JAH MASON
Interviewed by Jesse I -- September 7, 1999

This interview with Jah Mason was conducted via phone from Melbourne, Australia to New York for airplay on Chant Down Babylon.

Jesse I: Right now, via mobile phone from the states, I've got Jah Mason on the line. Jah Mason, welcome to Chant Down Babylon.

Jah Mason: Yeah man, greetings in the name of his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile I Selassie I the first, y'know. Greetings Australia. Greetings to Chant Down Babylon, y'know. Yeah man, cause the whole world haffe Chant Down Babylon still, y'know.

Jesse I: Right. Well it's great to have you with us.

Jah Mason: Chant down them bad doings and them deeds and them happenings y'know. That's how we see Babylon. Babylon's no specific black or white or whatever. From you're doing dirty deeds or you're sowing dirty seeds, you're seen as Babylon y'know. Yeah man.

Jesse I: Right, well we deal with strictly conscious here, and we've been playing your music every single week. So we'd like to give our listeners a whole history on Jah Mason. If you don't mind we might start at the beginning here. So what exactly is your full name Jah Mason?

Jah Mason: Yeah man, well my full name is Andre Johnson still.

Jesse I: Right. And you DJ under the name Jah Mason; where did that name come from?

Jah Mason: Well, Jah Mason is the builder for righteousness, y'know. So you see, I speak of righteousness so it's like we're building it on a spiritual level y'know. First we build like the bricks you know?

Jesse I : Right.

Jah Mason: Yeah man, and I is the foundation, y'know.

Jesse I : Respect.

Jah Mason: Yeah man.

Jesse I : So where abouts Jamaica were you born?

JAH MASON: Yeah man, I was born in Jamaica. I was born in Manchester.

Jesse I : Okay. Could you tell us a little about where you grew up, what it was like growing up there?

JAH MASON: Well it was like how the majority of youths grow up, that's how me grow up, cause... life in Jamaica is not no bed of roses, yuh see me? So you grow up like a likkle warrior, and you just see the everyday happenings, and the everyday implements... and you even have to come sing about it, or chant about it, or speak about it, or any which way they waan put it, you see me?

Jesse I: You've been at it for a while, but you're still quite young. How old are you Jah Mason?

JAH MASON: Well, right now I'm 27.

Jesse I : 27. Okay. And when did you first enter the reggae world and start taking up the mic?

JAH MASON: Well... when I first started recording you mean?

Jesse I : Yes I.

JAH MASON: Nowadays, you don't even have to start record for people to recognise you. Cause tapes a go out all over the world, and CDs, and etcetra, yuh see me? So I've been recognise from around the early ninties, yuh see me?

Jesse I : Okay.

JAH MASON: Like '90, '91. Y'know?

Jesse I : Okay.

JAH MASON: On tapes and video cassette, and stuff like that, but like from.. we start recording from '92. Doing original recording.

Jesse I : How did you get your first break in the recording studio? Who took you in there?

JAH MASON: Well, I was living in a place called Portland, and my friend took me over to Junior Reid. And I was around there for like a month before I start recording, and I was even sleeping round there. Because I really wanted to record so much. And one day he just finally record me.

Jesse I : Right. And he released that tune under the name Perry Mason, didn't he?

JAH MASON: Yeah! Yeah. That was the first. The first single.

Jesse I : Right.

JAH MASON: That's the first single I sing, called "Selassie I Name Me A Call".

Jesse I : Yes I, I have that song. That's a very nice tune.

JAH MASON: Yeah man, so that fi true you say. And I no copying - it from the beginning we start, it nah go halfway through. Yuh see me a seh? Cause it only two things you can put out... either you come speak of the good or you speak of the bad. And you come live the good or you live the bad. You see it?

Jesse I : Yes I.

JAH MASON: Yeah man.

Jesse I : Now, I've noticed that on most of your singles, the writing credits go to yourself, so you write all you own songs?

JAH MASON: Yeah man, I wrote all of dem. All of dem was written by Jah Mason. I have the rights to all of dem.

Jesse I: Right. You have some very good lyrics...

JAH MASON: I own all those powerful words!

Jesse I: How do those songs come about?

JAH MASON: Well, it's from the everyday happenings. All the songs come from the Almighty, y'know, Haile Selassie I, y'know. The Prophet, The Priest, and The King, y'know.

Jesse I : Yes I.

JAH MASON: Yeah man.

Jesse I : Are there any of your songs which you like particularly? What stands out for you?

