Reflect back with me to 420, if you will. Picture yourselves waking up, grabbing your phones and opening up your Snapchat. Then, Boom! Your eyes grow wide with surprise from seeing that absurd Bob Marley filter spring out at you. To be blunt, I still have a burgeoning revulsion towards Snapchat for their bizarre decision. Although, my reasons of discontent are not identical to the uproar people had about it initially.
My issues with the filter stem from the watering down of Bob Marley's image, legacy and place in history to just some guy who was a famous weed smoker. Rastafarians are always portrayed as a monolithic people that love weed. Marijuana does have its place in the Jamaican/Afrocentric religion, but it goes way deeper than that. It all means something. The locks mean something. On their own, they were an act of rebellion against Babylon (a label for their oppression). Locks symbolize a Rasta's strength; they adhere to the spiritual journey one takes. Reading between the lines, it posits that this revolutionary and musical genius' image, beliefs, and entire illustrious, and sadly, short-lived career is only remembered or revered because he smoked marijuana. And unfortunately this is all a lot of kids these days equate him to. I see the disconnect all the time on Twitter. Snapchat's microaggression under the guise of paying homage inadvertently (or perhaps intentionally) work to shuffle Bob Marley's impact musically, socially and politically to the rear. As Bob Marley is one of my favorite artists, as well as one of the greatest artists/the greatest Reggae artist of all time, I had to express this extraneous mental weight. Bob Marley, a freedom fighter in multiple ways, deserves a ton more respect than that. I take my artists and their music very seriously. This piece is almost a month overdue, I realize, but this entire thought process never dawned on me until now.
I couldn't start anywhere without exploring Bob Marley's gorgeous immortal music. It is why we all fell in love with Bob Marley as an entire entity in the first place. And I could go on and on about his entire discography, but most of us know it. (At least my hope is that we do.) What we don't know is how he was able to infuse such radiant levels of hope, positivity and love in his music. I don't even think the greatest musical minds can ever grasp or understand his ability to inspire and infect change to the masses. His music was, and still is, the seed he wanted to plant and sprout into the proper tools to unhinge and emancipate ourselves from mental slavery. Bob Marley was the father of socially aware music. Bob had rapport with issues in his music in such a subtle way that the higher conscious way of thinking would get ingrained in your mind while you were following the rhythm immersed in the music. He was woke before being woke was was a thing. Till this very day his music completely quiets my mind. When his songs are playing -- Buffalo Soldier, Jammin', Three Little Birds, No Woman No Cry, Satisfy My Soul or any Bob song, the world shuts off around me. I hone in on the song and there's no room for my thoughts, only Bob Marley's lyrics while my body is in sync with the actual music. My mind wants to soak up the message. There's nothing like it. A Bob Marley song lifts the burdens living in my mind and that's something that can't ever be taught, duplicated or manufactured. That comes from a once in a lifetime talent who had a magical way with song structure, instruments, and also had a warming voice that when you hear it you only see his famous smile behind his singing. And that's something the world's never seen the likes of since.
Bob Marley truly has a passage into each one of his listeners' souls. He was a giant in talent and a giant of a man. You can't help but gravitate towards him; even today you either go for that Bob Marley poster or that Bob Marley t-shirt. A Bob Marley song leaves you happy. He implored for us to learn our African history to rise up and defend against the regime. Bob Marley was a rebel, someone to believe in. A true leader. He was more than a man who loved weed. He is a icon for so many. I find it a damn disgrace that Bob Marley never received a Grammy for his music. If we're talking excellence in music, it doesn't get any higher than Bob. He is one of the greatest artists of all time. One hundred years from now, his music will still be here. And I think we owe him so much more than paying homage to him with a silly blackface app and shout-outs through puffs of smoke.
Please enjoy some Bob Marley below. And remember, Don't Worry Be Happy ISN'T a Bob Marley song. That's Bobby McFerrin.
Photo Creds: fuse.tv/pinterest.com/pinterest.com/bobmarley.com
Video cred: youtube.com
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