Fantan Mojah: "I really think the Jamaican government should start treating the music industry with a bit more respect!"

Fantan, last time we met, you were still promoting the 'Stronger' album, what have you been up to since?
Fantan Mojah: "Well, still doing good music basically! (laughs) You know the struggle the 'Stronger' album had to face - Greensleeves had just been taken over by VP Records, so 'Stronger' got little or no promotion - but in the end it just started selling itself. For small artists, dealing with big companies like VP Records isn't always easy, and we have to start asking ourselves where all the money is going. I'm convinced good music will always surface, though, so that's exactly what I'll keep on doing! Reggae music is the only music I know that can truly uplift the people, so don't come and tell me that reggae music is decreasing in popularity, because this music will never die! I want to give thanks to the promoters still sticking their necks out and bringing artists like I&I all over the world. Don't get me wrong I love hip-hop and soca as well, so if there's a hip hop artist out there, who has something uplifting to say, please let him play; as long as the message is positive, music is music. People keep on asking me what I carry around in my backpack, well, let me tell you: "Poor people's stress; the struggle and pain of the downtrodden!" Even in Jamaica they are trying to fight the music now, by sending down Babylon to come and close down the dances (Under the Noise Abatement Act, entertainment sessions in Jamaica are allowed to go until midnight on weekdays and until 2:00 am on weekends, red.). Music is like food in Jamaica and that's not only a figure of speech but literally so. For every dance that takes place you have dozens of vendors coming to sell their wares, so close the dances down and you're robbing these people of their livelihoods! I really think the Jamaican government should start treating the music industry with a bit more respect."

Still, your own struggle in the music business doesn't seem to stop you from sharing the spotlight with upcoming talents like Zareb or Giovanni.
Fantan Mojah: "Most of the youths that I'm trying to give a push in the right direction go back a long way with Fantan Mojah, people like Zareb, Ninja Ford and Giovanni. Whenever and wherever I can I will try to give them a helping hand because everyone has to start somewhere and if there's no one around to give you a chance you can't make it. No man is an island and no man stand alone!"

We're still from a generation that knew the world without the internet. If you put the effort in these days you can virtually find anything you want on the web. Do you feel the youths in Jamaica are more educated or informed as your generation might have been?
Fantan Mojah: "The new generation of youths is almost born with a computer brain. I've seen kids of seven or eight years old who are already more advanced in certain fronts then I am! However, that doesn't mean the old school street skills my generation grew up with aren't worth sharing anymore. Apart from that, nothing is really too hard to learn. If we help each other out the world will be a nicer place."

Back in the day when you wanted to find a book on or by His Majesty you still had to go and search long and hard. These days you just type the title in Google and you can order it online. Hasn't that taken away from the mysticism that surrounded Rastafari?
Fantan Mojah: "That's just the way the world has evolved and as Rastafarians we need to deal with that as well. You're talking about books there, but a lot of youths already don't read books anymore; all they are doing is typing away on their laptops. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's the way you deal with these new technologies that's important and it's up to the elders to guide them."

The older generation of reggae artists in Jamaica is slowly disappearing. Is the younger generation ready to step up and replace them?
Fantan Mojah: "No one could ever wish to replace Bob Marley, Jacob Miller, Gregory Isaacs or any of these greats, but they have done their work so their legend will undoubtedly live on. Not in the least in their offspring; you can see the blood runs strong in some of their children! That generation of artists also laid the foundation for us to build on; we can't just let things crumble again, but we have to try and take it to another level again. I just give thanks for the works they have done. When all is said and done I&I do I works for Jah, because if the only recompense I would get from my music would be money, I wouldn't bother singing another bomboclaat note! I sing my music to uplift the people! I don't like how some people come and rape the music talking about stupidity like bling and guns; we have to be careful what we put in our rhymes, because what we are singing about in our songs directly influences the youths that listen to our music. Music needs to be something that uplifts and brings people together. I can't cast judgment upon these artists, but Jah will."

Any closing remarks to conclude the interview?
Fantan Mojah: "Music has held an enormous importance in the history of Jamaica, but it has never gotten the official recognition and respect it deserves. Despite of that the Jamaican people have never stopped turning out good music. I love Jah-mek-ya though and although we're only a small nation, we're known and loved all over the world. For our leaders I have just one message: "All I&I want is equal right and justice! Far too many people keep getting killed in Jamaica. The peace and tranquility you are enjoying in your uptown villas is something the rest of the Jamaican people want as well!" Rastafari!"