Build, Don't Chase | Ft. Major Seven - Let's Talk Di Tings

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Some lives are composed like music, layered intentional, built on
quiet tension and powerful release. Amar Walker, known to the
world as Major seven, is one of those lives from Mandeville, Jamaica,
a tone known not only for its rolling hills, but

(00:24):
for producing thinkers, cultural contributors, and nation builders. Like one
of Jamaica's national heroes, Norman manly A, Mar stands in
a lineage of visionaries who led with both purpose and precision.
He spent part of his early years at Victor Dixon
High School, where the seeds of discipline and creative curiosity

(00:48):
began to take root. However, the true foundation of Amar's
journey began even earlier in the quiet, unshakable prayers of
his mound. After enduring six miscarriages, she prayed persistently and
faithfully for seven years, and then came Amar. His producer name,

(01:13):
Major seven is more than a nod to musical theory.
It's a tribute, a living meditation on his mother's endurance,
her belief, and the truth that some people are called
not just to succeed, but to uplift and inspire. That

(01:35):
spiritual thread follows Amar even into the studio. Years ago.
One of his most acclaimed productions. The Devil is a
Lie was nearly taken from him by someone more interested
in profit than principle, but that attempt failed, and the

(01:55):
irony of that title wasn't lost on him. Some moments
are more than coincidence. They are reminders of protection and
trusting God's timing. Since then, Amar has composed for artists
like Rihanna, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, burn A Boy Future,

(02:18):
and countless others, crafting soundscapes that are both commercially undeniable
and emotionally grounded. And while his Grammy nomination hasn't come
just yet, something about this year tells me it's only
a matter of time. This episode isn't just about music.

(02:40):
It's about identity, faith, and the kind of quiet power
that comes from staying grounded in your roots, especially when
those roots are Jamaican. Because when Amar walks in a
room or lays a chord or shares his story, it's
not just him speaking. It's legacy, it's prayer fulfilled. It's

(03:06):
the rhythm of a culture that moves the world. If
you're listening to the podcast on Apple Podcast, please remember

(03:27):
to rate and leave a comment below. Also, don't forget
to follow us on Instagram at Let's Talk the Things. Now,
grab your tea, coffee, or a glass of wine and
Let's Talk the Things. Hello everyone, Welcome back to Let's
Talk the Things, where we discuss personal growth, travel, music,

(03:52):
beauty and wellness while encouraging you to live fearlessly and fabulously.
I'm your host, Ash and this week we are Talking
the Things with multi platinum music producer for artists like
Rick Ross, Rihanna, Burna Boy, Buju Bantan, and Snoop Dog
to name a few. Omar Walker, more popularly known as

(04:16):
Major seven. Hi, Omar, how are you hey?

Speaker 2 (04:19):
How are you doing? I'm doing amazing. I'm glad to
be here, so blessed.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
Thank you, Thank you so much for coming to Talk
the Things with me. Yeah yeah, you have to bustle
the accent.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
I love it.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
So As a first time guest and for persons that
are listening for the first time, we begin each episode
with our listener's favorite segment and it's called that no
Sound safe. So so Omar, I'm going to read messages
or social media posts that listeners sent in and if

(04:58):
you think it sounds crazy or a little bit concerning,
you'd say that the sound safe and explain why. And
if you agree, I can't even finish this without laughing.
And if you agree, say you agree and explain why.
Sounds good?

Speaker 2 (05:14):
But all right, cool, let's do it.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
So the first person said, Jamaican parents give the worst ultimatums.
They'll say either you wash the dishes or come a tomatos. Oh,
you know, I feel like they're a bit.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
Extreme, definitely, but it works though.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yes, it prepares us for the world because you can't
tell us anything that we haven't already been told by
our parents.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
For real, you aren't sure how to, like, you know,
take on the challenges of life, because growing up is
a challenge. It's always like something you know.

Speaker 1 (05:58):
So true, so true. We all need to go. We
have said this in another episode. We all need to
go to like group therapy together.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
Being Jamaican Bill's character though.

Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yes, and we also have not only does it build character,
but I said this in another episode, or actually I
should say the person I was interviewing said it to me,
and he's from Grenada. He said that Jamaicans have this
certain type of confidence, you know, and I was saying,
it's something that's really ingrained in US. And that's why

(06:32):
when celebrities even go to Jamaica, they don't really get
run down for autographs or anything, because most Jamaicans are
looking at them and saying, he's all right, but I
can't sing better that name.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yes, I definitely believe in that, because I definitely consider
myself to be extremely confident.

Speaker 1 (06:53):
Love that. Love that, Yeah, I don't know if it's
the leo or oh my gosh, it's.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
Theer and lying you feel me.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
I love that. That's double Jamaican and alio. Yeah, that's
a double dosa confidence for sure. All Right, So the
next person said, imagine your card gets declined at the
barber and he starts gluing your hair back on.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
First fall, he shouldn't be cutting it off in the
first place. And then second of all, man Imazellum right exactly.

Speaker 1 (07:30):
This is not nineteen ninety four, so I would hold
sell or cash up something, but gluing it back on is. Actually.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
Another thing about Jamaican is we're creative. So if Plan
A don't work, we're gonna have Plan b cd ef
we don't find a way to make it happen.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
You know, that is so true. That's one thing about us.
We are very resilient when it comes to finding a
way for sure. All Right, The next person said, all
I spend money on is food and clothes, but I'm
still hungry and can't find anything to wear.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
Hey, thats how you spend all your money on food
and clothes and still hungry and don't got nothing to wear?

Speaker 1 (08:11):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (08:12):
But you know you're spending it on food and clothes
for somebody else, or that.

Speaker 1 (08:18):
Means you're like me and you're always hungry even though
you're spending it on food. It's like, boy, you know,
I feel for something nice, like you can eat something else.
It could be that, or it could be the fact that, like,
I don't know how you are, but I feel like
sometimes I'll feel like I have something to wear, and

(08:39):
then other times I'll be like, oh my gosh, I
need to get something, Like I have nothing to wear
and I have a closet full of clothes.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
I mean, that's how I feel every time I have
to go somewhere like tomorrow, have to go to wedding,
It's like that's how I feel. So after this, I
gotta go find so like anytime I gotta go somewhere
I have to do something. I'm like that, but that's
because I'm not really that big into like I'm starting
to get into it now, but like fashion, and I'm
so like locked in on what I'm building, like that's
just my primary focus. Yeah, it's not my priority at

(09:07):
least not right now, you know, got you?

Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah? Yeah, well that makes sense. So maybe that canzone
a little safe, but a little not safe, because if
it's not your priority, then it's like, eh, you don't
really care, you know, all right? Two more, The next
person said, I don't know how to turn up anymore.
I'll be at the bar just checking my emails.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
I guess. I guess I could agree with that because
I feel like I'm that person. But I do feel
like I'm lit though, Like I feel like I'm like
a good energy to be around, and even though I'm
always doing something like sometimes I could be at Thanksgiving
and I have my laptop with me, so I might

(09:51):
be passively just chilling at one point, organizing some files
or working on something or arranging something, but I still
like engage with the family and cool. So I feel
like I'm kind of like in the middle, but I
still need to be better balanced. So I'm like a
workaholic obsessed with what I do.

Speaker 1 (10:09):
You know, well, you already in the vision that explains
a lot, That explains a lot. You're very driven, I'm sure. Yeah,
But I think that's a good thing to point out,
right because it's safe because that means that you are
on top of what you need to do, you know,
your focus. But it's not safe because you do need

(10:30):
that balance, you know. So I agree with you. It's
kind of like in the middle.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
Yeah, I'm very intentional, very like got a bit long
to do list, just never ending, constantly just task and yeah,
so I definitely need a little bit more balance. But yeah, seasons,
you know.

Speaker 1 (10:50):
But it's hard. Yeah, And it's hard too when you
have like so many dreams and aspirations and you know,
you just want to do everything. It's really hard to
like stop.

Speaker 2 (11:02):
Yeah, focus is important. Yeah, you have to be focused
and you have to be intentional. And I think a
lot of the stuff that I do, even though it
may seem like so many things, like, I think they
have synergy with each other and I've found ways to
you know, I'm always building systems. So for me, it's
also about like efficiency so I'm big on working smarter,

(11:24):
but I'm also working harder too, So I'm combined working
smarter with harder and that's just allowed me to just
like propel like super fast with everything that I'm trying
to be.

