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MORGAN HERITAGE Talk New Album 'Homeland', Reggage Icon Award & Their Famous Father DENROY MORGAN
Aug 11, 2023
As an iconic reggae band, Morgan Heritage has garnered much attention in the music industry for their ability to blend different music genres, and their latest album, 'Homeland,' is no exception. Recently, the band stopped by Sway In The Morning to talk about the making of the album, the reggae icon award they received, and their father Denroy Morgan. In this blog post, we will delve into the highlights of their conversation and learn more about the band that has captured the hearts of many music enthusiasts.
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MORGAN HERITAGE Talk New Album 'Homeland', Reggage Icon Award & Their Famous Father DENROY MORGAN
https://youtu.be/4k7SYzbDNrE
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0:00
yes indeed big round of applause for
0:03
Morgan Heritage yes indeed
0:05
big round of applause for their legacy
0:07
yes indeed since the days of Johnny Be
0:11
Good Tonight
0:14
back in the early 80s when my mother
0:16
used to rock their dad's music [ __ ] as a
0:20
child
0:21
come on man I'll
0:24
do anything for you
0:29
that's 1982. let me tell you [ __ ]
0:33
I can't hear you Heather when the
0:35
cookouts was cooking come on that was a
0:38
tremendous year those years were
0:40
tremendous yeah
0:42
um in my opinion in my household we
0:44
listened to Peter Tosh yeah right in the
0:47
70s the Marlies uh Greg Gregory Isaacs
0:50
course Bob we listened to all of these
0:52
different artists this incredible
0:54
vibration yes because the music wasn't
0:57
just about words no you know and just
1:00
about sounds right right it was about
1:03
feeling and everything that came with it
1:05
and when those words and those sounds
1:06
fuse it created a byproduct that was
1:09
uplifting you know that made you feel
1:12
good yes it made the cells in your body
1:15
vibrate yes right it was an electrical
1:18
shock yes and it would open up your
1:21
chakras and all your passages rather
1:24
spiritual physical and it made you
1:27
better right it put you on a higher
1:30
level your father was about that right
1:33
of that generation that era was about
1:36
that and then you guys you all continue
1:39
to tradition yes as the children and
1:42
passed on that same energy and about the
1:45
18 albums you might have done you know I
1:48
don't know how many it is
1:50
I'll do anything else to make music
1:59
[Music]
2:00
and we can legally smoke okay cool you
2:04
don't feel guilty when you put it in
2:06
there no it was funny we in Brooklyn
2:08
yesterday and I was smoking a spliff
2:10
outside and the cops walking but I was
2:12
like if Daddy could live to see this oh
2:14
my God right yeah just heaven
2:19
please welcome Morgan Heritage to the
2:21
building ladies and gentlemen they are
2:24
here
2:25
and with royalty when royalty makes its
2:29
appearances other royalty comes out yeah
2:32
to play yeah we can't get too many
2:35
people off their Mountaintop oh you know
2:37
we can't get some of the people who
2:40
really are the in the fabric of the DNA
2:42
of this place and they're representing
2:45
this music
2:46
reggae music Consciousness Sky Roots you
2:49
know dancehall whatever wherever you
2:52
want to put whatever category you want
2:54
to put it in that comes from Jamaica uh
2:57
we've had a gatekeeper here that made
2:59
sure that it was getting the proper
3:00
exposure it was put in the proper
3:03
context it was protected with the proper
3:06
love yeah so these corporate folks you
3:08
know these powers to be so on won't [ __ ]
3:11
it up you know and she been doing that
3:14
and she's introduced a lot of artists
3:16
from Jamaica to the States into the
3:19
world I want to welcome Pat McKay
3:22
yeah
3:23
[Music]
3:25
okay but it's my privilege to have
3:28
watched Morgan heritage's Journey you
3:31
know originally a five-member group all
3:34
of the family always there but to know
3:36
them when their dad made that hit I was
3:39
working in the only reggae club in New
3:41
York and I just told them this this
3:43
story I'm sorry to have to say this
3:44
again but I have to so we had sound
3:47
check because that club owner who was
3:49
Ken Williams was a PD of a radio station
3:51
also what station do you remember wlib
3:54
okay but he ran that club like it was
3:56
Radio City so the sound check was at a
4:00
certain time in the afternoon of the
4:01
show
4:02
tiny little Club a Second Avenue between
4:05
11th and 12th The Best Little Whorehouse
4:08
in Texas was the Off-Broadway show
4:10
upstairs so denroy
4:14
pick these up from school and brought
4:17
them to rehearsal or sound check
4:20
like soldiers they came was this
4:22
downstairs Club they come down this in a
4:24
line and he spoke he said two little
4:26
words to them took on the stage went on
4:28
the stage they didn't make a peep so I
4:31
said then right where you get Damien
4:33
