The more legendary the last name, the higher the expectations that come with each and every letter. Michael Jordan has two sons; both struggled through high school to develop an athletic identity. Likewise, Bob Marley has eleven children; none of them have produced music that hasn’t been sized up to their father. Both a gift and a curse, rapper Ky-Mani Marley has embraced his name and his god given talents. The Miami-born Marley, looking to make a name for himself because of his music, will release his newest album, “Radio,” later this month. During an interview with DJBooth’s DJ “Z,” Marley discusses his unique sound, his upcoming tour with rockers Van Halen and what it would be like to collaborate with his father.
Ky-Mani Marley Interview Transcription
DJ Booth: What’s goin’ on, y’all? It’s your boy ‘Z,’ doin’ it real big, and joining me inside the DJ Booth is a son of the legendary Bob Marley, who on September the 25th will unleash the new sound of the radio. Please welcome Ky-Mani Marley. How are you?
Ky-Mani: Ah, doin’ wonderful, King Z.
DJ Booth: The weather down in Miami is luxurious, as is your mind state right now, leading up to the release of your brand new album…
Ky-Mani: Oh yes, I mean, we’ve been really waitin’ on this one. I’ve been taking the time out to really build my catalo to help make sure that when I do touch the street, that everything is right.
DJ Booth: Michael Jordan has two sons, and no matter what they do in their athletic careers, they’ll be held to the standard of their father. Do you feel the same way in regard to the legendary status of your father?
Ky-Mani: Yeah, the comparison you won’t be able to get away from, because that is just human nature and and we all do it. As far as anything else, as far as being pressured, I don’t feel any pressure. My thing is to just go out there and do me and do it my way and, some people love it and some people hate it, but hopefully we all can appreciate it.
DJ Booth: Individually, how can you separate yourself from all of your brothers and your father who have been doing music in the mainstream for so much longer?
Ky-Mani: Well, my style is very different. What I have to speak about, what I feel in my life is very different from my brothers and sisters, you know what I mean? So just I express differently.
DJ Booth: Similar to any celebrity last name, being a Marley I’m sure can be both a gift and a curse. For you, Ky-Mani, what is it more of?
Ky-Mani: Well, a gift. You know, my father was a very great man, and I’m not just sayin’ this because he’s my father – this is from a man speaking; man to man. I don’t want to judge and criticize, why people may believe I’m not really more than that. And then a lot of people expect from me is to come always doin’ music, do it just like how my dad do it, come and speak on the same issues that my dad spoke of. I can’t do that, because I am my own individual. I have a life that I’ve lived, I’ve seen my own experiences in life, and I have to speak of that. I’ve lived in a different time and a different era – my dad always lived in Jamaica, I’ve lived in America, you know what I mean? So, half of my musical influences growin’ up was R&B, hip hop, rock ‘n’ roll, and more jazz, blues, so therefore I tend to express those feelings at different moments and you might find a blues song. You’ll find me in a hip hop song. You’ll find me on a soft rock song. There’s no limit.
DJ Booth: Your music is a contemporary mixture of classic reggae, modern hip hop, and a few other influences that you mentioned – does the fusion of all those genres ever put into question what direction you’d actually like to take your music?
Ky-Mani: Well my thing was, I tell people all the time: the genre of music I’m in is Ky-Mani music. I do my own music. I don’t follow anybody’s lead. I do what feels right and what feels good to me, so why should I limit myself? If I have the ability to sing a rock ‘n’ roll song to you, and it is up to par, I have the ability also to turn around and sing an R&B song, or do a rap verse for you. I mean, why should I stick to one thing?
DJ Booth: I agree completely.
Ky-Mani: Yeah, why should I limit myself? I’d be livin’ a lie, ‘cause then I wouldn’t be givin’ you all of me. Why give you a part of me? I’d rather give you all of me.
DJ Booth: We’d rather have all of you, and it’s interesting you should mention your capabilities of doing rock music, because later this month you’re actually going to embark on a tour with rock legends Van Halen – 25 cities across the United States. Do you think that your music will be truly appreciated by the same audience?
Ky-Mani: You know what, Z? I’ll make sure. While I watch this industry, and not from the political standpoint, but watch what artists are and how some artists come up and they do two songs and that’s it, you never hear from them again. And then some artists come up, and because of the style of music they sing, once they get a certain age, they’re too old to do it. And then you watch some other guys like Rolling Stones, who is up there in age and they’re still touring. So my whole thing was that the love I have for music, I don’t want to be one of them artists that, “Okay because I’m a DJ, when I become 40 years old, I can’t DJ no more ‘cause nobody don’t want to hear from me, that’s for the younger crowd.” So I’ve always made music in every genre for every arena – and I’ve always told myself too, that I want to be able to have the ability to play on any stage with anybody at any time and be appreciated just the same way. So, yeah, I do have music to play on this Van Halen tour that a lot of people never heard before – as a matter of fact, nobody’s ever heard it before, but I’m gonna break it out.
DJ Booth: Gonna open up a lot of ear and eyes.
Ky-Mani: Oh yeah, definitely.
DJ Booth: Let’s talk about some of this new music, Ky-Mani. The first single off of your brand new album, “Radio,” is entitled “One Time.” As soon as I heard the opening guitar strings, I actually thought 2pac was gonna jump on it – it just gave me that feel of very laid-back, OG. What angle did you take with this song?
Ky-Mani: That was how I was feelin’ at the time. That was just the vibe of the time. I was hangin’ out, and I was goin’ through some things, too. It was just my emotion on that very day, when I wrote that song…
DJ Booth: Ky-Mani, if you could do any one thing just once more in your life, what would you do one time more?
Ky-Mani: See my dad.
DJ Booth: Through the magic, essentially, of music production, collaboration with your father is entirely achievable. But what would it be like if you and he were actually able to collaborate with one another during a real live studio session? Walk me through it.
Ky-Mani: Oh, wow. You know what, I don’t really know where to start, because my dad passed away when I was very young, so I never had that experience, to really be able to explain, or to project that so you could put that out there so you could even imagine what that would be like. I can’t even do that. If I could’ve did that, it would have been a beautiful thing.
DJ Booth: Yeah, it would have been a beautiful thing, but like I said, through music production and the capabilities here in 2007, you and him can be on the same track together and spiritually collaborate through your music.
Ky-Mani: Definitely!
DJ Booth: Ky-Mani, the front cover for “Radio” pictures old transistor and dial radios stacked in a pile behind you. Is that depiction a metaphor for where everything’s at right now?
Ky-Mani: No, that was really me just tellin’ you that I have music for all genres, from the old to the new. So that’s why you have so many different styles of radio behind me – like me lettin’ you know that, whatever station you turn on, whatever music you like, I have something for you.
DJ Booth: Let everybody know why on September the 25th, when your brand new album, “Radio,” is available in stores and online for purchase, they need to go out and get a taste of what you have to offer that is unlike anybody else in the industry right now.
Ky-Mani: I definitely agree with those words. Z, you’re the man! [laughter]
DJ Booth: I appreciate that! Give everybody a website, or a Myspace page so they can find out more.
Ky-Mani: Yeah, you can find me at myspace.com/ky-marimarley.
DJ Booth: I appreciate your time, and I wish you nothing but the best of luck from now through to the future.
Ky-Mani: One love, Z.
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