Speaker 1 (11:35):
I love that. Yeah, I love that. Intention definitely matters
and helps you to get to where you need to be.
So yeah, I love that, beautifully said. Okay, last one.
This one's a little bit long, but the last one.
People will literally admire you from afar, get to experience
you in real time and become envious after seeing you

(11:57):
are exactly who you appair to be. Your light will
always offend persons who are at war with themselves, So
choose wisely who gets to experience you. Your frequency is valuable.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
No, I agree with that one hundred percent because I
feel like whenever you're doing something, no matter how positive
you are, no matter how inspiring you are, no matter
how humble you are, I think it will feel like
people always find like the negative and something. And you know,
a friend the other day was telling me, oh, yeah,
someone was hating on something that you did, and I'm

(12:31):
just like, man, I don't even got time to even
think about that, Like or like engage in a conversation
that has to just do with debating whether this is
better than this with somebody, like on some comparison level
where it's it's like I'm not comparing myself to to anybody.
I'm just you know, I'm just becoming who I believe
that I meant to be. So I'm super focused and

(12:53):
you just can't be distracted. Like somebody sent me a
crazy hate message the other day, like oh uh after
Doop dog followed me, there was like, oh you think
you're on that because Snoop Dogg followed you and then
called me an islander, N word and all this other stuff.

Speaker 1 (13:10):
What.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
Yeah, it was crazy. So I mean I just like, yeah,
just blocked and kept them moving. You know, I can't
even pour any energy into that at all.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
Yeah, absolutely not. That is actually insane.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
Yeah, I know, right, But it's crazy that there's people
out there whose purpose is just so low or none
existent that like, yeah, they actually have time to like
create a whole profile with no picture and you know,
just to troll people or.

Speaker 1 (13:39):
Yeah, that's crazy. I mean I think you handled that beautifully,
but that's just crazy how much your drive can trigger
somebody you know exactly say something like that.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
That's insane, it's pretty wild. So you know, I just
try to stay focused. And I think the most dangerous
person is the person with no purpose.

Speaker 1 (14:01):
No sah, that is a word that's so true, that's
so true, and seriously, like, well, first of all, I
think this one is very safe and it's very true
because I think you have to be aware of and
it doesn't mean to be paranoid, but just aware of
people that are envious of even your ability to produce

(14:22):
certain things. Right because for me, and coming from a
musical family, I know that certain things, especially when it
comes to producing music, you either have it or you don't.
It's not always something you can be taught. Like, yes,
you can go to a school of music and learn
the basics and things like that, but as my dad
would say, some people just have like a feel when

(14:42):
they're playing or producing music, and it's something that can't
be emulated, you know. So some persons will see that
and know they can't take that from you because it's
God given, and so they figure if they put you
down enough, maybe you'll start to small up yourself and
maybe you'll start to say, oh, maybe I'm not that
great like possible. You know, maybe you know, but they

(15:03):
don't know they're dealing with Jem and Alio.

Speaker 2 (15:10):
I'm out here, you know, Like I just feel like,
you know, yeah, people always want to minimize others, especially
like I said, they don't have purpose. But you got
to know who you are, even before the world knows
who you are. I think for me, like what you
said is super true. Like, yes, you can be gifted,
and I do believe that I'm gifted, but even more

(15:33):
than that, I feel like I'm skilled. It's not enough
to just be gifted, Like you have to take your
talents and you got to work on them every day
and refine them and continuously be a student and want
to grow and like just never stop growing, you know.
I feel like that's truly where greatness is born, is
born in isolation. It's it's something my mom always told me,
heights by great man reach and kept we're not attained

(15:55):
by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept, were
toiling up with through the night. And I feel like
I ended up taking that so literally, really being up
all night every night just just putting in work, putting
in work, putting in work, and putting in ten thousands
of hours into my craft. So I think even more
than a technical skill or like playing the piano or

(16:15):
whatever it is, or I think my greatest gift is
actually my vision. Like I think that I have the
ability to see what things can be before they are,
and I know how to like turn my visions into
realities and take ideas and put them in a tangible form.
But I'm always gonna think of like the biggest idea
and then I'm going to find a way to like

(16:36):
try to make it happen. And once you do the
impossible one time, then you realize that, yo, you could
do it over and over again.

Speaker 1 (16:44):
Absolutely. And I had to literally contain myself because my
mom is gonna hear this and literally scream yeah, because
she says that same quote to me literally every other day. Wow,
that's so crazy. I have to literally like hold like
allow you to speak because I'm like, that's so crazy.

(17:05):
You know many people I've said that to when they're like, oh,
I've never even heard that, really, And I'm like, what,
my mom says that to me so much that I
have the whole thing memorized.

Speaker 2 (17:14):
Oh yeah, I'm saying I think my mom used to
have a hanging on the wall where she wrote it
on like the back of a you know, she broke
down a cornflakes box and turned it around and turned
it into a poster and had it hanging on the
wall and it was written on there.

Speaker 1 (17:29):
Gosh, although my mom says it to me all the time,
it's literally one of my favorite quotes because I think
it just encompasses like who I am as a person,
like I'm going to work hard, I'm going to achieve
my goals no matter what. And I think it's just
so it's just so encouraging, you know what I mean. Like,
I think it also reminds you that you can't watch people,

(17:52):
you know. That's something my dad always says, like don't
watch people or don't want what other people have because
you never know how they attained it, you know, and
also you don't know the work that they have to do.
So even when we were in school, like growing up,
my parents would say, you know, you see this person
at this party or this function, you don't know that
they're probably uplate studying and making sure they have their

(18:13):
work done. You just see them out and think like, oh,
they're all about fun. But you better believe they're making
sure they study. They just don't have to advertise it,
you know. So yeah, wow, that is so crazy that
you said that. I rarely hear anybody know that quote.

Speaker 2 (18:29):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (18:33):
That was fun, and now it's time for us to
talk the real things. So you talked about your mom, right,
And so I read that major seven isn't just a moniker.
It's layered. You know, there is a reference to your
musical journey and the musical reference to the chord, but
it's also about your mother's journey and your birth. So

(18:57):
can you explain a little bit more about what that
means and how that dual meaning has shaped how you
navigate the world.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
Oh, definitely, I think just knowing that my mom she
actually well, first of all, when I wanted to come
up with a musical name, I was thinking, like, y'all
want something that's both personally meaningful and also has like
musical context. So the musical context for me was the

(19:27):
major seventh chord in music theory. And then I thought
of like, you know how, my mom she actually had
six miscarriages before I was born, so I was number seven,
and I thought that was just special in the story
behind it like she had a vision in church and
then like to name me Samuel, So my middle name
is actually Samuel, and like handing the Bible who prayed

(19:50):
for her son for seven years. And then the number
seven is just such a significant number just throughout the universe,
throughout you know, biblically, like it's just a spiritual number
and like a number of completion. And then me also
being born in the seventh month of the year, in July,
and yeah, wo then I actually have my July twenty fifth,

(20:16):
I actually have my first kid on the way. My
daughter's supposed to be born on the twenty eighth of July.
That's her due date, so she might even come on
my birthday.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
And oh my god, it's so beautiful.

Speaker 2 (20:28):
Her name is thank you. Her name is going to
be seven.

Speaker 1 (20:33):
I cannot manage. That's so beautiful. And then the fact
that you're born on the twenty fifth, five plus two
is seven.

Speaker 2 (20:39):
Oh no, I didn't even think about that part too.
See that's a whole another seven.

Speaker 1 (20:45):
Oh that's crazy. Wow. Well congratulations. First of all, that's
great news, and it just goes to show how, like
you know, you were really meant to do this, to
be where you are, you know what I mean, because
that not only that number just surrounding you, but how
you were brought into this world. I think that's really

(21:07):
indicative of you having a purpose. Ye you know, you
talk a lot about your mom and you know her
resilience and her faith. What does it mean to carry
her story into rooms that you walk into? Now?

Speaker 2 (21:21):
It means everything. It's funny because even going to Jamaica,
like one of her favorite artist is bears him. And
so when I first met Bars, right, Yeah, it's like
the first question he asked me was like, what does
what does your name mean? And so I told him
that story, and then later I facetied my mom and
I have a whole video of like my mom being

(21:43):
at work and he's just talking to my mom and
just just showing love.

Speaker 1 (21:48):
You know. Oh, and it's such a lovely human being.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
It's real.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
Yeah, Oh my gosh, I love that.