from because they're grade schoolers
4:34
yeah so he's going to let them girls
4:36
yeah yeah okay yeah okay like Yuna had
4:39
barrettes in her hair that I always
4:40
remembered because my mom used to use
4:42
ribbons when I was little but Yuna had
4:44
fly barrettes and braids so I always
4:47
remembered her for that and please give
4:49
her my love absolutely yeah Morgan
4:51
Heritage and you got that huge award
4:53
Sunday night tell us about that please
4:55
that was amazing I mean it was very
4:58
unexpected because we were in the middle
5:00
of making the new album the Homeland yes
5:01
I just came out in April and I think
5:04
Gramps made a trip to Jamaica
5:06
and the office government office call
5:10
him and said we want to do something
5:12
special for y'all we didn't know what it
5:13
was but you know they said they'll get
5:15
in touch with us then while during this
5:17
tour
5:18
uh Mojo he deals with the logistics
5:20
every day for Morgan Heritage so he's on
5:22
the phone talking to the prime
5:24
minister's office in Jamaica working out
5:26
all these details and I ain't paying
5:28
attention to that Graham saying pay
5:29
attention I'm like what are you doing on
5:30
the phone like he we're having breakfast
5:32
here on the phone we jumping on the
5:34
fight here on the phone like bro put the
5:36
phone down nah just chill chill so it
5:40
all worked out where they were working
5:41
out presenting us with the reggae icon
5:43
award for 2023. Wow guys Morgan Heritage
5:48
who presented it to you the Prime
5:51
Minister and and Minister Bob's the
5:54
Grinch
5:56
prime minister Andrew holness what a ill
6:00
name Andrew holness why they ever did
6:04
people call him bro God yeah yeah broken
6:06
bro God like bro for brother and God bro
6:11
bro God
6:13
that's a slam in Jamaica yeah
6:18
like in America you say OG oh okay bro
6:22
God yeah okay yeah would that be
6:24
considered broke God
6:27
for sure yeah
6:29
Legacy in the business and what you've
6:31
done for hip-hop and black music
6:34
I broke God Heather
6:44
[Music]
6:45
what do you think um Morgan Heritage uh
6:49
Stand Out significance has been
6:51
throughout their career the respect that
6:52
they've earned okay because you're
6:54
coming into the game as somebody's child
6:56
so there's going to be that scrutiny
6:58
instantly and just they they originally
7:02
approved and they've stayed the same
7:03
people that they were since you know we
7:06
first became aware of them which was
7:08
largely through protect us job with the
7:11
great Bobby Digital they had records
7:13
before that but
7:15
when you emerge with a song that's so
7:19
substantive
7:20
it's a lot to to live up to even in that
7:22
moment but they've lived up to it over
7:25
all this time through all those albums
7:27
and the different genres of music that
7:29
they own as musicians they've not just
7:32
made reggae and they've gotten love and
7:35
respect uh Gramps has a solo Grammy for
7:38
his solo work yeah and is always has an
7:42
open ear for other types of music which
7:44
they have propriety over that too they
7:46
could do anything as long as there's
7:48
music you know as long as it's music
8:16
did y'all have growing up as kids
8:18
because it's a big you know families of
8:21
Reggae you know did the kids at the
8:23
different families the Marlies and so on
8:25
and so did y'all congregate did y'all
8:27
well we didn't meet Marley's until
8:30
1994 in Mexico when we met Damian Marley
8:34
for the first time and Kimani Marley and
8:37
motherboard and mother Booker okay so we
8:40
was in a Cancun Mexico and got a chance
8:43
to uh we were just signed to MCA records
8:45
back then and we was doing a show
8:47
together down there and that was the
8:49
first time we met them and then the
8:51
following year we saw them in Central
8:52
Park and we finally met the big
8:56
and that was and from then we've just
8:59
been I mean Mojo and Stephen Marley's
9:01
like yo now I mean they talk about
9:02
everything everything so from that we've
9:06
just gotten very close and as well as um
9:08
we just even just the other day we had a
9:10
show in Jamaica reggae some Fest and we
9:12
saw um Freddie McGregor that you know
9:15
he's fighting an illness right now he's
9:17
sending prayers to Freddie McGregor and
9:19
his two sons genius as who has produced
9:21
tracks with I mean Beyonce and all kind
9:24
of so he's regular royalty as well so
9:26
there's families there other than the
9:28
Moroccan family but we're all very close
9:29
well okay man man Morgan Heritage is
9:32
here that's that's did y'all ever feel
9:34
like Pat McKay brings up a good point
9:36
like your father's iconic and legendary
9:39
did you ever feel the pressure to put to
9:41
meet his standard as a musician he yeah
9:44
not really for us like going to Jamaica
9:48
it was more about trying to adapt As
9:51
Americans
9:52
in a new country that's what it was more
9:55
about so it was trying to assimilate or
9:57
adapt I mean you can say either one but
