Hempress Sativa; Loyal to the soil.

Cannabis and music royalty Hempress Sativa on a mission to preserve roots music.

Daughter of the legendary roots DJ Ilaweh, Hempress Sativa has set herself apart with her distinct sonic profile and rootsy aesthetic. When the melodies and lyrics of a hit like Boom Shakalak, Rock It Inna Dance, and Jah Will Be There hit, one is transported to a whole other time. The attention to detail in her lyrics and the precarious fluctuations in melodies call us back to a time when music only served a singular purpose, to platform the voice of the voiceless. She is formidable as a lyricist, her content is diverse and progressive, are some of the many things that make the usual Sister Nancy comparison null and void. Her album Unconquerebel has been well received in the roots music communities worldwide and done well to keep her working and travelling outside of Jamaica. With her annual Live showcase in February, it was the perfect time to catch a reasoning with the native Cannabis Queen.

Sometimes when you grow up in music it’s hard to tell where it really started. But was there ever that moment of clarity and self awareness for you where it clicked that this is what you want to do?

“I think that moment was when I was-what? 23? It was like an awakening a realization, because as somebody who, like you said, grew up in a household with a father who is a selector; it’s like a constant influx of music. Hearing everyday, all day, because he loves music and my father could play music from five to five. Straight back to early morning because that is just how him woulda hold fi him energy. So, growing up with a father who also play strictly orthodox music- and orthodox music basically functions from the heart, it gives it that heartical energy. He was just a lover of roots rock reggae, so I always listen to music for the message, that’s how I connect with music. It’s not necessarily for the type of riddim that you playin, it’s the educational value that I can take away from it. Because I grew up in a Rastafari household. I’ve been taught that righteousness is the way. Truth and rights, to always speak the truth that’s how me grow.”

“So with that background, growing up, I start to actually listen to the radio now. I never used to listen to radio, honest to jah. So I start listen to radio and start to hear the kind of music that used to play on the radio. There was a particular artist that everybody loved and the energy that he created was intellectual but I just felt that he could have been using his talent for a greater good. So when I heard that artist I felt the onus was on me to do something. Because originally I wanted to be a dancer. Choreograph. Mi used to like dis lady that used to choreograph for Aliyah, Fatima. I used to try to find everything that she do and mimic it, that’s how much I used to love music. But then I realized that dancing is something that people are just always going to oversexualize. There is no message they can really impart in our culture in Jamaica, so Jah show me say you can write, because I usually write poems. Then one day I just sat down inna my room and mi just hear no more illusion, rastafari is real, then I just started to write. I ended up writing a song.”

Your first time?

“My first song, took me like twenty minutes. I just kept hearing like different lines, mi start fi write the end before even the beginning. Mi just a hear stuff, mi a listen the music and just a reason with myself. Music is an intangible force that is etched into your brainwaves, into your subconscious. This is how they can use the radio station to indoctrinate people with foolishness. When you make it to the mainstream now you have to be feeding the people constantly with what they consider as necessary, which is not really true. It is the radio station that really indoctrinates the individual as to what they should listen to. If you ever listen to some songs that make it to the radio wave and listen to some of the songs that you would call “underground” their music is not being played and it is for a particular reason. Consciousness don’t sell for too long, people want to forget their problems. So if you give them this conscious, slow, meditation, mantra type of music, you get them to start thinking too deep. Nuff people don’t want to face reality. That’s why you find people a drink, people a take alternative drugs to get by on a daily basis.”

You have a very particular aesthetic that’s apparent in the sound. It’s very reminiscent of a specific space and time in music and culture. What’s your emotional connection to that time?

“That’s what I grew up on. A dat mi grow pon. I grew up on 70s and 80s music. I’m stuck inna dat era. I was born in the 80s so I got the best of both worlds and have an overstanding of what is transpiring now. For me I’m stuck inna di 70s and 80s and I don’t want to get out because of the the fact that the energy weh di artist dem usually create the music out of is nothing but love, appreciation and respect for the craft. Right now it’s more of a hype, show off, ego and money that you can say makes you more suitable for the mainstream. It doesn’t require no talent, it’s who you know and who can call your name. It no require you fi pay no dues. I remember when I was doing music early 2000s, we haffi a take bus to our little show dem, go sing out we heart and soul. Just so people can look pon we and say yea we can book her fi di nex show. It doesn’t require that no more. From you know somebody who can say I vouch for her, and the likkle marketing team, the visuals, that’s it.”