Speaker 2 (21:56):
Yeah. So it means a lot to just carry that
story with me. And I think just you know, the
things that she taught me, just like exercising those things
every day, and like I think my mom, matter of fact,
I think she told me she used to walk seven
miles to school every day, and like just coming from
Jamaica to be like the very next generation and to

(22:20):
be respected, you know by all the heroes of our culture,
whether it's you know, the Marley family or Sizla or
Junior Read or all these people that I've had the
pleasure of just connecting with and being able to contribute
to the culture that created me. To me, like, that's
like everything just being you know, one generation of someone

(22:42):
who was walking seven miles to school and my dad
who didn't even meet his dad to when when I
met him at the same time, Yeah, when I was
going to school in Jamaica. So it's just crazy because
you know, it's like, you know, just seeing where my
family came from, my roots are. It puts purpose in
me every day of just wanting to maximize my opportunity

(23:05):
and my potential and also my impact.

Speaker 1 (23:08):
I love that. That's such a beautiful story. And you
said you went to school in Jamaica.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah, I did. I went to school in Mandivale.

Speaker 1 (23:15):
Oh, oh my gosh, that's where my mom is from.
Oh that's yes.

Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah, I went to Victor Dixon High School for two
years first and second form.

Speaker 1 (23:24):
I think that's so cool because I had no clue
that you even went to school there.

Speaker 2 (23:27):
Oh yeah I did.

Speaker 1 (23:28):
That's amazing.

Speaker 2 (23:29):
I was probably some of the most fun times in
my life.

Speaker 1 (23:32):
Right, school in Jamaica is just like a whole episode
every day. Yes, I mean no air condition, but yeah,
definitely a part of it, none of that, yes, yes,
oh I love that. So, as a young Jamaican creative
right growing up in the diaspora, what role do you

(23:55):
think culture played in forming your sense of self? Because
even though you went to school in Jamaica, you only
went there for a couple of years, so I gather
the rest of your you know, childhood, young adulthood was
in America.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
Yep. Yeah, So I'm from Atlanta, so, like you know,
Atlanta has a lot of culture too, and a lot
of music and a lot of all these different things.
And then and then I was around so much family,
Like both of my parents are like one of thirteen kids,
so I have so many uncles and aunts and cousins.
So I'm constantly surrounded by like Jamaican culture and so

(24:29):
much music and all these different things. But honestly, in
my household, you know, it's funny to set number seven again,
my parents is seven day vent and so like I did.

Speaker 1 (24:39):
Oh my gosh, that's crazy.

Speaker 2 (24:42):
So oh, so he didn't really grow up listening to
like a lot of like different kinds of music. Like
a lot of times my parents was playing the same
tape in the car, flipping it over occasionally out of
here like some Bob Marley, some Whitney Houston.

Speaker 1 (24:57):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah, There's certain songs that stand out in my oilihood,
like you Are Not Alone by Michael Jackson and I
Believe I Could Fly I was one of my favorite
songs growing up. And then it wasn't until I went
to Jamaica and where I really started like learning. The
first person I stayed with was my friend David Campbell.

(25:18):
He was older than me and so he was probably
in like fifth form when I was in first form.
And you know, he comes from a family, like a
very tech family, so he was always building and breaking
down his computer. So I learned a lot of my
technical skills and just my like computer tech savviness just
from like living with him. And then the next year

(25:39):
I was staying with Reggie, who was I think he
was in fifth form at the time when I was
in second form, and and staying with Reggie he was.
He was just like such a big fan of hip hop.
He had all these CDs of like Biggie and Tupac
and Eminem and like ludaic Is. Like I got into

(26:03):
so much music and got introduced into like freestyling, and
someone was like, yo, you have freestyle. Just put on
the beat, and then everybody started rapping, and I started
reading the dictionary just to increase my vocabulary, just so
I could beat everybody in freestyle battles. So it was
just a whole journey of just like self discovery just
living in Jamaica. And and then honestly, like it wasn't

(26:26):
until until I actually produced DJ Kalli's Holy Mountain with
Buju and Sizzla and Movado, And that's kind of when
I really started like really looking in the mirror and
like wanting to tap more into my Jamaican roots because
it just felt so good to contribute to culture that

(26:47):
you know, it made me want to like dive in
even further because it just furthered my purpose and yeah,
elevated my purpose, and I just felt like there's so
many things like contribute with the knowledge that I've received,
even outside of Jamaica, that I could pour into the
culture while at the same time discovering the culture putting

(27:09):
the faces to the names, which I never did growing up.
So I was like always hearing Capleton, but I didn't
know what he looked like or who he was. So
it's like I'm going to go record with him and
I'm listening to studying his music, I'm like, yo, that
was Capleton the whole time. So now I just know
so much more. And so it's almost like a self
discovery project of just like a lot of things that

(27:31):
I've been doing and focused on within Jamaica and trying
to just Yeah, it made me just proud of want
to represent Jamaica on the global scales.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
I love that, and I love that you brought up
that song because I think that's one of those songs
that have, you know, that feel. My dad would be
very proud of me, because that's like his favorite thing
to say as a musician. But like, you can just
feel that that was produced by Jamaica, and this is
before I knew you produced it. Like I could just
tell there's just something about it, like you can't replicate

(28:06):
that feeling. I don't really know how to describe it.

Speaker 2 (28:08):
I know what you mean. I mean, honestly really speak
of my language, because the way I look at music
is I don't think about how music sounds when I'm
making music, Like I'm always I'm always like, how does
it feel? Everything every decision I make is based on
how something feels versus how it sounds.

Speaker 1 (28:27):
Yeah, And that's how I grew up around music. I mean,
I grew up around my dad just literally getting with
you know, some of the best musicians, Uncle Barri's, uncle Tutz,
and they just start playing and it ends up sounding
like a hit song. And they're literally just playing like
they don't plan anything, and it's just like it just

(28:47):
has this feeling. It just feels authentic. It feels like home.
That's the best way I can describe it.

Speaker 2 (28:55):
And then when you're able to capture that, people feel
that frequency when they're listen into it. Because it's captured,
it's almost like taking a picture. It's a moment in time.

Speaker 1 (29:05):
It can't be doe to technology, yes.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
And so it's just like, you know, I consider creating
music and then the things that I apply to the music,
to me that like enhance the feeling. It's almost like
someone who takes a picture. Now they're editing the photo.
Now they want to turn up the saturation and they
want to maybe make it black and white or so.
It's just like when I'm thinking of like every sound,
I might capture somebody playing the bass, but I'm thinking, like,

(29:31):
how do I want it to feel? Do I want
it to feel vintage? Do I want it to be warm,
or do I want it to you know, like just
be very intentional on where it's placed. Like so all
those things add to the feeling. So I kind of
see every sound is like a blank canvas, and I'm
just like coloring it and I'm getting even more detailed.
I'm zooming in and I'm really like going into my palette,

(29:54):
mixing colors together and getting it even in between the
colors just like it might be like very light green,
or it might be really dark red or you know.

Speaker 1 (30:04):
So I really love that description. I love that you
can tell say you read dictionary for fun, you know,
because that's such a really vivid description, like for somebody
that is not aware of music or how music is
created for them to picture that, and it's so interesting

(30:26):
you describe it that same way Because I had Aston
Barrett Junior on Here a couple of seasons ago, and
he was talking about the struggle continues, the struggle discontinues,
I'm sorry that he produced with Damian Marley, and he
was just explaining, like again, the feel of the music
and the feel that he wanted to get. And it

(30:47):
was so funny because it's like I now understand all
that I'm older. I now understand more of the jargon
that my dad and my uncles would use when it
comes to music, because I don't know how to read music.
I don't know any of that. But when you grow
up around it, it's like you can just tell that feeling,
you know what I mean. And I remember I had

(31:08):
Uncle Sli on here, Sly Dunbar Wow from Sly and Robbie,
and he was telling me about when he did Punky
Reggae Party and the drum you know, the drum role
that he did in the beginning. And it's so funny
because he was telling me about another song and knowing
like that that was my dad on the drums. And
then my dad was telling me about the song and

(31:29):
knowing like, oh, that's Uncle Sly, Like I knew that
was him just by listening and I'm like, Dad, how
do you know that? Like literally, he'll just hear a
little role and he's like, oh, yeah, that's sly And
I'm like, oh, do you know that's crazy?

Speaker 2 (31:42):
You want to know it's super crazy too. My mom.
The other day, my mom texted me this one song.
I guess it's going viral and it's about like family.
And then I have a big cousins chat and then
they sent it in that cousin's chat too, and I
was and I put the screenshot of what I said
to my mom. I was like, oh, it's a meaning
full song. But literally within five seconds, I could tell.