10:01
for us yeah we were just having fun he
10:04
was probably more worried about it
10:05
because we came uh grew up in between
10:08
New York and Springfield Massachusetts
10:10
I've got an education there with every
10:12
holiday and every summer we'd be in
10:13
Brooklyn because that's where we're from
10:15
originally but there was a time when
10:17
growing up being going to school
10:19
he would never hear us speak like this
10:22
he'd never hear her speak like he's
10:24
trying to connect with American accent
10:26
yeah in in the house I would talk about
10:28
Jamaica and he got upset with us one day
10:30
and said
10:31
American
10:35
he he was serious about it because he
10:37
didn't I mean we was teenagers and he
10:40
just never ever heard to speak like how
10:42
we speak in school yeah so he thought we
10:44
couldn't because the owner for Bond
10:47
America on the contact like the young
10:48
people
10:50
yeah when we were home it's like Street
10:53
Jamaica yes
11:01
you know eating so the culture of
11:03
Jamaica is always strong but when we
11:05
went outside the door we're like yo
11:07
what's up dude yo what's going down it's
11:08
like yo but he never experienced that he
11:10
never experienced because it's like oh
11:12
we can't talk
11:13
if you have respect for your appearance
11:18
like yo what up what
11:22
if you did that
11:32
yeah he got tied up to a tree yeah man
11:35
damn yeah
11:39
check it out my father had two wives
11:42
yeah okay at the same time
11:46
the wives were both in the house our
11:48
mother was on the first floor Peter's
11:50
mother was on the second floor the older
11:52
kids was on the third floor it was our
11:54
playground we got kicked out of a
11:55
neighborhood in in Springfield
11:56
Massachusetts because there's too much
11:58
people in the house the neighbors called
12:00
the city on us and said there's too much
12:02
people living in that house
12:05
my dad and two wives and all the older
12:08
kids who were in high school getting
12:09
ready to go to college was living in the
12:11
basement we the middle kids was in the
12:13
on the on the middle I don't think it
12:15
was only a three three families the
12:17
wives get along I mean
12:19
eight years until my mom passed away oh
12:22
they kept daddy at night so back to his
12:25
story he was so bad yeah his mother
12:29
always wanted to just like ring his neck
12:32
come here she told me not to go outside
12:34
and I still went outside one of my
12:36
friends rest in peace Buzzy he came over
12:39
and he was pressing my back on the back
12:41
of the fence and she told me don't go
12:42
outside one thing with a Caribbean
12:44
parent when they tell you don't do
12:45
something and you do it you're gonna get
12:47
a beaten up what he just did yeah man
12:49
good feeling so she called me tied me up
12:52
to the tree and said I'ma show you how
12:53
we do it back in Jamaica this was in
12:55
Springfield Massachusetts and the other
12:57
mother which was Peter's mother said no
13:00
give him a chance no and I'm like oh
13:04
yeah
13:04
[Applause]
13:07
and she let me go and they gave me
13:09
another chance and I turned out all
13:11
right sweet you did all right how many
13:13
Grammys you got now uh tree okay yeah
13:16
you did all right how many icon Awards
13:18
you got yeah
13:20
I'm glad she didn't pull your skin off
13:23
your back like that
13:24
I'm so fascinated about this living
13:27
Dynamic listen our father was serious
13:29
man we want to meet Oprah and then let
13:31
her do a movie on my father really like
13:34
seriously if you knew the life we lived
13:37
here in America you think the Jackson
13:39
story is serious yeah like Joe couldn't
13:41
have two wives nah my dad had two wives
13:43
for 18 years until Mama Pearl passed
13:46
away wow that's amazing so what was what
13:49
were holidays like with all the kids a
13:52
lot of food to be honest with you every
13:54
day was a holiday
13:58
when y'all see these footage we have a
14:00
brother that danced just like Michael
14:01
Jackson and then me and Peter used to
14:03
copy Bobby Brown and guy and Trump New
14:06
Edition like that's what we got our
14:07
singing from it was that error that's
14:09
that's the school we come from the
14:11
Jodeci School the school yeah yeah troop
14:14
shy yeah all of that that's when we grew
14:17
up he had the Gumby and yeah Bobby Brown
14:19
everything
14:21
Peterborough who was Jerry curled from
14:23
Jamaica
14:28
America
14:29
it's Jerry curl I I didn't I didn't
14:33
here's the thing my brother did my older
14:36
brother so you're someone in your family
14:37
did yeah yeah like we
14:40
you know we grew up hard but it was fun
14:43
like our parents couldn't buy us
14:46
Christmas because it was too much of us
14:47
yeah you know we used to do you know
14:49
vinyl records
14:51
yo Our Father man we used to rip open
14:54
his vinyl records like flatten them out
14:56
and make our own board games our own
14:59
Monopoly we drew it drew it on it and