You touched on a great point, it speaks to what set apart you and a lot of your peers from that time; it’s very much that element of the music being live. That in itself requires a different dedication and a different kind of development. It turns you into a performer which is an invaluable skill, especially in this time where music doesn’t sell, and most of the money is in touring and shows. But also that’s how you move people in Jamaica, back in the day being able to actually pull or move a crowd was a skill that people would actually look for before even considering bookings. Now is a whole different thing, do you think–in a sense I feel like it kinda produces some premature artists.

“That is what I was about to say to you, because if you look at all the hottest artists, none of them don’t have more than five songs. Check the levels. Like I say it’s about who you know or who can call your name and say, this is the next one up. You haven’t paid any dues, you nah go a no show, you haven’t made a lot of songs, but because of the hype nature of the industry we have in Jamaica especially, it doesn’t require talent or skill. It requires you to know the business, and the gatekeepers in the business. I for one don’t know anybody, and the next thing is, mi nah try go out of my way for no people just because mi want fi get somewhere in music. I still have a naive nature, so I solely believe that your music should speak for itself. It’s your talent and skill that should speak for you, you shouldn’t have to be doing no extra nothing.”

That’s where they want you in that stage of vulnerability where you don’t know and you think your only option is to do as you’re told.

“The first time somebody invited me to Europe I only had three songs. I politely declined and expressed to them that I feel ill prepared, I didn’t have enough songs, I didn’t have a manger, I really didn’t have an idea what it would take on the business level, so therefore I don’t feel comfortable.That forced me to go learn, do my own likkle research and align with someone who share the same vision as me. Somebody tell me say you have to lose in order for you to be an artist. I’m not losing in this. It requires you to just know and stop being greedy. If you have integrity, you have the patience, and you believe wholeheartedly inna your craft, you can do it. Yes there’s hinderance, there’s people who nah go support weh you a do, there’s fight. But you trust in the almighty and know that what you’re doing is the right thing so you have people who will support and strengthen your movement. My music is a peculiar music and peculiar people like it. It’s not normal, standard, or likeable at time. Mi nah try say nothing fi suit nobody. Mi get dis message, I feel like I have to deliver it and I don’t know what to do but fi just do my task. Mi nah look nothing out of this, because music don’t really pay you know? If you doing it the way I do it, it’s gonna be longer and mi done see that already. I don’t have no problem. Mi trust inna myself, in the almighty and I know weh mi a do a di right ting.”

“First time I was looking for a manager the man look pon me and say everyday you a sing bout dis Jah Jah, you nah go mek it inuh. You have to start sing some one drops,and he introduced me to this man and said he’s going to be your song writer. I said no but I write my own songs, and him say no man, because if you want to make it like Bob Marley and these other people you have to be willing to comply. I said thank you so much for your time and energy but it is obvious that you and I are not on the same level. I live to see this bredrin come to my show and say yo, very proud of you. This man even looked at me and say you say this ganja ting; you a put a lot of pictures out there with ganja and it is illegal in Jamaica. Him say, you’re never going to get anyone to support you. I just say alright Olala let’s find some ganja plants to put in the video. Because mi nuh believe inna- [clears throat] People have dem fear and they project it onto other persons and I wholeheartedly do not believe inna other people fear. No you go live that on your own. I done see a vision for myself and I have to trust the process and live up to it.”

Sativa is in part able to maintain her principles and independence because she pairs her these same principles with the concept of independent business. Her most recent venture Queen Cannabis Organics is a boutique store with a wide range of products relating to or paired with the culture and aesthetic she projects in her music. “It’s just an outlet, somewhere here in Jamaica that people can reach out and connect with me through, whether I’m here or not.”

When you have that kind of clarity you just know that there is nothing else for you to do, there is nothing else that you would be doing right now but living this life.

I can tell you how many stories, I’ve heard from individuals in the industry who tell me plain and straight what is up why the music don’t reach a level. To me that is even still ok, fight is but an obstacle fi jump ova. In the end, I know who I serve, mi done know wah go transpire. So this music is just another one of them mission deh. Because all the ones them with the conscious message that is impactful, will provoke thought and create change will never get out there. It’s not sellable. Even me, at times when I go out there in Europe, I like to look at people because is energy mi a share, and I can tell that many people are not always supportive of the message but we still have to deliver it. It still needs to be said, yes I might lose fans but that is ok. I wholeheartedly believe inna truths and rights and I don’t know no other way but that. Mi skin itch just fi talk di truth, like if mi see some type of injustice, mi haffi say something.