There’s a revival going on and you didn’t even know it, did you? For some, Reggae never went anywhere but for others, it disappeared from the proverbial scene. For Jamaican record artist, Protoje, and his band, The Indiggnation, it’s all they know. They’ve been on a mission to bring back not only the vibes our souls didn’t even know they needed but also meaningful lyrics and stories that make you think, and most importantly, question. Protoje is about to release his third album, Ancient Future, on March 10th but we were lucky enough to talk to him about the music and what he hopes to accomplish with it beforehand.

You can pre-order Ancient Future on iTunes and if you’re in the Tri-State area, head to SOB’s on the 15th for his show with The Indiggnation. Tickets are available HERE. You should also listen to the latest single off the album, which was co-produced by Winta James, Protoje Diggy, and Paris Lamont below.

 
Speaking about the Reggae Revival, as someone who is bringing this genre of music back to the mainstream, why do you think it seems to have disappeared from pop culture for some years and where did it go? What do you see for its future?

I feel that Reggae music and Jamaicain music in general always pop up every now and then in the mainstream. The issue for me is that it never stays, and I think that is because in the last couple of decades it has not been a sustainable growth that it has been experiencing. I think with our generation it is being done as a collective each one helps the other and I think after a couple more years of work we can have it in that medium for a lasting time.

About “Answer To Your Name”, for those not so familiar with the 70′s in Jamaica, what made that time and place so special for music and the world?

Well, the 70′s are the golden era for a lot of music and not just reggae I think. Jamaica got its ‘independence’ so to speak in 1962 so a decade after that the place was going through a creative renaissance forming its own identity musically. There was a lot of interest from record labels after Island signed Bob Marley and The Wailers that had a global impact on the music. Ska was a real breakthrough even before that and with the Emigration of a lot of Jamaicans to England especially the music traveled with them.

 
You are part of a certain kind of artist raising consciousness in the world. Is that a self assigned mission? Do you have a final goal you’d like to achieve to know that you’ve done your job? Or is it more of an ongoing journey?

The whole point of this album was to pay homage to different eras of the Jamaican music that I loved so it has samples all over it. I am a huge Ini Kamoze fan so his music always has some influence over my sound, especially the Sly & Robbie produced sounds. I sampled Prince Buster for ‘Answer To Your Name’, Zap Pow for ‘Bubblin’ and many more, they are in the album credits.

What was it like to work with Winta to craft the specific sound that you wanted on this project? Was it tough or easy?

Working with Winta is one of the best things that has happened to my music. He really understands where I am coming from with my music, and allows me the freedom to speak my thoughts into being. He really studied my style and figured out the strengths and weaknesses and we really went in and try to improve on certain aspects of my music. I feel totally reenergized working with him and we on to the next one.

You mentioned that this album granted you a level of freedom. Is that freedom different from what you felt with your previous projects? How did that impact the writing and recording of this one?

It is really an ongoing journey for me because your mind, goals and focus continues to evolve. At different times I feel motivated to do different things. For me it’s mostly about empathy for each other that I want to spread for my music. A general understanding and appreciation that we all have different beliefs and we should be able to live together regardless.

As I said, yes, it was different recording this project than my two previous. There are a lot of factors in that. For one I mean this project is also on my label so I have way more creative control. Overall though we really worked as a team on this one. Winta would help with writing. I would help with production. It was a totally a joint project. The respect he has for me as a lyricist also allows him to just let me talk what I want to talk about.

Do you truly see music being a major player in helping to remedy the larger social issues that your music addresses? Or is it a part of many other elements in the solution?

It is part of the solution: there is never any one way to fix a problem. Music is one aspect of life but it definitely has a great impact on society. Music has always been there shaping the culture. I realize the type of music that is being pushed to the masses is mostly about fluff and not substance but so is the way of the world.

A lot of people don’t realize that a lot of the founders of Hip-Hop like Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc, and Grandmaster Flash had Jamaican and Reggae roots, which helped influence their start in Hip-Hop. Why do you think that Hip-Hop and Reggae have since gone such different paths in history? Do you see them ever converging again like Distant Relatives (Nas/Damian Marley)?

I mean it has not really gone in such different paths I think. It’s just a matter of the geography of the situation. Americans are going to gravitate to their own music more. We are a third world country with a population of 3 million, so it is very hard to sustain our own industry. I think the link between Hip Hop and Reggae is still there. Joey Bada$$ and I link every now and then and speak about linking up musically (he and Chronixx just did a song). We see artists like Drake really enamored with Jamaican culture. I would say just give it some more time and see what happens. It’s all a Cycle.

Photo Credit: CHE KOTHARI
Bryan Hahn wants to feel like this music sounds all the time. He’s on Twitter (@notupstate).