(32:05):
I could tell. I was like, this sounds like it
was generated by AI and I could tell. And they
were like, how can you tell? How do you know that?
And I could just I just know, you know, like
I could, I could hear, I could hear the difference,
so I could feel the difference or I know how
it would write versus human. Even though it's getting really good,
don't get me wrong, Like there's some crazy ideas being

(32:25):
generated with AI, but like I can't even tell, even
though a lot of people who wouldn't know, but like
it's literally five seconds within hearing it, I could tell
I was like, Yo, this sounds like it's generated by AI.
And then I looked it up and then it was
but no.

Speaker 1 (32:44):
So talking about feel right, we had such an in
depth conversation I lost my train of thought. So talking
about feel when was the first time that you felt
music move you, not just like something that you liked,
but something that you felt like this told me like
this sound or you know, these chords chose me and

(33:04):
I have to create something.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
Well, before you said I have to create something, it
immediately what I was thinking of. You know how I
mentioned some of my favorite songs in my childhood. Like
as you were speaking, it brought me all the way
back to like some memory of some apartment we used
to live in and I'm a little kid, and it's
a it's like a tape or CD playing and it

(33:27):
had Michael Jackson's you Are Not Alone the song you
you know that song, Yeah you are not alone, I'm
here with you. And just that feeling like it always
made me feel something. And so like as you're talking,
I went all the way back into it's like a
time traveled back to that moment and I could feel
the feelings that I felt just hearing that song and

(33:49):
how it like, yeah, it was a comforting song to me.
You know, I love that, And I think that's what
music is. It's literally the soundtrack to our lives. And
that's why, like you know, making music is actually an
important job. Music. I've literally like had a song called
Breathe that I played like in a situation where my

(34:10):
cousin was basically having like a mental breakdown and I
didn't even really realize he was battling certain things. And
I had a song called Breathing and just playing he
was like Yo, played again, be cuz played again. And
it was like a three hour ride from Portland, Jamaica
back to Osurius, I think, and it was like I
just played that song over and over and it calmed
him down so much, and just realizing like just how

(34:33):
powerful music is. There's so much power in music. So
it's good to just know it's a responsibility, you know
what I'm saying. To create music, you have to know,
like you know, there's certain frequencies that you could put
out there, like you could make somebody feel happy, you
can make somebody feel sad, you could make somebody feel angry,

(34:54):
like there's so many things that music can do. So
it's really really really powerful and special at the same
time to know that, like you're literally creating the soundtrack
to somebody's life.

Speaker 1 (35:11):
Isn't that something that's so beautifully said? But it's so true,
Like you have a lot of power, yeah, you know,
in what you create. And so it also makes me
want to ask you, is there a project that ever
made you feel like whoa, like this is bigger than me,
Like something that reminded you why you even do this

(35:32):
in the first place?

Speaker 2 (35:33):
Man, I would say there's a few. There's one that
I'm working on right now called Sometimes I Wonder, And
basically this is a song that I've actually been like
producing for like seven years, and I feel like the
production is done now. It's like an Afro influenced pop song.
They're also like I had like live Brazilian percussion and

(35:56):
live horns, and it feels it feels very like it's
very like reflective and introspective, and it's it's about you know,
it's about hopes. It's like sometimes I Wonder, there's things
gonna change, people fade away, all these different things, and
and so like just doing that song, I had this
big vision for it, like I could see it being

(36:18):
like we are the world, like being connected to companies
like Coca Cola, Disney, the Olympics, the World Cup, like
it has that feeling. And so I basically like created
a whole PDF about the vision of how I could
see this song being used. And I've seen these kids
in Africa called Nation Infinity Africa and they have almost

(36:40):
a million followers on Instagram, were probably even more, and
like they basically are in orphanage, and all these kids
used dancing as their way to like express themselves. And
I took a lot of their videos from Instagram and
I basically like chopped it up and edited it to
the song to create an overall pitch that I started
sending out to all these companies and every thing. And

(37:02):
by doing that, I actually connected directly with that organization.
And just because of my vision for this song and
the way that I was able to put my vision
in a tangible form, now I have like really big
directors and all these people trying to like literally shoot
a documentary call sometimes I wonder in And because of that,
I got invited to a big event for organization that

(37:27):
has all these schools in Africa and is creating all
this impact and just so many things have come out
of it to the point where it's like, now I
have a nonprofit organization being that just got found it
called Major Change Initiative. All these different things all because
of this one song's vision and it's beautiful and it

(37:49):
just shows how much, like you know, just putting your
vision in a tangible form and really going all in
on that vision, you know, it could literally impact the world.
You know, you could literally change the world. And yeah,
so that's a project that I'm really proud of. And
then something that's come out, I would say working with
Rhapsody Rhapsoy is one of those artists that puts so

(38:10):
much feeling into her music and like really cares about
the artific So working with her was a very like
artful and creative experience. And so she had a song
called Faith that I felt like was just so special
the way that record came together and like when it
and it actually just got nominated for like a BT

(38:31):
Award in the Inspirational category alongside another song that I
did called Rain Down on Me with Gloiala and Kirk Franklin.
Kira shared and Maverick City. So yeah, it's just been
interesting just just even reading the comments on the song,
like yo, like this song made me cry, or this

(38:52):
song made me think about this, or like there's so
many ways that the song can touch people. You know,
I've played the song for people and they've cried. Like
I've literally played music that I've created for people and
watched grown men cry before. And that's because of the
feeling that I put into my music. Back to the field,
It's all about the feeling. And as I'm making this music,

(39:13):
I'm thinking about how how do I want somebody to
feel when they hear this? And like I said, every
decision that I make in the production process is based
on that.

Speaker 1 (39:22):
Yeah, And you know it's it's so funny because listening
to your researching the songs that you've produced and then
listening to them, the most recent one being Sweet Love,
which is actually what led me to find you so surprisingly,
I didn't know you produced The Devil is a Lie.
You know, all those other songs that I've been loving
Holy Mountain for years, not knowing you were the producer

(39:44):
on them. But then I thought, now i know, I'm
not crazy. I knew it had to be a Jamaica
on that producer, I said, I could feel it in
my ball.

Speaker 2 (39:55):
Yeah, And I think and I think, like yo, even
a lot of the new reggae music and like even
some of the legends, Like I feel like a lot
of the new reggae music is lost the feeling, you know.
I think that like it's not being produced the same ways.
It's not. It's very digital. It's very like you know,
the way I approach production now is like I'm not

(40:16):
even programming strings or horns or guitars, like I'm getting
everything done live. I flew to Spain just to record
the drums properly with the drum like I'm taking the
extra model and applying the things that I do and
even these other genres and when there's bigger budgets and
all these things, and I'm trying to like take these
feelings and back to the culture because I want to inspire,

(40:38):
you know, innovation in the reggae sound and just like
being able to like bring back that feeling. Let's bring
the feeling back, and let's let's still innovate it, but
let's bring that feeling back, you know. So that's that's
something that I want to push the backing vocals. I
had the Cold Bust in Amsterdam, Like on those backing vocals.
Everything about it was about like the feeling and just

(40:59):
making for sweet love. Yeah yeah, just making sure we
capture the essence. Yeah, I could tell you like all
the pieces around the world that came together just for
sweet Love to happen.

Speaker 1 (41:10):
You know, listen that song. First of all, Berna Boy
did an excellent job delivering that song. It's cadence, everything
but the feel of that song. I'm somebody that even
though I'm a young person, they call me old people
picnic because I grew up around I told you know,
I grew up around all my uncles, my dad, That's

(41:32):
what I grew up around. So I love that like
rock steady, And I told you this offline that like
rock steady vibe, that's like that seventies rock steady reggae,
Like that is my time period for sure, which is
so crazy to say because clearly I was not even
thought of during that time, but like that's what I

(41:56):
grew up around. I feel like that's the time period
of reggae where it was just feel good music and
when I heard sweet Love, like that's what I felt.
It's just the harmonies, the backgrown vocals. It was like, no,
this has to be produced by Jamaica, Like no way,
you know what I mean? Like this, nobody else could

(42:18):
capture this, you know what I mean? So how did
that come about? Like just getting him to do a
reggae song? Was that your idea? Was it his idea?

Speaker 2 (42:27):
Like?

Speaker 1 (42:28):
How did that whole thing come together?

