I need to talk about, and formulate my very own opinions about what’s occurring. We had been talking in regards to the pandemic; there’s a lot data, or misinformation, nonetheless you need to see it, on the market… I need to be accountable. I don’t need to affect individuals on one thing I don’t learn about, or I’m not knowledgeable about.
Nevertheless, I’ve been engaged on music within the meantime. I’ve some singles I’m about to launch, and hopefully subsequent 12 months we are able to see a function size mission, all being effectively. [Right now] I’m sketching out concepts individually. I’ve a number of songs which might be love songs, non secular songs, I’ve a number of songs which might be extra rebellious.
By way of a Marley Household group mission, we’ve intentions to need to do this. We’d love to do a Marley Brothers mission in the future, a full physique of labor collectively.
Damain “Jr. Gong” on Household and Fatherhood
Would you be keen to speak about how fatherhood has influenced you?
It’s had a huge impact on my life. The accountability of being a father is large. I used to be saying to somebody the opposite day that it makes you actually have a unique perspective on the entire mortality, a minimum of it did for me. I notice now too that I’ve all the time been conscious of myself being an affect on younger individuals. However when I’ve somebody who’s wanting as much as me as his superhero straight, who appears like me, it turns into much more delicate. So I’ve to take heed to what I say. In my music, and simply even in my regular conversations, particularly when he’s listening. It makes you need to guarantee that you’ve some sort of safety in your little one. You take a look at issues desirous to ensure you set a basis that your little one can come and construct upon.
Being from this legendary household of musicians, what do you’re feeling is your home in that legacy? What would you say is your musical mission or your objective for making music at this level in your life?
Oh, I couldn’t let you know. After I make music, I don’t take into consideration an excessive amount of that I’m my father’s son. Though as a little bit boy, I used to all the time fake to be my father on stage each evening earlier than going to mattress… I grew up seeing my larger brothers and sisters doing music, and searching as much as them as my larger brothers additionally. However when it got here all the way down to me personally being impressed to need to do music, that’s from watching a whole lot of the Eighties dancehall stars, Shabba Ranks, and Super Cat, and Tiger, and Peter Metro.
After I make music, it’s actually simply making an attempt to make a music that I wish to take heed to and that shares my values too. So so long as I’m being true to myself on a music, each in the truth that I just like the music and that what I’m saying on the music can also be true to myself and my values, then that’s actually the place it begins. After which the remainder of it, effectively you determine as you go alongside.
Reggae Music and Rastafari
Is the music of the technology that impressed you being preserved? The place do you see reggae heading sooner or later?
After I make music, it’s actually simply making an attempt to make a music that I wish to take heed to and that shares my values too. So so long as I’m being true to myself on a music, each in the truth that I just like the music and that what I’m saying on the music can also be true to myself and my values, then that’s actually the place it begins. After which the remainder of it, effectively you determine as you go alongside.
Is the Rastafari religion remains to be very current in reggae immediately?
Damian Marley by Nabil
It’s nonetheless very robust. In the intervening time, I might say perhaps our voices aren’t as loud within the music trade as it could have been ten years in the past, or regardless of the case could also be. Music tends to be a cycle like that anyhow. However the religion remains to be very robust.
We credit score the Most Excessive for all inspiration. Nevertheless it manifests itself by means of life, we nonetheless credit score the Most Excessive for all inspiration. However I’m not over right here making an attempt to say I’m some sort of chosen one or one thing like that. I’m simply enjoying my half by being me.
Damian Marley, Nabil and Berner work with EVIDENCE, a family-owned hashish model that grows weed out of a jail to assist get individuals out of jail. Proof donates $1 to the Final Prisoner Mission, a social justice non revenue devoted to serving to free inmates serving time for hashish prices.
“We develop weed at a jail to assist individuals get out of jail for rising weed.” The tagline for Evidence, the disruptive California-based hashish model, appears to say all of it – their vegetation are raised and processed on the grounds of a 24-acre property that homes a 77,000-square foot former correctional facility within the metropolis of Coalinga. Their merchandise arrive in real police proof luggage (therefore the title). Their advertising campaigns, shot by famend photographer Nabil Elderkin (whose well-known works embrace collaborations with Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Travis Scott, Dua Lipa, and Gary Clark Jr. to call a number of), trigger a stir amongst retailer house owners who need hashish to be rebranded for the “soccer mother” crowd. However beneath Proof’s unapologetic nature lies a strong message: The Struggle on Medicine stays robust, and we are able to’t cease combating for hashish justice till each final prisoner is free.
Based by siblings Casey, Dan and Kelly Dalton, simply in time for Juneteenth and the fiftieth anniversary of the Struggle on Medicine; Proof was born from their household enterprise Ocean Grown Extracts, so named for the primary pressure Kelly cultivated as a legacy grower within the San Fernando Valley. When California handed its Proposition 64 to legalize adult-use hashish in 2016, Casey noticed a chance for Kelly to be licensed and escape the quite a few arrests plaguing cultivators who had been working within the state’s gray market. She used her licensing experience (having owned preschools for 20 years) to scout municipalities and properties amenable to the hashish trade, discovering the proper setup in Coalinga.
For extra on Proof, click here.