15:01
like remember that and when you come
15:02
home to find his records all the record
15:04
cases are opened up before we made
15:06
wrestling belts out of it yeah yeah
15:09
the wolves in the basement made our own
15:11
makeshift wrestling ring into one of our
15:14
brothers busted his head he got bodies
15:16
yeah
15:18
anything in the house that we could tear
15:21
or do something we use it to make our
15:24
toys yeah and that's where the
15:25
creativity came in because with the like
15:28
happiness is not a lot there's a lot of
15:30
angry rich people yeah yeah and you find
15:33
that amongst the poor that the spirit of
15:36
God is there and their their happiness
15:38
true you know so you find that in
15:39
Jamaica people play marbles in the dirt
15:41
yeah I'm fine and take tops when last
15:44
you see a kid spin a top you know now
15:46
everything is is really when's the last
15:48
time you see a kid go up by the the lake
15:50
and throw a stone across the water and
15:51
watch it Skip and well what about Skelly
15:53
Gramps that we used to play in the
15:54
streets New York if you're from New York
15:56
you know Skelly yeah yeah I'm from
15:58
Oakland what's Scully oh it's a like a
16:01
more time yeah if you put like numbers
16:04
in the corner like the looty boy yeah
16:06
yeah yeah and you take a shot so you
16:09
take like the military you go in for
16:12
like
16:12
um yeah the bigger the bottle caps you
16:16
put the wax in it we call those the
16:17
truckers so you could knock people out
16:19
of the box and and oh I'll get it
16:22
I'm sure Jay-Z remembers
16:30
yeah you have to have the play did it
16:33
involve money or no no no no no no oh
16:35
okay
16:37
people took it's very serious yeah oh
16:40
yeah wow I love this man um Morgan
16:44
Heritage is here we got people on the
16:46
phone lines I know uh Tracy and Heather
16:48
got questions I want to play this new
16:50
single it's called you got to
16:52
see the world all right tell us about
16:54
this song so you got to see the world is
16:57
a song where from the new album called
16:59
Homeland where we're encouraging people
17:01
to travel because sometimes where you
17:03
come from is not where you belong yeah
17:06
and you have to find another place to
17:09
really
17:10
discover your path in life and be in
17:13
World Travelers as we are we discovered
17:16
our true passion and what makes us who
17:19
we are today it's being ambassadors from
17:22
Brooklyn
17:23
representing via Jamaica to the world so
17:27
it's important for us to make sure we
17:28
deliver that message we have a duty to
17:31
deliver that message to all people but
17:33
especially our people as black people
17:35
here it is man Morgan Heritage
17:39
888-742-3345 and Pat McKay is up in here
17:42
you got to see the world Morgan Heritage
17:47
Eddie Kenzo s Villa is out right now you
17:50
guys work with Eddie kinzo before right
17:53
yeah
17:55
but we've done two records on the album
17:58
yeah I made him out at the Grammys um
18:01
last last year I think when I got
18:03
nominated as a solo artist and we was on
18:06
walking on the red carpet and he's like
18:08
hey Morgan and I'm like I know you so it
18:12
just shows you by traveling to Africa
18:14
you meet these artists and then boom we
18:16
bumped up into each other on the red
18:17
carpet so he's from Uganda so from going
18:20
to the Black Star
18:22
um the festival on that Chance the
18:25
Rapper did in Ghana yes sir I met Stone
18:27
boy yes sir he's on the album The Bounty
18:31
Killer and baby sham on a record called
18:33
who they like you yeah yeah that was it
18:35
good were they in the studio with you at
18:38
the time or how did y'all just kind of
18:39
emailed it in yeah through the internet
18:42
Zoom uh-huh WhatsApp videos all of that
18:46
y'all got great like collaborations on
18:49
this right yeah it's crazy we're
18:51
featuring artists from across 11
18:53
countries in Africa never been done
18:55
before Big Ups to Beyonce on her effort
18:58
and the great Paul Simon on his effort
19:00
with Graceland and um for us we wanted
19:04
to display how much Africa means to us
19:08
and the connection and inspiration that
19:11
we have been to each other because we've
19:13
inspired this whole afrobeats thing when
19:15
you listen to it you you can hear
19:16
dancehall and reggae music in it but
19:18
they've also inspired us yeah so just by
19:22
our DNA so it's about activating that
19:25
within us and making sure we maintain
19:28
that cultural exchange Bridge so we're
19:30
featuring yusu indoor from Senegal Alpha
19:33
Blondy from Ivory Coast
19:35
um the grandson of Fela kuti from
19:37
Nigeria his name is madikuti son of femi
19:39
kuti
19:40
um Eddie Kenzo you mentioned about from
19:42
East Africa s Villa from South Africa
19:45
um that
19:46
um popcorn is on it popcorn is on it
19:48
that's just the African so in Jamaica
19:50
now we went for Legends the concept of
19:51
the album is Legends work with Legends