Speaker 2 (42:31):
Honestly? I would say like it really started because I
had another track. I had another record that I did
with Rhapsode. I was a reggae It started a whole
thing with me and RHAPSI doing like reggae influenced stuff,
like reggae fused with hip hop. And so I had
this one record and everybody wanted it. Like a record

(42:51):
executive called me and they were literally trying to pay
me like crazy money for this beat, and I honestly
didn't want to sell it, just because I believed in
song that we had and like I'm still planning on
dropping it and doing something special with it, and so
they had. What happened was they had a new new
artist that they signed that wanted to use that beat,

(43:12):
and I basically was just like, man, I really rock
with this song. And then they were fighting for that
song and it was a whole thing and I was
just like, man, just send me the vocals. I'm gonna
try something. And so so the original one was kind
of more like a hip hop fusion and then this
one just the song just made me go like more
just fully reggae with it. And when I brought it

(43:35):
back to them, like nobody really responded. And when I
went to LA, they kind of slept on it. I'm like, bro,
I'm telling you, y'all are sleeping on this. So so
I went to UH. When I went to London, I
was meeting with Nia Smith at the graduation office and
Nia was I was just playing stuff and I played
him that He was like, Yo, send that to me.
And then you know, he sent it to his team

(43:57):
and then you know, I got a call and they're like, Yo,
this is the DOPESTUH reggae record I heard in like
the last ten years. I sent it to burna Boy
and he wanted to write write to it. He just
want to make sure it's available and yeah, and you
know that's where it all started.

Speaker 1 (44:14):
Wow, Oh that's amazing, and I agree. I agree with him.
It is like it's just so well done. I don't
I don't know how else to put it, but like
it's just it's really well done. I feel like I'm
just gonna say it here first, it's giving Grammy nomination. Hey,

(44:36):
you know it is. It is honestly, like it's so
well done. I mean, all of your stuff is well done,
but you know that reggae influence, I feel like it's
very strong. Yeah, in Sweet Love for sure.

Speaker 2 (44:48):
Yeah. And I think it's just like me having these
authentic pieces, like just to just to talk a little
bit of the production process. So I started, like you know,
just taking the old drums off the song and taking
the a cappella and and I got in with my
bass player, Jerks. He's like the dopest when it comes

(45:10):
to like reggae bass. He's played for Damian Marley, he's
played for Chronics, all these people, and so he moved
to Atlanta, so we connected. So I Hadham come over
and we basically started started it off just like you know,
building that chord progression just off the off of the bassline,
and then after the after we laid the bass to

(45:31):
these rough drums. I send it to my drummer in Spain.
His name is Joanne. He's really dope showing the reggae drummer.
And then I literally pulled up on Spain like and
we recorded some crazy drums. I loved his sonics and
the way that he captures the drums, and so that's
like those textures are important to me, you know, and
the way that you capture it is the difference between like,

(45:54):
you know, taking a picture on iPhone versus like having
a very high end camera and knowing how to use it,
and like, you know, just the difference of that. So
those things are important parts to me. Then I basically
played the keys on there, and I found a keyboard
player named Luke in Jamaica and I and I really

(46:15):
had hired him to just replay what I did, but
I wanted that feel. I wanted the authentic feel of
someone who's alive playing reggae musicians. I was like, Yo,
replay the keys, but here's the cords and give me
that shuffle and give me the organs. And then so
he did such a great job on that. Even though
I hired him on it, it just like I pretty
much added him to my team and we did some
much stuff since then, and uh yeah and yeah, and

(46:41):
then I even gave him publishing on the record everything,
and so like he's really a part of my team now.
And then I sent it to Bruce Beats in Miami.
I had Bruce write some horn arrangements to it. Then
I sent it to my other horned player, wat Him.
So Bruce plays the trumpet, so now wak him. He
plays every horn, so now he layers it with the

(47:02):
trombone and all these different parts. And then I'll send
it to the Cold Bus in Amsterdam and precious wisely
and they come up with these I describe like the
vibe that I'm going for with the backing vocals, and
then you know, they put that together and it's just
it's just a beautiful combination of just just me, like

(47:22):
combining the special the specialist, you know, like the best
the strength of everybody for the vision of the song.
And yeah, so that's how I try to really produce everything.
I think it's it. I really try to capture that feeling.
And then even when I get all the pieces, it's
like now it's time to color them, Like how do

(47:43):
I mix the horns to where they feel like this?
How do I mix the bass to where it feels
like this, how do I So it's not just about
capturing it. It's like now you have to color it.
Like to me, like when I'm just capturing it, it's
literally like having like a coloring book before you apply
to color, you know. And then you really just got
to sit.

Speaker 1 (48:01):
With you man, you and these analogies are like a
one I thank you, and then you just got to
take the best of the best, the best parts of
the performance, the best parts of the arrangement, the best
parts of you know, figuring out how things work together,
creating space.

Speaker 2 (48:18):
And you know something that somebody said to me, my
friend Willie lytton the day he first met me. He
was just like, yo, when you hear my music, he said,
I love the way you use negative space, and that
always stuck with me. I was just like, when I
thought about that, it made me realize that, you know,
the way that you use sound and noise is just
as important as the way you use silence, Like silence

(48:40):
can be just as impactful and just as colorful as sound.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
You know, Yes, and that could have so wow, that
could have so many different meanings. I think, Yeah, that's wow.
That you might need to put that on a T
shirt because that seriously, like that could have That's a
whole other episode that could have so many different meanings.
But I think that's very profound honestly, when you're producing, right,

(49:09):
especially for a lot of mainstream artists, how do you
protect your cultural integrity? You know, like you said, with
having that song and them wanting it, but you knowing
that you want it to be with you know this
person or have this kind of song while still even
adapting to an evolving global zone, right, because you're not
a reggae producer, you're a producer of music.

Speaker 2 (49:32):
It's like, exactly, even further than that, I feel like
I'm just an artist. I'm just a creator, you know, exactly, Yeah,
even deeper than that, because the same creativity that I
apply to my music, I'm going to apply that creativity
when I'm doing business. I do the same thing when
I'm networking. I'm a network created creatively. When I'm speaking,
I'm gonna speak creatively, Like no matter what I'm doing,

(49:56):
I want to I want to apply my gifts and
apply my creativity to it, and my work ethic and
all these different things. So I think it's I think
being an artist is something that you just are you.

Speaker 1 (50:09):
Know, yeah, yeah, But how do you protect that though,
because somebody could say, oh, well, you know, we don't
do you know, classic reggae songs like that, you know,
but you want to protect your cultural integrity, want just
in a certain way.

Speaker 2 (50:24):
I would say, like, the way I protect it is
just by living by a model that I have, which
is building over chasing, Like I don't think I'm really
chasing anything, so I'm not afraid to be like, nah,
I don't even want to do that, or I'm not
chasing anything, or somebody could want me to do something
and I'm focused on this, so they could try to
even stare people have There's been people, big producers who

(50:45):
will stare me away from reggae or try to stare
me away from the culture because they're just like all
the people in it, or the business is different, or
it's not enough money in it, or it's not enough
you know, like you know, you're going to make more
money doing this, and and some of those things could
actually be true, but I feel like the way that
I'm able to do that is just, you know, I

(51:06):
don't make music for money, y'all. Like, I do it
because it's art. I do it because I care about
the art. And yes, of course you all want to
make money from it and do great and all that stuff,
but like, that's not the driving force of why I
did music. It was always something that was about helping
my family. It was about it was about love, it

(51:27):
was about being great. It was about maximizing my potential.
It was about impacting the world. It's about inspiring others,
inspiring greatness and you know, setting an example. My dad
always told me be a leader, not a follower.

Speaker 1 (51:41):
So I think, just like walking On, I have the
same parents. We need to do a DNA test because
we have the same parents. I'm so sorry to interrupt you,
but I literally when you said that, I said, no,
this wrap up the podcast.

Speaker 2 (51:56):
Yeah, I'm crying. That's crazy.

Speaker 1 (52:01):
Yeah, but no, yeah, that's so true. I'm sorry. I
normally don't intern.

Speaker 2 (52:05):
No, you're good.

Speaker 1 (52:06):
That's so crazy because my dad says exact same thing.

Speaker 2 (52:10):
Wow, that is that is kind of crazy. Nah, but
it's true. It really is true. So I feel like
that's really how you protect the integrity, Like you just
gotta you gotta know who you are and what you
stand for you know, like like even as I'm talking,
I see, uh, I see next to my name Major
seven the pictures, there's no picture there. It's all black.

(52:33):
And as I'm talking, the vocal on the meter is
green and then I see yallow. So just looking at that,
I see I see the colors of Jamaica. You know
what I'm saying. It's who I am, and I see it.
I see it everywhere I see it. I see the
connection between everything. And it's just like looking at the
game from bird's eye view and just knowing who you are,

(52:54):
knowing what you stand for, knowing what your vision is,
knowing where you're going, because honestly, like you have to
know who you are before the world does, like you know,
they learn who you are. You have to know who
you are, yep.