JAH MASON: Well... there's so much songs man. It's just... Jah know! Right now there's just so much songs I do, and so much songs that is not recorded as yet... and.. there's just so much because I just work on music. That's me, y'know, I just keep it flowing.

Jesse I : Right. Well we'll be hoping to hear more. One of the songs I really like from you is Alkibulan. Can you explain for us exactly what that means?

JAH MASON: Alkibulan, alright. Alkibulan means the first. The first people in Africa, even before there was Africa - that was the first name. Alkibulan, ancient kush. Yu see me?

Jesse I : Yes I.

JAH MASON: That's why in my song me say, <sings> "Alkibulan, ancient Ethiopia, so many names them a go call if Africa". You see me a seh?

Jesse I : Right.

JAH MASON: Alkibulan a the first. When you hear about Alkibulan, you just hear bout creation dem. Yu see me?

Jesse I : Right. So you're a Bobo Rasta, correct?

JAH MASON: Yeah, y'know. Heh.

Jesse I : So when did you know that was the path for you to walk?

JAH MASON: Well, as from the everyday happenings, and... I tell yuh it's two road y'know. So either you choose the right road or you're gwaan choose the wrong road. So there's just one road to choose, and just one road to live. Rasta is not just a religion, or whatever. For me, Rasta is an organisation, y'know.

Jesse I : Right.

JAH MASON: Cause we a deal with organisation; and organise, and centralise; repatriation and reparation.

Jesse I : Yes I, the guiding star.

JAH MASON: So Rasta is not really a style. Cause nuff yout' just dread up them head, and them nah really know the live and them nah really sing the live... and them nah really get the live. Yu see me a say? Yeah. So Rasta is a livity, and a road, and a life. So either you going to live Rasta life, or you gwaan live the other life. You see me?

Jesse I : Right. Yes I.

JAH MASON: For real.

Jesse I : Well, there's been a real resurgence of Rasta in the dancehall. It's really in these 90's, in the last few years, Rasta has really made a big return, and.. you're a big part of that...

JAH MASON: Well, speaking of dancehall... Well, I don't have nuthin' against dancehall, y'know. However, dealing with dancehall, chanting the right thing.. cause I'll even go on the dancehall riddim... go on the dancehall riddim and give the people righteousness. I don't see anything wrong with that. It still teach the yout' dem. Cause maybe if you give them it in the original way, the real authentic way, then maybe they'll run from it and hide from it. So we give it to them... we nah care if they run from it this way, we give it to them another way, yuh see me?

Jesse I : Yes I.

JAH MASON: Yeah man.

Jesse I : Well, one of the things I really love about your songs Jah Mason, is the fact that they can be very fast and very intense, and you can really dance to them in the dancehall, but they're still very rootsy.

JAH MASON: Yeah, it's very energetic, y'know.

Jesse I : Yes I, but at the same time, still very rootsy. Y'know, songs like "Slip and Slide", "Dem Have and Dem Want", "Money Dem A Run Dung". They're very fast, very intense, but they've got a lot of guts, a lot of roots to them.

JAH MASON: For real.

Jesse I : What sort of riddims do you like riding the most? Do you like the slower ones, or the quick, or do you like them all?

JAH MASON: No, I like the riddims... the meditation riddims... that people can stop and listen to... cause really, we like the fast beat, but the fast beat just goes on for a while and then it fade. But you see, the slow beat? The orginal authentic riddim?

Jesse I : Yes I!

JAH MASON: The Studio 1 sorta stuff?

Jesse I : Yes I, love it!

JAH MASON: You have to sit and meditate those riddims, and listen to the words. But the words is flowing more flower. So that most people can overstand it, you know what I'm saying?

Jesse I : Respect indeed, yes. Tunes like "Never Bow", and "Empty Barrell". I played "Empty Barrell" on my radio show this very night. Very nice stuff. So are there any producers that you've especially enjoyed working with?

JAH MASON: Well, no I'm not specific, I'm a free man y'know. So true me a Bobo still, me a free man, so me work with anyone. So me a deal with upfullness. Iya deal with royalness. It's all good.

Jesse I : Right. Well, are there any other artists that have sorta influenced your career? What other artists do you respect and admire?

JAH MASON: Well, I don't really admire, I just... see the artists right now that are going all the way out, and are carrying the people. Capleton the Prophet, y'know. Right now, all dem yout' deh have the music; control it. Cause music is concern. That's music right there y'know. And I am in the same house. David House.

Jesse I: Now, I know you did two fantastic songs with Jah Cure. "Run Come Love Me" and "Working So Hard".

JAH MASON: Yeah.