19:53
existing Legends and future Legends so
19:55
you got Shaggy Bounty Killer Cape with
19:58
him but then you have Popcaan Joshi
20:00
ritical
20:03
Shaggy it's you know it's a nice
20:06
potpourri of artists like over 30
20:08
artists I think we featured we didn't
20:10
realize the first time doing this though
20:11
right yeah World music album yeah and
20:15
we've missed with rock growing up in New
20:16
England r b naturally haired in the
20:19
vocals like she's still loving me one of
20:20
our biggest songs we don't sing in
20:22
Patois yeah on that whole record it's r
20:24
b singing and to be able to collaborate
20:28
with these African artists it means a
20:30
lot to us for the future of our music as
20:34
black people I love it Homeland is the
20:36
album is out right now it's an old to
20:38
Africa Morgan Heritage is here we got
20:40
Tori from Massachusetts on the line oh
20:43
wow Tori what up hey what's happening
20:46
what's happening bro go for it
20:48
hey I just want to say peace to the
20:51
Morgan Heritage uh I grew up in
20:53
Springfield Massachusetts I'm 46 years
20:55
old uh my cousin and uh Aaron and uh
20:58
Sonia and my Auntie Rose
21:02
wow are you joking
21:05
no I'm serious Sonia and the kids
21:08
those are your neighbors this is your
21:11
neighbor right here
21:12
[Music]
21:15
[Applause]
21:17
my Pops Charlie you know saying CJ yeah
21:21
wow wow
21:25
thank you so much
21:28
from kindergarten preschool elementary
21:32
junior high school we all grew up
21:34
together wow Tori you remember them you
21:37
hung out with him
21:38
yo I got a funny story sweet you know
21:41
because I used to live over on the
21:42
hilltop you know my mom's but I would
21:44
come over to Bristol Street over there
21:49
you know I'm with my cousin Aaron
21:51
then you know I see them over there you
21:53
know I remember one name it was Memo
21:56
Mojo yeah he Mojo now emojo now yeah but
22:01
he remembered yeah
22:11
[Laughter]
22:26
are you proud of him
22:29
hell yeah I used to go to school with
22:31
Miriam
22:34
wow
22:36
oh my god get this information Kalani
22:40
yeah man I'm gonna connect y'all too
22:41
yeah y'all need to be connected y'all
22:43
remember Tori yeah Aaron was Sonia Sonia
22:48
and Nakia was me and Graham's age whilst
22:51
Aaron the little brother was Mojo's age
22:53
so Tori and Aaron and Mojo's in the same
22:56
age group I was talking offense no lies
22:58
he ain't lying they ain't lying about
23:00
nothing man to see how that's divine
23:03
intervention he happened to be tuned in
23:04
hold on the line man we gonna connect
23:05
y'all we got me on the line from New
23:07
York sneeze what up
23:10
see
23:13
yeah I'm here yeah go ahead what up man
23:15
yeah how you doing bro all right what
23:18
you want to say
23:20
I'm saying the name of this Imperial
23:23
Majesty highly High Selassie I the first
23:25
yeah
23:27
yeah yeah all right hey Pat McKay I just
23:31
want to give you big UPS you know what
23:33
I'm saying I've I've been a fan of yours
23:34
Gill Bailey and all that oh wow wow Pat
23:37
McCain you hear that Pat really thank
23:40
you so much sweetheart that's sweet but
23:42
I'm just amazed now that Tori called and
23:46
now Mojo speaks French I've never heard
23:48
him say potpourri before so yeah Morgan
23:53
Heritage gone far they learn how to
23:56
adapt
23:57
um anything you want to say
24:02
okay
24:11
it makes a lot of protection on the road
24:14
every time
24:17
peace your citizen
24:24
Japanese in Houston go ahead TK
24:27
yes sir sway the architect of hip-hop
24:29
radio what up hey thank you sir
24:33
Morgan Heritage man just props to y'all
24:35
y'all are incredible
24:37
um all the hip-hop they truly have
24:39
missed out in collaborating more with
24:41
Morgan Heritage especially Pizza one of
24:43
the greatest voices that ever grace for
24:45
Mike thanks
24:46
also I I want to say Gramps Morgan man
24:49
your song wash the tears I listen to it
24:52
every day is an inspirational song all
24:55
the tears on my times when the storms
24:57
and the ties are raging High we know we
24:59
shall win we know we'll survive love it
25:02
rather you're a citizen man I appreciate
25:05
you sway I like what he said you know
25:07
why I like what he said and then and
25:09
like you said big up to you the
25:10
architect of hip-hop radio oh thank you
25:12
and what he also said that was a major
25:15
key
25:16
is that hip-hop and reggae artists need
25:19
to collaborate more yeah and I pray that
25:22
the almighty will continue to inspire
25:24
you that because you know we're fans of
25:27
the show and I'll never forget my father
25:29
was a big fan of you because he just
25:30
loves to see yeah when the back back in
25:32
the days but to see a man with
25:35
dreadlocks
25:48
to be up here now to be up here now
25:51
let's do an interview with you know is a
25:53
dream come true I mean we've been on the
25:55
show before but with this mission of the
25:57
album merging the cultures and bringing
25:59
