The Life Teachings of I - Wayne : A Rasta way of knowledge

03 Nov

The Life Teachings of I - Wayne : A Rasta way of knowledge

Written by R. Anthony Morrison

He truly loves what he does and is committed to uplifting all those who experience his musical vibe. His music is built around a philosophy that embraces life, love, nature and positive values. After signing with VP records in 2004 he went on to release his debut album Lava Ground in 2005. That same year his track "Can't Satisfy Her" from the Lava Ground album made it's way to the play list of Hot 97. He continued to demonstrate masterful lyrical talent with Book of Life, released in 2007. I - Wayne's musical philosophy is against themes that focus on violence and obscene lyrics, instead focusing on culturally uplifting topics.

His latest project; Life Teachings was released in October, it is his third album for VP Records. It is already in heavy rotation on Jamaican radio stations, it is also an album that I - Wayne feels very strongly about. The 14 track album is an impressive package indeed with an impressive roster of artists and producers that took part in it. The songs are all gems, featuring powerful vocals and the type of melodies I - Wayne calls "Real McCoy vibes. It's music made the old fashion way, clean and real. He doesn't trendy computer manipulations to create his vibe it's a natural thing. I - Wayne has linked with an impressive variety of musical talent for this one. The legendary Sly and Robbie are on board, there are also tracks featuring Etana and Rebelution. Listen to any track on the album and you will feel hear the level of talent, love, dedication and quality that went into the making of this project. The story telling of the songs is brilliant and I - Wayne's vocal style is well equipped to broadcast the life teaching that are so much a part of the Rasta philosophy and way of life. Just as impressive is his production/management team, the dynamic Patrick z. Henry and Ronald "Sonny Spoon" Wright of Loyal Soldiers. They are responsible for twelve of the album's 14 tracks, it's a project with a real roots vibe, a natural vibe, a Rasta vibe, an I-Wayne vibe.

P : I - Wayne tell me about some of your early musical influences

IW : Anita Baker, Sade, Marcia Griffith and of course the Don himself Marley, Peter Tosh just to name a few but its a whole lot. Also plenty lyrics master from the Portmore area still, mi always influenced by them man who can be masterful story tellers, you know Portmore have that vibe from morning. It was the first time I hear those kinds of arrangements and lyrics, so it was like an unlimited vibe.

P : How would you describe the process of creating Life Teachings?

IW : well first of all it was easy, because you know music is easy and life is easy so it's just the system that's hard. Its the system that's killing the people so it's like how the sun. and moon shine for I and the wind blow for the I them. So working with this masterful team it was so easy and so irie, because we already have the Lava Ground and the Book of Life, so we have some experience. With the team all we do is attack it from early so we never have no rush like the last minute and we just have to rush up and do something. We just attack it easy from early and just start it out easy seen. The vibes have a lot to do wit this one, it was just nice, cool, and ire.

P : So being connected with nature is important to your creative process then?

IW : yes, the air, the mountains have a lot to do with the writing part. things come easy when you not in the system, when mi go up in the hills and set this thing it just come irie. The atmosphere is just nice and cool and irie you know, things are clearer than when mi in the city.

P : Your music speaks to the positive aspect of life, do you feel that the message gets through to the people you feel really need to hear it?

IW : yeah man, some of the people them you know them stubborn but there's nothing to worry about. They have a thing name slowly but surely, certain music it takes time. Sometimes it take a number of years before them get the teaching of the it.

P : What was the atmosphere like in the studio when you all came together to make the album?

IW : It's an unlimited thing, I just set it as irie as possible, just put an extra amount of work in it. We just go in the studio and set it up with a whole heap of different musicians . From mi go in the studio, and I have the melody and the ideas it set already. We just go in the studio and sort out the thing no whole heap of computer ting, real riddim and roots vibe you know. Is the same way we set the Lava Ground riddim you know.

P : what was it like working with Sly, Robbie, was this the first time you worked with them?

IW : well it wasn't the first time working with Sly and Robbie. Lava Ground was actually the same type of vibe it was just real joy you know. Just and irie joy so I just give thanks. They listen and say we have to do something on that so I say well alright fire you are the masters so we just call in the masters and sort it out that way.

P : How do you feel about your growth as an artist up to this point, and your work on this latest album?

IW : I feel positive about it you know, the arrangements and vocally as well. I can see the growth, the melody is greater and sweeter, so I can say I feel comfortable. I can feel the growth, like how I set the falsetto and how this time it come so clear, and I have more control over it.

P- Tell me about the track you did with Etana, how did you decide that she should link with you for that one?

IW :: Well first of all , Marcus beacon produced and I hear it and I hear certain colors. Mi seh alright it's a certain type of artist so I needed a type of combination of artist like Anita Baker or Sade. I say alright who next, who have that type of range, so I say alright Etana. Because I know Etana have the range, she have a nice voice you know. Mi know she can carry the type of color, mi a deal with, that type of mood. So mi link with her and she hear the idea and she say alright we sort it out. So I give her some time with the track, and she call me and tell mi seh she ready but she going out on tour. So mi say alright well before you go pon tour make we just sort it out.

P- It's a brilliant track, how did you feel when you first heard what Etana did with the song?

