Eesah Talks About How Marijuana Influences His Creativity
On 4/20 we interview Eesah, whose singles are starting to take off at an exponential rate on social media. He writes music about love, inspiration and reality and merges music genres as a former musical engineer. The artist talks about how marijuana helps him to get in touch with his spiritual, inner self to channel his creativity. Video & Interview After The Jump…
Interview
Angel: Blessings Eesah
Essah: Blessed Love Empress
Angel: Your sound is a mixture of reggae and hip hop
Essah: True, I listen to a lot of R&B, reggae and hip hop. I prefer these genres over dancehall because of the content. My music is dynamic, it can’t really be boxed in one category because I aim to make music that is universal. I want to give the people in Jamaica music with good, quality content and without the use of a lot of derogatory terms; just peaceful music seen.
Angel: How did you find your way to music?
Essah: I began as an engineer at Jah Ova Evil studio and then my friend, Selah had a personal studio. So one day I just took a song that I wrote and produced a riddim for and went to Selah’s studio to mix it and Jahni said “It gwan good” you should keep going as an artist. Then I went through several musical changes, I released two EP’s under the name Jahkime and then in 2016 a duo project with Silkki Wonda.
So in 2017, I am releasing my solo project as Eesah and so far I released three songs. “Big Dream,” is about going for your goal and never choosing mediocre as an option; live above and beyond. “Run Ova Dem,” is things I really went through on my journey to this point where I am now. With “High Grade” and its visual directed by AllEyesOnIt released on my Earthstrong, I’m sharing my appreciation for the herb; appreciation for the plant.
Angel: Happy Belated Earthstrong, so this year is a big year for you with this solo project.
Eesah: Most defintely in terms of marketing my music and building my catalog as Eesah, and making sure the music is a true reflection of who I am.
Angel: Well your latest song, “High Grade” really demands attention. Why did you choose to use “Starboy”-The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk produced by Julien Le Maitre and Nina Soriano,” as a canvas for this high grade anthem?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTabfmW0SmA
Essah: I was on my way to Mobay and listening to a bunch of hip hop tunes with a friend of mine in the car and “Star Boy” came on and I just really like the way The Weeknd was delivering lyrics over the beat so I told my friend like pull up on that one, and when he did I just started spitting lyrics over the beat and he was like you have to record that.
Angel: So does The Weeknd team approve the reggae remix?
Essah: Not at first, when we first presented it they liked the lyrics but not the fact that the beat was the same. We went back in the studio and changed the beat up in a way that it had more of a dancehall flair then it was approved.
Angel: This is a really big song on social media because it has a crossover sound. I like lime green kicks, fashion on point!
Essah: Adidas sent me that pair from the Yeezy 350 Boost Collection designed by Kanye West and the “High Grade” video was the perfect place to sport them.
Adidias is very supportive of reggae, Chronixx just got a new spring collection with, Spezial.
Angel: Speaking of Chronixx, the collaboration you did with him on the Roots and Chalice album was impressive. In the narrative introduction for the song “Perfect Tree,” you discuss the arbitrary way the laws are created in regards to marijuana prohibition.
Essah: Most Definitely, Chronixx and I really took our time in writing that tune. There is a lot passion in the writing because we both appreciate marijuana from a physical and spiritual point of view. Marijuana helps us both to create this music. It helps us to get in a humble spirit, where no bad vibes can get at us when we are creating. It has healing and has medicinal properties which help us to focus. Also the focus itself is positive and peaceful. It is a very great creation from the Most High God.
“Perfect Tree” Intro
Universal acceptance of the plant
We nuh deal with partial acceptance of Rastafari
And that is what Babylon ah come with now
Dem waan accept parts of the plant
And you don’t do that
Because, you don’t, you don’t accept part of the mango tree
You have the whole mango tree growing in your yard
All when no mango nah bear ‘pon it, ya have the tree
Seen, so you nah go jus’ say alright
Gi wi di mango and cut down the tree
And then, if we see how it no other part of the tree, it wrong
No, love the plant, love herb
You get what me ah say
Dem come with medicinal marijuana
Fi single out parts and aspects of the plant
That dem want to use
And that is all, all of that have economical origins
Which means a man know seh
This part of the plant can make money for me
The rest I cyaan mek money for me
So the rest it bad – no
All ah di plant good bredren, all down to the root
Angel:I think of those sitting in prison for the selling and possession of marijuana. This is a political issue beyond whether one smokes or not because it affects laws, criminal justice and society.
Eesah: And that should never happen because its a plant like any other plant. It is not a crime, they have it twisted and are ruining lives because of this distortion of the truth.
*Eesah is wearing a RastaToTheBone T-shirt from the Higher Meditation Collection
Angel: What’s your favorite high grade tune (outside of your own songs about this topic)? My favorite is Marlon Asher – “Ganja Farmer.”
Eesah: My favorite is Tony Curtis – “High Grade”
Angel: Never heard that one, will take a listen. I want to thank you for sharing with Boomshots on 4/20. Wishing you the best with this solo project.
Eesah: Yes look out for more music, as I add to my catalog and build my fan base. Thank you to Boomshots Magazine, love and peace is the solution. That is coming from DatBadEesah representing Kingston, Jamaica. 4/20, Bless.
Written By: Angel Love @LoveDeepAngel
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One of these damn days, I might learn that broken Jamaican dialect, to which I have a hard time understanding, but the writing is good, it is here where I get an appreciation for the artists, and what they’ve been through, so I watch and listen, continue to uplift A.Love for your insightful and timely writing, without, I wouldn’t have a clue to what’s going on
Big up the artist known as Eesah Music #DatBadEesah #PerfectTree