hip-hop and afrobeats and African music
26:02
and reggae music together he just
26:04
dropped a major key and I think when
26:06
that starts to happen it's gonna be
26:08
something so big for black people around
26:10
the world yeah and and we're it's been
26:13
something that we've talked about in
26:14
Jamaica a lot that there's not enough
26:16
collaborations in reggae and dancehall
26:18
and you see how you know Meek Mills got
26:20
put on by you know Rose and then Rose
26:23
was put on by DJ Khaled we need more of
26:26
that yeah and I think internationally
26:28
when it gets to a big boom is when
26:29
you're gonna see
26:31
um hip-hop and more reggae dance on
26:33
we've seen the success of Shabba Ranks
26:35
when he hooked up with Queen Latifah and
26:37
KRS one back in the day baby
26:40
um
26:42
but we need more like the guy I said
26:43
from Houston we need more okay and
26:46
that's when we're going to start winning
26:47
man I love it uh Morgan Heritage is here
26:49
get that album Homeland it's out now
26:51
Tracy you want to jump in yeah
26:52
absolutely hey my guys you know this
26:55
conversation about global Black Culture
26:59
you know and how reggae is a branch of
27:01
that hip-hop is a branch of that etc etc
27:04
what came to mind in hip-hop when there
27:07
is a white artist that wants to enter
27:09
our genre right there might be some
27:12
skepticism you might have to do some
27:14
background work you got to make sure
27:16
that they're not trying to appropriate
27:17
the culture and that they can respect it
27:20
even sometimes when it comes to fans and
27:23
reggae I've always noticed how much
27:25
white people gravitate yes
27:29
you know what I'm saying even like
27:32
becoming artists themselves for you guys
27:35
and maybe if you can speak on behalf of
27:36
the culture in general has there ever
27:39
been skepticism you know a little bit of
27:42
even distance or suspicion the way that
27:45
we have been Gatekeepers of hip-hop or
27:48
has it always been an open door policy
27:50
talking to this I remember when Peter
27:52
Tosh was mad because uh people like
27:55
Sting and Blondie from the uks to be
27:57
like yo the word was a culture vulture I
28:01
think right and there was like you know
28:03
the same way you know you see when a
28:05
white artists start to do reggae and it
28:08
gets to mainstream radio there was that
28:10
kind of thing that I would say mad I
28:12
wouldn't say not gitkeeper because
28:14
reggae is I think we would say one love
28:16
one love but when we see that the
28:18
Injustice start to it's not equal then
28:21
it becomes a topic to say hey welcome to
28:23
the reggae from Jamaica and even today
28:25
there's still some of that like even
28:27
last year when Soldier big up to Soldier
28:30
when they won
28:31
um best reggae album and everybody was
28:33
like how does a wife
28:34
yeah that is great but that is like how
28:38
like y'all been around
28:42
music has gone beyond the shores of
28:44
Reggae music right so if you're talking
28:46
about a genre it's gone beyond the shore
28:48
so it's a genre but culturally now
28:50
people were Vex but is we Jamaica say
28:53
out of many one people as we say one
28:56
love so we cannot see that a reggae band
28:58
to come win best reggae album It's a
29:01
genre it's not a real shouting error you
29:03
understand
29:08
it's not political now but it's a
29:10
political culture even we as Jamaican
29:12
people because you see when you see the
29:15
album It's a reggae category and what
29:18
people don't want to do in America is
29:20
identify that dancehall music is not
29:23
reggae dancehall is another form of
29:27
music like yes a dancer was a place in
29:30
Jamaica where the music was played but
29:32
know the name the word dancehall has
29:34
become the name of a genre of music yeah
29:36
you know
29:39
it's two different music
29:42
no so why are you gonna say dancehall is
29:45
reggae no it's not dancehalla dancers I
29:47
can't say rap music is not r b you never
29:50
see them say that in America Run DMC do
29:52
the r b music never yeah that would be
29:55
my other question maybe break down
29:57
because some people will just lump to
29:58
your part to your point reggae dancehall
30:01
Sky Roots describe the differences in
30:04
those genres
30:05
the recent years yeah let's do the
30:08
recent time because scan drug study
30:10
that's way back but reggae music which
30:12
is prominent no and dancehall music
30:15
which is the two dominant music coming
30:16
out of Jamaica
30:18
reggae music is is pretty much a live
30:21
band right it was made that way where
30:24
band going out in studio string up play
30:26
the music we make music dance all you
30:28
can stream I mean you can't do reggaeton
30:30
but it doesn't have the same
30:31
authenticity when you do it with the
30:33
live band but with with downside you can
30:35
do it on the drum machine just think of
30:37
r b and rap music yes that's dancehall
30:41
and reggae and when Soldier won the