Speaker 1 (53:07):
And that's the only way you can stay on your
path because people are going to try to throw you
off your path, but.

Speaker 2 (53:12):
All the time know who you are.

Speaker 1 (53:14):
It will be very difficult to do that all the time, Yes,
for sure. Okay, last two questions before we get to
our final segment, although two more hours. So one of
your most known productions, The Devil is a Lie. Rick
Ross and Jay Z how did that come about? You know,

(53:37):
where were you mentally and musically at the time, and
was that Did you know it would be such a
big song at the time when you produce the track.

Speaker 2 (53:47):
Honestly, at that time, I was basically just I think
I was just getting out of college. I was trying
to figure I was trying to figure out just trying
to figure out life, you know, and I was still
like giving my all the music, just sacrificing everything possible.
And and the way the record happened, you know, it

(54:08):
was actually a bit of controversy around that record because
like a producer, I know, actually try to you know,
finesse and really steal to beat and take the credit.
So it came out in a crazy way, and it
was like kind of a big thing, but it was
kind of the start of my career and really the
end of his, to be honest, and so like at

(54:28):
that time, I had r and B legend. Keith Sweat,
he was he was very like he became aware of
my talent. He was believing in me, and so I
called him for advice because at one point they were
actually trying to finesse me out the track that other producer,
so this is what happened. He knew that I had
absolutely nothing as far as as far as money goes,

(54:51):
because I always had everything, you know what I'm saying.
But he thought I had nothing, you know. And because
of that, he tried to call me and be like, yo,
I'm trying to look out for you. I know that
you need some bread. And so I had somebody, an
indie client, who wants to buy this beat from me.

(55:12):
You just gotta basically do the paperwork and they're gonna
give you three grand for this beat. So this time,
I have absolutely nothing, like I've never made money ever
in life, and three grand sounded like amazing, you know,
It's like life changing at that time. And my friend
was literally going to give me a ride to go
pick up that money. And I sat there in the

(55:33):
car before we started go ahead and there, and I
played the beat one more time and I was just like, man,
he think I should sell this beat? And he was
like we actually talked about it the other day, and yeah,
he was just like yo. I was telling you, like, bro,
are you crazy? Get that money? And da da da da,
And I literally played the beat. I called Keith, I
sent it to him and then I think he was like, Yo,

(55:56):
it sounds like it could be something. I listened to
it again and I literally told him. I told my friend,
I said, I said, I could hear Rick Ross, jay
Z and two Chains on this beat. Like I'm not
gonna sell it, you know what I'm saying. And I didn't.
And I didn't even know those were the intentions of
somebody else until way down the line. But I had

(56:19):
this just delusional belief in myself and just like I
know my and that's what taught me, like, yo, I
have the gift division because you know that that song
was inspired by you know, even me watching the movie Jangle.
When I think about when I was making that beat
and I heard that part of the sample, it immediately
made me think of what I was seeing when I

(56:39):
was watching Jangle and how it felt to be in
that setting, and like I'm I'm trying to like capture
the feeling of that movie as I'm making that beat,
and so like I think Rick Ross actually had a
song in that movie, and that's probably what made me think, like, yo,
I could hear Rick Ross, jay Z and even two Chains,
because like it has that like Mike like sophisticated ignorance

(57:01):
and and like I always felt that way. And what's
crazy was I was driving home one day too after
the song came out, and I heard a DJ actually
on the radio playing like remixing it with two changed
vocals on there, and I heard it one time ever
in my life. And then I found which I found
the video clips. I tried to record it, but I
was driving and I caught the end where I heard
the DJ's name and actually just connected with the DJ recently.

(57:25):
I think his name was Jalyn. I think it was
a Jamaican DJ too, which is crazy in Atlanta, and
I messaged him and I told him that story. And
so it's just crazy because it's like, you know, the
things that I believe, I'm able to see them before
they actually manifest a lot of times. And people even
asked me when I meet celebrities, They're like, yo, are

(57:46):
you ever nervous? Do you get starstruck? And I always
answer this question like this, I'm always like, honestly, that's
where I feel most at home. I feel most comfortable
because I've I've visualized these moments so much in my
mind that it's like when I get there, I feel
like I belong there. I put in so much work
that I know that I belong there, and so when
I'm actually in those rooms, it's where I feel the

(58:07):
most comfortable. That's like that's home, you know, it's where
I belong.

Speaker 1 (58:10):
I love that. WHOA, what's a way to take something
negative or someone's attempts at you know, stopping your purpose?
And see that's the thing that people don't realize. And
you said something so key, this guy, whoever this guy is,
thought you had nothing yep, right, But what people don't

(58:31):
realize is when you're covered by God and when God
has certain plans for you, you know, like we're say
in Jamaica, who God blessed, no man cursed for real?
You know, nobody can stop that. And I love hearing
stories like that because to me, it just proves why
you might think that you can stop somebody from prospering,

(58:52):
but you don't.

Speaker 2 (58:53):
Have that posblem even without me knowing, somebody was on
a full on mission to destroy, full mission and I'm
not even knowing. I'm not even knowing whatsoever. So it's
just kind of crazy that it played out the way
that it played out. And you know, yeah, since then,
that song has done so much things and for me
to have seen it in a movie. And then that

(59:15):
song get is licensed in Black Mass movie trailer with
Johnny Depp. It's been in like stuff for ESPN, and
it's been in stuff. It was in the Monkey Man movie.
It just got licensed again and they're paying big money
every time they license it. So I know that like
the feeling, thank you, the feeling that I wanted to
capture when after watching Jango and having that vision, you know,

(59:37):
it just shows that that the impossible is only a
matter of you know, trying and never giving up and
just keep on believing in it and not just believing,
but put putting action behind the.

Speaker 1 (59:49):
Belief, you know, right, because faith without works is dead, right,
And it's such a perfect title, The Devil is Alive.
Couldn't stop omar.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
I really got the irony in the in the title, right, like.

Speaker 1 (01:00:04):
Yes, oh my gosh, what's a beautiful story. I love
hearing stuff like that. Love it. This episode is going
to come out in June, probably like the first week
of June, and it's also Caribbean American Heritage Month, yep,
So I thought I would ask you, what do you
want the world to understand about the role of Caribbean influence,

(01:00:28):
not just in music, but in shaping global culture.

Speaker 2 (01:00:33):
I would say that, like the Caribbean definitely impacts the world,
especially just even just being Jamaican. You know, I've seen
how reggae music is so big in other places, Like
I remember when I went to Japan with Sizla. I
had no.

Speaker 1 (01:00:52):
Idea I love reggae, Oh my gosh, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
I had no idea. And I went all over Japan
and seeing like people who speak English as if it's
pat to, well, like they learn English through pat and yeah,
it's like they don't know how to some of some
of them don't even know how to say anything but
bless up, bless up, and they're talking like Jamaicans, you know.
So it just goes to show like how powerful, you know,

(01:01:17):
island culture is. I see, like even a lot of
the dances, everything, you know, it could stem from just
a small island and impact the world. And I think
that just goes to show, you know, how powerful our
culture is because and how powerful we can be. Like
it's an example, it's the perfect example of you know,

(01:01:37):
you know, just being one in billions of people on
this earth and being able to do something that reaches
millions and billions of people is just insane to just
come from an individual or just how Jamaica is just
such a small place but could have global impact And
isn't that something It's really a lesson in it that

(01:01:58):
you know, it doesn't matter where you start, you could
really impact the world as long as you're doing something
unique and authentic. And I think that's what the Caribbean
and Jamaica and particular thrives on. You know, I feel
like we're very unique and so like the things that
are just natural and just obvious to us, is or

(01:02:22):
normal for us, is cool to everybody else, you know,
just our swag. We have natural swag, our confidence, the
way we talk. Everybody wants to talk like us, wants
to look like us, wants to be cool like us,
you know what I'm saying. So yeah, so I think
it's true. And to us, it's like sometimes we don't
even understand how special we are and how much impact

(01:02:44):
that we have. So it's also, like I said, a
responsibility because we set the trends of the world.

Speaker 1 (01:02:50):
You know, beautifully said all right, So before we transition
to our final segment, I've been allowing my guests to
ask me one question this season because you guys don't
normally get to ask it. Oh really, so is there
anything you'd like to ask me?

Speaker 2 (01:03:06):
Hmm, I wasn't prepared for this. Let's see.