Jesse I : How did you hook up with Jah Cure?

JAH MASON: Well, all of us is in David House. Me and Jah Cure, and Military Man, and Jah Thunder and... that's David House and the Prophet, y'know.

Jesse I : Right. I've always been a big supporter of Jah Cure's music, so I was very sad to hear that he was put in prison earlier this year on charges of rape and...

JAH MASON: Yeah, but he's coming out soon though.

Jesse I : Is he?

JAH MASON: Yeah, he'll be out soon.

Jesse I : As a friend of Jah Cure, do you have any thoughts on what happened to him? What did you think about what happened?

JAH MASON: We all know that was a setup!

Jesse I : Yes I.

JAH MASON: Yeah!

Jesse I : I heard that Jah Cure was speaking at a stage show about the authorities trying to set him up for speaking the righteous words. So you definitely think Jah Cure was set up - a Babylonian setup?

JAH MASON: Yeah, yeah! It was after they was trying to hold two other artists. They was trying after after Capleton and after Sizzla, but... they know what they're doing.

Jesse I : Right.

JAH MASON: It's all a setup man, I'm telling you king.

Jesse I : Right. So who... do you think it's the government? Who is setting him up?

JAH MASON: Yeah, it's the government. Because we go out so much to put the fire pon the government.. and the extreme. We go to the extreme. We don't hold it, you know what I'm saying?

Jesse I : Right.

JAH MASON: From you're living wrong and you're supporting wrong, the fire is on you, not literally but... it's because they don't overstand the fire, cause the fire is for the purging and the purification. When them hear we say we bun fire, them a say "Jah Mason a bun nuff fire, Sizzla a bun fire, Capleton a bun fire". The fire... without the fire you cannot live. Cause the fire is the element where.. you can't go on without fire. Fire live in a every man. Without the fire, you cannot live. Without the fire there's no light, there's no electricity. There's no governing, you see me a say. Everything lock down. Without the fire you cannot drink a cup of tea, you cyaan eat no food, so you have to live with the fire. So the fire is for the purging and the purification. The people them have to overstand the fire when we burn the fire. You see me a seh?

Jesse I : Right.

JAH MASON: Yeah man.

Jesse I : Yes, I know.. it's nice to have you explain that because a lot of controversy over the "fire bun" lyrics. I know people like Morgan Heritage and Shabba Ranks have been sort of hitting back against the fire bun, but..

JAH MASON: Yeah.

Jesse I : It's nice to have the explained for us. One thing I heard though, I heard that there was some stuff.. talk that Sizzla said "burn all the white people in Jamaica" apparently at a sumfest. Do you know anything about that?

JAH MASON: No, I never hear anything about that.

Jesse I : Okay. So..

JAH MASON: It's not like that. Maybe some people take it the other way, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Cause I don't burn white people! I love white people, but I burn the white world! You see me?

Jesse I : Right.

JAH MASON: Certain philosophy, the bad philospohy. Those people who come change round, and come infiltrate and dem... I don't have nuthing against white people. I love white people! Me personally. Cause white people have to listen to my music, and come tell me say "Yo!". Them love dat, cause them live better more. Cause even them haffe come live like we. You see me a say?

Jesse I : Yes I. One blood.

JAH MASON: So me go all over the world and me see white people say His Majesty is the Almighty. So, I can't burn white people. You see me?

Jesse I : Yes I.

JAH MASON : You see wha me a say Jah?

Jesse I: Yes I. So what can we expect from Jah Mason in the future? What have you got in store for us?

JAH MASON: You can expect a lot cause there's a brand new album coming out December for the millenium.

Jesse I : Okay.

JAH MASON: And... a couple a singles release out here, you don't even get those as yet. From release in New York here, me gotta get a couple copies to you.

Jesse I : Okay. That would be very good. So who have you recorded your album, the CD with?

JAH MASON: This bredren of mine, wha live in New York.

Jesse I : Okay. Well, blessed Jah Mason, thank you very much for taking the time out to speak to us and all the listeners here.

JAH MASON: For real.

Jesse I : Do you have any words of wisdom to leave the Australian massive?

JAH MASON: Yeah man, just make the yout' dem know say... no care who dem is, black or white, just stay strong you know. Cause Haile Selassie I is the Almighty... and the first and them have to just know dat and come live dat. Royalty we a deal with round here, y'know. So we just want to see the royal living, and the real authentic living. And the real love. We want to see dat, you see wha me a say?

Jesse I : Yes.

JAH MASON: Yeah man, so a just more strength, y'know. Chant Down Babylon same speed, y'know.