30:44
Grammy
30:45
at the end of the day after the all the
30:47
the bickering winded down after you know
30:50
three months four months when you really
30:52
look at it and listen to the mandem
30:54
album it was reggae music
31:06
[Music]
31:16
yeah yeah
31:19
some of us are purists and some of us
31:21
are are definitely
31:24
stuck in the area and don't want to
31:26
allow the music to evolve we're one of
31:27
the only genres of music on the planet
31:30
that's plagued with that sort of um
31:33
Nostalgia where it's like if it doesn't
31:35
sound like this it's not reggae right
31:38
does
31:40
21 Savage sound like Kurtis Blow music
31:42
night and day but it's still hip-hop so
31:46
we as the creators of the music and the
31:49
representatives out there in the media
31:50
we have to allow the genre of the music
31:52
to grow it doesn't matter where you are
31:55
from geographically because Morgan
31:56
Heritage was born in Brooklyn New York
31:58
into your question Tracy yes we faced
32:00
that being Americans what are you trying
32:03
oh you're coming to Jamaica what is this
32:05
you're not really Jamaican yeah yeah
32:13
citizenship and passport now so they can
32:16
go somewhere else with that wow so y'all
32:18
y'all got scrutinized oh yeah for sure
32:21
for sure yeah wow
32:23
I guess for winning the Gateway what
32:25
other American artists to win best
32:28
record they blame you you could because
32:31
we were the first American reggae artist
32:34
s
32:36
yeah Pat McKay yeah come on come on in
32:39
here Pat no it's just difficult for me
32:40
to have a conversation about race and
32:43
reggae music yeah so yeah that's not
32:45
really
32:47
I think the main reason that's not the
32:48
issue yeah a criticism of of that award
32:52
that year but that band has worked for a
32:55
very long time I'm not taking anything
32:56
away from them I think unity and
32:59
organization and monetization make
33:02
certain things possible that don't
33:04
happen in other genres yes
33:08
there you go because where are we when
33:10
you look at the Latin industry Latin
33:12
music industry
33:14
the Latin community
33:16
supports each other wherever they are on
33:18
this planet does Caribbean music lovers
33:22
do the same we all know the answers
33:31
and then you have WhatsApp groups with
33:34
thousands of people
33:36
today and your whole album
33:39
yeah so they ain't going to Spotify to
33:41
stream it or nothing and you know so why
33:43
why then are is anyone vexed with the
33:46
Grammy yeah
33:50
from your peers if you value it in that
33:55
way if you place a value on someone's
33:57
opinion then that opinion has value if
34:00
you don't then it won't right so yeah I
34:04
love it man uh this is a powerful
34:06
conversation thank you Pat McKay I know
34:09
he's gonna get it out of here
34:11
that's right this is great the new album
34:14
is Homeland I know a lot of people
34:15
calling but man let's Rob that record a
34:17
little bit and see what we got man we
34:18
got these Grammy Award icon
34:20
award-winning artists right here had to
34:22
be I know you got to cut out she got to
34:24
go to Urban view I gotta thank you
34:27
Jamaican she got like 17 jobs
34:30
I do three different radio shows five
34:33
days a week
34:39
thank you so much thank you for what you
34:41
said about traveling I went to Jamaica
34:43
for the first time in 1992 was not born
34:47
there born in Jersey City New Jersey but
34:49
it felt like home yes sir and I have
34:51
kept going back ever since and so please
34:53
keep encouraging folks to travel and
34:56
because you just never know where your
34:57
roots are really planted
35:01
I love it man I had to be y'all shout
35:04
out to the Forbes Family out of Jamaica
35:06
that's who takes care of me
35:09
well we gotta we gotta make you come
35:11
visit the the property in St Thomas you
35:13
got to come visit us you're gonna make
35:15
me do it yeah when you make somebody do
35:17
it that means you supply the plane
35:19
ticket and everything else you're gonna
35:21
force me to do it
35:22
[Applause]
35:38
when he thought he was you know gonna be
35:41
having a stroke or something like that
35:43
it's a it's a place where the hot water
35:46
was discovered by a slave escaping His
35:48
Master's Hand and it became a place of
35:51
Refuge that all the slaves that were you
35:53
know being punished we went there for
35:55
healing because the hot water has
35:56
healing properties it can boil an egg
35:58
but won't bring the skin off your body
36:00
this was in Saint Thomas yeah
36:03
you were gonna get you there I've been
36:06
to Saint Mary okay okay that's not far
36:09
I'm in St Thomas but I was at Golden Eye
36:11
oh no no no no no no no no no come on
36:15
[Music]
36:19
I told you
36:24
we ever take you out to the Deep culture
36:27
okay yeah that's not golden eyes you
36:30
mean all that all that service
37:08
[Music]
37:12
we got Morgan Heritage here man we
37:14
having a good time right now come on man