Speaker 1 (01:03:11):
That's the point. You got to think on your feet.

Speaker 2 (01:03:13):
Yeah, all right, cool. Well I told you I used
to read the Dictionary freestyle, so it shouldn't take me
too long to come up with something. Listen. I just
want to come up with a really good question. All right,
all right, I got you. I got you. What do
you feel like? What is your vision? And what do
you feel like your gift is and where do you
see it have an impact? Like what's most important to you?

(01:03:37):
What's your what's your what is your why? And what
is your goal?

Speaker 1 (01:03:42):
Oh? I love that can tell you read the Dictionary?

Speaker 2 (01:03:46):
Yes, so.

Speaker 1 (01:03:49):
I would say, wow, that's such a layered question. So
I think my gift is being a mirror for people
and remind people of their worth. I think that that's
my gift because I grew up in an immediate family
with parents that constantly did that and do that for me.

(01:04:11):
So I almost look at it as like somebody that
grows up with a lot of money, right, Like, let's
use that analogy. I'm not as good as you as
an analogies, but I'll try. Right, So, if you grow
up with a lot of money, let's say, like you're
a Hilton or something, right, you might feel like I
would like to give back because there's so many people
in this world that don't have a lot of money.

(01:04:32):
So if I could, you know, donate to a charity,
if I could, you know, help the homeless, do something
because I have this abundance of money, Well, I grew
up with an abundance of love and with a mother
and father. Particularly as a woman, it's important to have
a father that constantly reminds me every day, co great
I am, how beautiful I am not only on the

(01:04:55):
outside but on the inside. And yeah, and it doesn't
make me arrogant. It makes me grateful, you know what
I mean? Because I know that's not normal. And I
only know that, No, it's not. Until I got older,
I realized, Wait, everybody's parents don't call them a hundred
times a day and tell them they're so proud of
them and very encourage them. Yeah, Like I thought that

(01:05:17):
was normal until I got older, and I thought, wait,
this is the exception, not the rule.

Speaker 2 (01:05:22):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:05:23):
So when I created this podcast, you know, I created
it for a myriad of reasons, but the real goal
was to have Caribbean persons and initially listen to it
and feel seen, you know, so whether they're hearing somebody
else say something they can relate to, or me saying
something they can relate to and feel like, oh, that's
a Jamaica, that's a Caribbean person. Like I can do

(01:05:44):
that too, you see what I did then, But no,
I think, like that's definitely it. And I think much
like you, and I think I get it from my
maternal grandmother. I can like feel people's energy. I feel

(01:06:04):
like every guest I've had on this podcast, you included,
I feel like God or my grandmother because she's past now,
has sent them to me because they end up saying
something that I need to hear, even as a host,
you know what I mean, Or just like in this conversation,
I usually never interrupt people, but everything you were saying,
I'm like, oh my gosh, like how do you know that?

(01:06:27):
Or how do you you know what I mean? And
it's I don't think it's a coincidence that certain persons
end up coming to talk to me. I also, and
I say this probably every episode. I take it very
seriously that people who are strangers to me trust me
to ask them anything I want, you know, never ask
me what are you going to ask me? What are

(01:06:47):
you going to say? I need to know beforehand. I mean,
I've had Deborah cox on here, I've had Uncle Sly,
I've had so many different people that could very well
say what are you going to ask me? Because I
don't want to be asked anything crazy, And it's like
it must be I assume something about me that they
trust me because I could be asking you anything, you
know what I mean. I don't take that like lightly,

(01:07:09):
and I'm very aware of like the questions I ask.
And I just want people to leave after recording this
episode and feel good about what they've accomplished and prode. So, yeah,
hopefully that answered your question.

Speaker 2 (01:07:26):
That's amazing. Thank you, Thank you very You do a
great job at what you do. This is very easy.
You're easy to talk to.

Speaker 1 (01:07:35):
Oh, thank you. So many people say that and it
makes me feel so good. And I'm a bad girl,
but sometimes I feel like crying, but I can't cry
because yeah, bad gilting, but no, I really do appreciate that.
That really really means a lot. All Right, So the

(01:07:58):
last segment, don't be scared. I'm going to ask you.
I'm going to ask you six rapid fire questions, and
I want you to answer with the first thing that
comes to mind. So just one word or one sentence,
all right, all right, cool, all right? What's one sound
or rhythm that instantly transports you back to Jamaica.

Speaker 2 (01:08:21):
I would say, uh, horns, ooh.

Speaker 1 (01:08:26):
And I normally don't ask follow up questions, but I'm
curious why.

Speaker 2 (01:08:30):
I think that there's so many iconic songs in Jamaica
that have like great horns and horn sections and like
even just the introductions. Like I feel like reggae music
has so many special intros. I could almost like tell
if I'm a sample of old reggae song just off
of the intro. There's so many great intros to songs

(01:08:51):
in reggae music. Yes, and I think a lot of them,
a lot of them have like really great horn lines
and the texture of the horns. It just feels so
triumph in, very very unique. So I always always love
incorporating horns into into reggae music.

Speaker 1 (01:09:07):
I love that And if you like horns, if you
haven't heard it already, you should listen to the horns
in Reggae got sold by Tomato instantly made me think
of yes I will. It instantly made me think of that.
And my It's funny because my my instrument is drums,
obviously because of my dad. So I think of the
drum roll in Punky Reggae Party and then bass too

(01:09:29):
fly and the bass.

Speaker 2 (01:09:31):
Bas and drum is so important.

Speaker 1 (01:09:32):
Regular my family man yep, yep, the base two in
that and then the drum solo in the beginning of
everything I own by Uncle ken ken Booth, which is
my dad. So I think that's how I think of
drums too. But yeah, no, I'll definitely.

Speaker 2 (01:09:47):
Send you put yes for sure. All right.

Speaker 1 (01:09:52):
Next question, if you could have dinner with anybody alive
or deceased, who would it be and why it will be?

Speaker 2 (01:10:00):
Tupac? Yeah, that was my That was my initial answer. Damn.
And that was such a quick answer. I really didn't
think this.

Speaker 1 (01:10:11):
Oh my god, I was surprised. Definitely, people like take
a breath.

Speaker 2 (01:10:15):
Yeah, I definitely answered that super quick. But the reason
do it again if you want. But the reason why
I said Tupac, Yeah, okay, I mean, I'll probably do
it again. But like the reason why I said Tupac
for real is because, like, like when I was living
in Jamaica that second year, like I listened to so
much Tupac and I loved how like artistic he was,

(01:10:35):
how poetic, how like the things that he stood for,
like he really stood for things and and and it
just went off for principles. But man, there's there's honestly
so much people like I almost have it. And it's
in different categories. It depends on what I'm really trying
to gain. But yes, yeah, because if it's about music,

(01:10:58):
that's one thing I'm gonna be like Yoney Houston, Michael Jackson,
Bob Marley, Like it's people like that that I'm gonna
think of. But if it's just about in general, man,
I might want to talk to Jesus. No am, I.

Speaker 1 (01:11:18):
I'm for real, that might be the best answer that.

Speaker 2 (01:11:24):
And if not Jesus, I might say King Solomon because
he the wisest right.

Speaker 1 (01:11:31):
Said please to let me talk to Jesus or one
of the man dames because yea, oh my gosh, that
is such a brilliant answer.

Speaker 2 (01:11:44):
I I'm crying.

Speaker 1 (01:11:47):
I think I think that beats Tupac. I mean, you're
not good for that, but for sure, Oh my gosh, Okay,
I have to get myself together. That's hilarious.

Speaker 2 (01:12:00):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:12:01):
What is your favorite Jamaican food?

Speaker 2 (01:12:05):
Ox tail, rice and peace?

Speaker 1 (01:12:07):
My gosh, everybody love everybody's favorite. I can't even Okay,
let me ask you a follow up question, and I
normally don't, but I have to ask if you had
to choose, you had to choose your life was on
the line between ox tail and rice and peace or

(01:12:30):
I can sell fish.

Speaker 2 (01:12:32):
It's an easy ox tail.

Speaker 1 (01:12:35):
Really, yeah, it's the easy for me.

Speaker 2 (01:12:39):
At least I'm not that. I mean, yeah, I love
acting and selfish and you know, the breakfast acting. I mean,
I'm not a big breakfast person like that. That's when
I was like, yo, you might hear my stomach ground
or something, because it's like I'll just get up and
just go you know what I'm saying. I get up,
just get my day started, and I'll start working. And yeah,

(01:13:00):
so I don't really eat breakfast a lot of time,
but I do love acting softish. But it's like, what's
that hunger. It's just like, man, I could use the
oxtail right now, you feel me?

