Bob Marley was more Jewish than Rasta.
Bob Marley with Chris Blackwell and others
Saying that the world’s most famous Rasta was more Jewish than Rasta will not go over well with some people, especially with today’s so-called Rastas. The truth is, however, one can shout “JAH RASTAFARI” and smoke marijuana every day that does not make you a Rasta. Being a Rasta means you know, practice and live the teachings of Marcus Garvey and Percival Howell.
When I say Bob Marley was more Jewish than Rasta, I am not referring to the original Jews who are the Hebrews in the bible, I am talking about the modern day Jews, for example, those occupying the Palestinians territory. This also has nothing to do with the fact that Bob Marley’s father was Jewish. This is based solely on Bob Marley’s behavior and actions during his lifetime. If you should take a serious look back at Marley’s behavior, you would see that he was more of a Chris Blackwell and a Jerry Heller than he was a Walter Rodney or Marcus Garvey.
Of course Bob must be given credit for his talent in taking other people’s creation and making it his own. He should also be given a lot of credit for being a great businessman and a good songwriter but those things and Rasta are not mutually exclusive. Beres Hammond is a great songwriter but he never claims to be a Rasta. Donald Trump is a great businessman but he is the farthest thing from Rasta.
If Bob Marley was influenced by Rastas in Trench Town that influenced died when he started working with Chris Blackwell. He became more of an exploiter than an up lifter. Of course his music talks of upliftment, it had to, he was copying the words of the greatest up lifters in history. But look at the way he treated those around him starting with his own wife, Rita Marley. Look at the disloyalty he extended to his childhood friends and bandmates, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.
Of course Bob had a right to disassociate himself from Peter and Bunny and make the most financially viable move for himself. After all, he had a family to feed. But at the same time, he stole food from so many other children’s mouths it is sickening. The children of the Barret Brothers deserve to benefit from their fathers hard work as much as Ziggy, Damian, Stephen and all the other Marley children. Yet Bob, in collusion with Chris Blackwell rob those children of their father’s blood, sweat and tears. Aston Barret had to file for bankruptcy. Imagine that, playing on every song, on every album Bob Marley released and only thing you have to show for it is that you can use “The Wailers” moniker to do touring.
Yes, part of the Barrett brothers dilemma is the fact that they could not read, so they were taken advantage of. But no true Rasta man would take advantage of another Rasta man. So the fact that Bob Marley would pull such a stunt or allow Chris Blackwell to pull that stunt, shows that Bob was less like real Rastas and more like Chris Blackwell. The chanting down of Babylon and capital exploitation was just a tool to sell records.
Back in 2006, TCOOO (Taking Care of Our Own) was selling “One Love” t-shirts for a back to school fundraiser when they received a Cease and Desist letter from attorney’s representing the Marleys. The phrase “One Love” was being used to reference Marcus Garvey, who is the creator of the phrase but the Marleys have trademarked it as if it was theirs, so only they can capitalize off it. That behavior is not Rasta and you can guarantee that Marcus Garvey’s heirs are not receiving any kind of monetary rewards for his slogan.
Today the Marleys have signed a deal with Privateer Holdings, a marijuana company based in Seattle Washington. It is a deal that prominent Jamaicans including Bunny Wailer; agree that it will hurt the Jamaican marijuana farmers. But that has always been the behavior of the Marleys and from all indications it will forever be the behavior of the Marleys. Most Whites have no problem with this type of behavior as to them, Black people screwed over is not a big deal. What is sickening is most Blacks see no problem with it either. The years of been downtrodden lead them to believe that it is better that Bob Marley with some Jewish blood in him get the credit and financial reward for the hard work and dedication of Black men without any white blood flowing through their veins. So Blacks will give you all kind of excuses why Carlton Barrett and Aston Barret do not deserve to be paid. They will tell you how when people hear “One Love” they think of Bob Marley not Marcus Garvey so therefore it is the Marleys who deserve the trademark and not the original creator.
It was shocking when Ziggy Marley came public with his support for the oppression of the Palestinian people but when you look back at some of his father’s actions, it should not be surprising at all.
Reggae was created by Black men in the ghettos of Kingston but the main financial beneficiaries have been Jewish men who never spent a night in a ghetto.
“God made man lord of his creation; gave him possession and ownership of the world. And you have been so darned lazy that you’ve allowed the other brother to run away with the whole world. Now he’s bluffing you and telling you that the world belongs to him and that you have no part in it.” – Marcus Garvey
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