37:16
they said sway we want to come up here
37:19
and bust something do something we want
37:21
a freestyle I said to what they said
37:23
whatever
37:25
DB drop that beat
37:33
okay
37:39
[Music]
37:43
so let it soak in yeah
37:50
[Music]
38:09
too long of the days
38:11
Crimes of Passion don't age
38:14
rise from the streets ignoring the
38:17
sounds of the beasts tipping up the
38:19
scale so we move weight suffering is
38:22
over Minds made up tired of the Blues
38:25
that's played out we're living like The
38:26
Jeffersons y'all Minds made up push back
38:30
no cap believe that cause Homie we black
38:33
as ever we move mountains skyscrapers
38:36
and now we finally made it here come the
38:38
vapors they big business backing up the
38:40
big game new Africa New Zion new way
38:44
decentralization on the blockchain if
38:46
ever you have an adult just huddling
38:50
ain't going nowhere catch the time keep
38:52
the face ready or not we're bringing the
38:53
chance United We standing yeah
38:55
ready and up we come back
39:00
foreign
39:09
[Music]
39:16
[Music]
39:24
[Music]
39:33
[Music]
39:38
this is not a dreadlock sting even
39:42
conception of your Earth
39:48
[Music]
40:09
[Music]
40:13
[Applause]
40:19
who spent a lot of time in those
40:22
mountains
41:00
um introduce me
41:02
um to Rastafarian philosophy early in
41:05
life so when I had my locks a lot of
41:08
folks thought it was
41:16
just like Buddhism or anything else
41:20
um it's Universal you know so
41:22
Rastafarian philosophies have more
41:25
um
41:26
preordained stigma attached to it than
41:29
truth sure you know what I mean so
41:31
people look at locks and they used to
41:33
ask the silliest questions which I
41:35
didn't mind because I gave them the
41:37
realest answers yes sir you understand
41:39
so uh so um I always uh salute to
41:43
monticellular she transitioned beautiful
41:45
woman the first woman that asked me like
41:48
she taught me about women and I remember
41:51
as a young man I'm a young you know
41:52
we're young trying to figure it out
41:54
trying to figure it out I'm bouncing I'm
41:56
bouncing and she watching me move but
41:58
she know my heart and she used to ask me
42:00
are you at conflict are you feeling
42:02
conflict when you be when you go out
42:03
with different women wow I've never had
42:06
that question I said deep one conflict
42:09
what kind conflict of the heart
42:11
I said well why would you conflict
42:14
because you're going from person to
42:16
person yeah and I know the type of
42:18
person you are and I know you're
42:20
cognizant of what you're leaving behind
42:22
and how you're leaving that person
42:24
you know think about their heart and she
42:27
changed my whole like she changed my
42:29
whole approach to women in relationships
42:33
through my auntie Celia but through the
42:35
lens yeah you should have married both
42:38
of them that's what happened
42:42
both the girls I should have been like
42:45
your dad that's what she said
42:49
I mean everybody ain't gonna be like you
42:52
should have did it then Roy man yeah
42:58
but not a gentlemen I love this
43:01
conversation we've been trying to do
43:03
this for a minute but we made it happen
43:06
that was incredible yeah yeah Morgan
43:10
Heritage give it up for them man the new
43:11
album Homeland is out right now Kalani
43:14
you want to say anything in the end you
43:15
look like their nephew
43:18
not just peace love love you know what
43:22
I'm saying we got a connection through
43:23
my family yes I'm connected to you guys
43:26
so you know just just bless them
43:28
and he gave me some real good coffee
43:30
today
43:33
his dad Commissioner Gordon is yes it's
43:36
a it's a connector he's a a pillar yeah
43:39
he's a pretty oh yeah right and people
43:42
don't know his dad is a famous producer
43:45
engineer yes sir he um he's done a lot
43:47
for a lot of people
43:52
he did something for me I didn't pay him
43:54
so that's why his son is interning here
44:03
so it's just love you know I mean
44:06
sometimes you have to pay it forward so
44:07
when someone does something good for you
44:09
make sure you do something good for
44:11
someone else love y'all man love you too
44:13
my brother I just want to take this
44:14
opportunity to touch on the major key
44:17
that was said we want to see a lot of
44:19
times we see a collaborations between
44:21
the hip-hop artists and dancehall
44:23
artists we would love Eminem to reach
44:25
out to us and say yo marketer to John
44:28
the hook Jay-Z link We Up Rick Ross the
44:31
world hip-hop Community Morgan Heritage
44:32
is open for business
44:34
yeah I know Paul Rosenberg is tuned in
44:38
right now man all right let's get
44:39
Marshall and Morgan Heritage
44:42
come on you take the first initials
44:44
it'll still be Eminem
44:47
we're on social media at Morgan Heritage
44:49
you can find us all right yes appreciate
44:52
y'all man okay we'll be back tomorrow
44:54
make sure y'all tune in
#Arts & Entertainment