You’ve had an amazing debut on the big screens with your role in The Bob Marley: One Love biopic. You played the role of your father Junior Marvin, who was the guitarist for Bob Marley and The Wailers. Explain the moment this opportunity was presented to you and what you were feeling?
Well, I actually reached out to them, because I realized that they were doing a casting call for my dad. I thought, wow this is pretty, you know… If I had to watch the movie and to know someone random was playing my dad and it wasn’t my little brother? I don’t know who else could play him. Because we know him so well! I look just like him pretty much, like we have a lot of the same features, you know? I’ve always been told “you look just like your dad” so I feel like that probably played a part in me having the role on the big screen. Whatever it is, I’m just continuing the legacy he left behind for us — even though he’s still out there touring and stuff. To get in the movie it was a big deal.
Did you feel any pressure to play such a prominent role as your own father?
Yeah at first I thought it was pretty easy, and then one day I sat down and was like you know what, let me study him a little more. I’ve always studied him on tour and stuff like that, but when it got down to the guitar, I realized it gets pretty serious. I used to play guitar and high school and I’ve gotten to learn a few of his solos, but not the hardest ones. One of the hardest ones was a key point of filming. If you watch live at the rainbow he has a nice solo on there. He’s turnt up, he’s dancing. He’s damn near doing flips and summersaults while still playing the guitar. When I seen that I’m like, I gotta turn it up a little bit. I felt pressure when I realized these are some of the things that is I have to do.
I know you are generally a musical genius as well, which clearly runs in the bloodline. you’re an artist as well as a prominent songwriter and producer as well. What moment did you feel like taking this seriously?
I was basically born into this. First memories I have is growing up in the studio. Running around the house in diapers playing drums. So, growing up it was natural for me to just play music and dance and sing. I used to love Michael Jackson. I remember in high school, we used to rap alot because we were influenced by Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, WuTang, The Diplomats and all the guys that were popping around that time. Those were the cool guys, and we were into being cool and not singing at the time.
I used to sing Bob Marley of course, but then eventually Usher came out with Confessions, and I was like “woah, this guy is getting all the ladies I need to get like this guy.” Usher was the reason I started diving to RNB. Chris Brown too, once I saw him, I was like okay Chris Brown is taking all my girls and he just started. So I was like let me get in my bag. I started doing in in high school, and it was an easy transition from singing Bob Marley songs because he sings with so much strength and power and you get a lot of control, practicing his style of music.
One day I got in some trouble and my mom sent me away to stay with my dad. We lived at a studio and my dad worked on an album. I’m like, let me take this more serious. I started producing more on my laptop, and went to school for audio engineering and that’s when I really started to take it serious.
What are a few of your favorite collaborations upon your discography?
My first song I actually put out on all DSPs was a song with Tory Lanez and Fabolous. I’ve known Tory since he was 9 years old and we’ve been recording since he was 10. He’s probably one of the best to me because he’s an amazing singer, an amazing writer and an amazing rapper. Fabulous has always been one of my favorites, he was a legend growing up for me. My first record with them was out of this world for me. I’ve produced some stuff with Tory as well, and Rick Ross.
How different is the art of acting from the art of creating music? If any difference at all
You know what, it’s so funny you say that. I feel like it’s pretty much the same thing — it’s almost exactly the same. People just look at it differently because you’re behind the camera, you have to do takes, you have to be on point. Some people think it’s a hard transition. I mean for me it was easy, maybe because I grew up my whole life wanting to be actor… You know? I’ve practiced being an actor, but when you’re a musician and you’re practicing to go on stage, you’re practicing to perform. So it’s kind of the same thing when you’re getting on camera to perform.
You’re native to Jamaica, but you relocated with your family to Miami — how has the best of both worlds influence your style?
Yes, Most definitely. I feel like because im from Jamaica, you get the real Caribbean pocket, you get a lot of rhythm coming from Jamaica. We dance a lot, we got a lot of grooves, dancehall, reggae music. That type of music has a certain type of swing to it, you know?
It has a certain style. So I kind of use the pockets the Jamaicans will use in my music, and dialect as well in some of my RNB songs. You won’t really hear an RNB artist who hits certain pockets like I do, because of where I come from. I mix that all into the music., And being from Miami I’m more hip to like you know, a futuristic way of making my music and kind of being ahead of the game, and ahead of the fashion curve, everything.
The video for your single “On The Run” — was shot and directed by One Umbrella CEO Tory Lanez. What was the inspiration?
We usually do our own production in-house, when it comes to producing, directing, and editing, so Tory gave me some ideas for it. I pretty much directed it as well with him, but he edited it and all. He was the overseer of everything.
The inspiration, it’s pretty much just what we’ve been doing for the last ten years. We’ve just been on the run, you know? Touring, on the go, movies, acting… Me and Tory were actually working on a TV series. It’s called “Pieces” — we did a pilot for it. Hopefully he comes home soon and we’ll get it back on the road.
What else can people expect from you in the near future?
Expect more reggae music. I feel like I owe it to myself and to my people to go back to my roots and put out more Jah music, which is God music. Music that brings people together like Bob Marley’s. That’s the music I want to ultimately go back to in a few more years. I’ll obviously crossover into hip-hop and RNB as well because thats my favorite. But that’s my vibe!
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