IW : I never really know seh she would carry it out so irie you know. i know she good but when mi hear how she a deal with it bwoy mi tell you mi never get bored. Book of Life , Lava Ground, Life Teaching ... mi tell you mi never get bored. Mi listen one song over and over and over again, you have to search it more time. Because, though is your work you listen true cause in case you can find even one mistake. So even when mi finish the tune and them out in a the world mi still a search them.

P : On the international front, Africa is a place where Reggae music has made a big impact, do you ever get asked to perform there?

IW: From time to time we hear from Europe and Africa you know. Say them love that type of music, and they looking forward to hearing me sing on the continent. A whole heap a show forward but mi no know how none no come through. It just look weird you know, it seem like some man try them best to keep you out of a place. Some little joker producers call you and then you don't hear nothing more from them. Plenty time mi hear bout show and when mi say mi ready mi hear say "bwoy it look like nothing a go happen. I feel sometimes if we was promoting some nastiness that would a lead the children astray mi would a get through easier. Dat no right but what is to be will be, mi no worry cause Africa is mi yard already. Recently it happen again, I was supposed to be in Africa the 13th of October but it no come through, mi no hear nothing more from them.

P- Is there a different process when you do your video's, for instance did making "Can't Satisfy her" require a lot of planning?

IW : It never take mi long you know, we set the music already so all we have to do is show what we a talk bout. That wasn't hard because is reality we dealing with not illusion. So we just set the thing to show what we a talk bout. Is nothing hard is not no cartoon ting we a deal with or nothing we can't manifest actually. So is something that is possible to show setting that video was easy. The first video was more than the international video , it show a girl in her car taking off her clothes. In a taxi taking off her clothes to out, what she wear on the road. It show how she have a tent set up on the beach so a man just come and go in the tent and gone, and then a next man come and go in.

P : Do you feel the younger generation of artists today share the same vision as you for positive lyrics?

Well dem more easily seduced by the nastiness you know, but you still have a few of them when dem connect and stand pon the right thing. But most of them look like them love the nastiness cause it easier and it look like you no have fi put too much work in it. It no have fi sound real good you know, since is just some nastiness it no have fi de pon key. Even when it no de pon key you have some people who will go with it same way.

P : Do you feel many of these artist are they just in it for some quick money then?

IW : Yeah, is just a quick money a dat a run it. A quick money so dem can laugh and sport out, and get drunk. A dat mi notice, a whole heap a drunk journalist and drunk artist, and a whole heap of madness that's why more time it no sound right in a dance hall. Dem hardly notice what the artist a say, more time is like Dem just use the night fi put out some little devilish lyrics. When you check the lyrics dem , you have fi say wait ... is dis dem really a seh.

P: So you don't think there is much attention to lyrics in a lot of the dance hall scene?

No, right now a just the beats, is just one big drunken ting dem a show, if you check out the dance hall and most of these places it load up with liquor and drugs. Is why one of the tracks on the album deal with drugs and rum vibes. So dat scene is drugs and rum vibes, and a lot of gunfight.

P- You delivered a particularly strong message with "Empress" what are your thoughts on this track?

IW : Alright the Empress track that is how far mi take it, yes she was brought up properly you know. You can be creative and you don't have to be nasty to get the peoples attention you don't have to be lewd. You don't have to be nasty, so yes mi a show them you can have some nice clean lyrics for the empress dem. Yes the music is not just something to whine up yourself you know, is some lyrics you can learn from. So even with the Empress track we a teach something is not just some lewedness. Life Teachings I tell you mi really give thanks for this project, cause mi get a chance fi show them seh this is I-Wayne you know. I-Wayne can keep doing it again and again you know, real McCoy vibes.

P : So how will you shape the next musical project, have you started thinking in a certain direction?

IW : Well first of all it depend pon the mood it, depend on what a gwaan in the world. A so mi set mi set things you know. It just depend pon the type a mood mi feel at the time. If mi feel a certain mood like seh certain things a gwaan in a the world den mi go with that mood.

P : That's interesting, I'm curios to know, what are your feelings about the current state of the world?

IW : Well mi just kinda ask the question what will the people do about all the crisis they going through you know, it's just madness and crisis so mi have fi ask that question. But the solution is that the people just have to love one another and care for each other no bother with no war vibe you know.

P : Do you feel that the youth in Jamaica these days are understanding the teachings of your music?

IW : Well not all ... not all still but I would say most. Mi know the Jamaicans and the Africans dem unlimited you know. Because it can look like a pure madness dem a deal with, then all of a sudden them just switch it. you know we have to live up , not all still so mi no bother stress if mi see dem pon a certain nasty trend you know. What is to be will be, we just set the teaching fi who ready fi learn you know.

P : Is there a message you would like to send out to your all the people who support your music , the fans etc.?

IW : Yes, to keep preserving life, don't mess up the world. You see I have fi ask the people dem fi help I Wayne you know, fi keep a balance. We have to keep nature as irie as it can you know fi preserve life, don't be against nature you now. Fi de people fi work with nature, dem have so much interest in the system and want to work with the system. Dem have to make sure dem always work fi nature. Because without nature the system couldn't even exist. Because when the system done it still going on, the sun and the breeze same way, it still a gwaan, the lava still a flow. So the life teaching dem fi just grasp it you know, so dem can know if a madness me a talk or a de right ting me a talk.