Speaker 1 (01:13:09):
Oh my gosh. I had CJ. Milan on here and
she produced Vibes Cartels show at the Barclays and she
said the fate the same exact thing. She said, Ash,
I have oxtail and rice and peas at least once
a week. I said, but CJ. Your chest high once
a week.

Speaker 2 (01:13:27):
It's like it's like eating a steak man, like, like,
oh my gosh, it's a that's a high end meal
in Jamaica.

Speaker 1 (01:13:36):
What you mean it is your chest? I have to
be real high to have that so often. But yeah, okay, no,
that's that's an expected answer. But I just had to
ask why. All right, two more questions. What is hm hmm.
What's your most fond memory of Mandeville.

Speaker 2 (01:14:00):
It was one day immediately this memory came up. It
was one day where one of the older people think
it was cam She had came into school on a
day she was off, but she came in to get
something from school, and you know, like Victor Dixon has
like a gate at the front, so it's like you
can't yeah, basically, uh, and I basically snuck out of

(01:14:22):
school with a couple of my friends. I think it
was a melody and maybe LeVar and we literally snuck
out in the trunk of the car and like it
went to like.

Speaker 1 (01:14:30):
A guy, this is just a story. Don't skull class
please and thanks.

Speaker 2 (01:14:35):
Nah. Definitely definitely was wild when wild in my Jamaica days.
It was a fun time. Yeah, it was adventure. Yeah,
so that the time I skipped school and and uh
left in the trunk either that time. Man, dang, I'm
getting too many memories. I done thought it like two more.

Speaker 1 (01:14:53):
Now, Yeah, tell me, I want to know.

Speaker 2 (01:14:57):
I'll tell you the last one after, Okay. But yeah,
so it was another time where they was having a
big event at school and I think they was in
like the auditorium or the chapel or whatever. And so
because there's the fence around the whole school, we basically
like me and my friends ran across the football field

(01:15:20):
and went up the hill through the trees and everything,
and then basically went up to like NCU because like
Northern Caribbe University is like right up the street basically,
and so we went up there and we tried to
go into the store that's over there and then we
saw a teacher and then the teacher literally started chasing
us like around this like big water pump thing. It was.

(01:15:41):
It was crazy, the teacher was chasing Nah, we definitely
got got no. I wasn't safe at all, and we
got a big, big trouble. Man. I think like they
beat us and everything. And then we had like I
think I had a rite, Like I forgot how many
lines I had to write.

Speaker 1 (01:15:58):
Like it was like, yes, people in the American school
system don't.

Speaker 2 (01:16:04):
I don't know about none of that. I don't know
about none of that. But yeah, those memories came. Man.
I actually had it for a long time. But when
I went to Jamaica late last year, yeah, I was
I had an opportunity to just like ride out with

(01:16:26):
some friends. Yeah, and I just got to see Mandival
really quickly. It wasn't it wasn't a long time, yeah,
but it was just a very short ride. I also
with like artists, uh, Stephanie saint Comb and Chelsea and
McCoy and the whole crew. They I met them out

(01:16:49):
there when I met Barris and then they just basically
invited me they was going to OCHI. So I was like, yo,
I about to go see my family and everything. And
then they was like, yo, I'm stopping at Manival And
that made me just want to go on that little
road trips so bad, just because I hadn't seen Mandibal
and so on, and I really only got to see
it for like a quick second, okay, but just that
one little split second of even like seeing the church

(01:17:11):
I used to go to there being more built up
and stuff. It brought back a lot of memories and
a lot of nostalgia. So I really want to go
back there and spend a little bit more time and
really see everything. But nah, it was special to even
just be back in the vicinity, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:17:28):
I love that. Beautiful. I love that. Okay, two more questions.
What's a habit or a daily ritual that keeps you grounded?

Speaker 2 (01:17:40):
Hmhm, daily ritual that keeps me grounded? I would say, hmmm,
I do some much things every day. But what's the
thing you know? I would say, just uh man, there's

(01:18:02):
so many things I do every day, but to keep
me grounded, I would say, like, babe, try to pray.
Like whenever I remember to pray. There's probably some days
I might forget, but like so, but there's times where
things happen or like I might get a crazy call,
or like this meeting went well, and then like things
are happening in my favor and then I have to
like I'll stop and I'll be like yo, you know,

(01:18:24):
give thanks, you know, and just making sure that I'm
always grateful. It's always making sure I'm showing gratitude, like
having having just overall gratitude and appreciation for everything and
even the things that don't go my way, just like
the journey itself, you know, just having this gratitude, I
would say, keeps me grounded.

Speaker 1 (01:18:44):
I love that. Beautiful, beautifully said. And the final question,
if the younger version of yourself could hear one of
your records today, what do you think he'd say?

Speaker 2 (01:18:57):
Man, wow, I think he would be like he would
he would definitely say wow. And like I didn't even
know the level was that high, you know, because when
I was first starting and I always felt like, you know,

(01:19:18):
my stuff was dope. I always felt like I was creative.
And then it got to a point where where I
had an experience that really like shaped like my definition
of what quality was and helped elevate my quality. I've
been chasing, like higher quality ever since. And I think that,
you know, just the level that I'm at right now

(01:19:40):
and some of the things I've been able to accomplish.
I think, just looking back, you know, like me looking
back at my young self now when hearing the stuff
I was doing back then, some of them were actually
really great ideas, but they weren't executed well. I see
that I was always a great visionary, but sometimes what
I had to learn over years and skill, like my

(01:20:02):
talent was being a visionary visionary, but I had to
develop the skill of executing my vision. So I think
over the years, I've been able to just get even
more refined and better at executing whatever is in my
head and whatever the vision is. So I think, yeah,
I think my younger self would look at me and
be like wow, Like I think they would be in

(01:20:23):
awe at what I'm able to accomplish. And I think
my future self will say that about myself now, because
I feel like I've only scratched the surface of what
my potential is. I think I'm just now getting into
it for real, for real, I'm just getting started.

Speaker 1 (01:20:38):
Well, I'm glad I caught you out before you win.
You're seven to eight Grammys.

Speaker 2 (01:20:41):
I'm catching no, no, no, I'm always going to be available,
especially especially for the real ones. You know.

Speaker 1 (01:20:50):
Well, unfortunately that concludes a podcast, but or the episode
I should say, but I have to say my little
thank you you so, Omar. I want to thank you
for your sound, your story, and your spirit. I think
you remind us that some dreams are born through statistics,

(01:21:14):
but others, like yours, are born through grace. And I
think that you carry Jamaica not as a flag to wave,
but as a language. You speak fluently in rhythm, in excellence,
in your integrity, and in legacy. So to our listeners,
if you ever doubt your purpose, let Omar's journey and

(01:21:37):
story remind you it doesn't matter where you start. What
matters is that you honor where you're from, stay grounded
in who you are, and let that be enough to
move the world. So thank you so much for coming
to talk it things with me.

Speaker 2 (01:21:53):
It was an amazing time, and I just want to
say thank you so much for inviting me on the show.
I think you did an amazing job and I think
we we covered a lot of great things that you know,
I think we will have impact on some people and
so I really appreciate your time and your energy and
everything that you said, all those special kind words that

(01:22:13):
means a lot to me as well, And those are
the kinds of things that keep me inspired and keep
me going. And so you know, I already see great
things in your future as well, and I think that
you're you're doing an amazing job. So you should. You
should definitely keep growing. Anything that I could do to support,
I'm with it. And with that being said, make sure
you follow Major seven M A j O R S

(01:22:36):
E v E N everywhere.

Speaker 1 (01:22:38):
Yes, for sure, and we would be waiting for you
to win your Grammy.

Speaker 2 (01:22:42):
Let's go, it's on the way. It's already done.

Speaker 1 (01:22:45):
Yes, yes, it's already done. And thank you so much
for your kind words, Omar. You know I can't text
stuff like that. You know that guy that love Gray,
I can't text stuff like that, But I appreciate you.

Speaker 2 (01:22:56):
Let the tears flow.

Speaker 1 (01:23:01):
No, thank you so much. I had an amazing time
talking to you, and I really do believe that you're
meant to have this conversation and I really think it
will move a lot of people. Thanks again,

All Episodes

Build, Don't Chase | Ft. Major Seven

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Fudd Around And Find Out

Crime Junkie

The Breakfast Club

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Build, Don't Chase | Ft. Major Seven