Roots Archives Forum

Difficult one this innit?

You're a ghetto boy. You grow up in a one room tin shack with a leaking roof. Your brothers, five of them, all live with you and your poor mother struggles to put any food in all these bellies and clothes on your backs. You have no shoes and you sleep on the floor.

But your mother loves you she always tell you how good you can sing and how one day you're gonna be the biggest reggae star and drive a big car.

And that day comes, the producers love you, the public loves you and you cut a few records and ram a few dances and you're feeling very high.

Then the royalty cheques start to arrive and you realise you don't need to live in the one room shack no more. You buy a big house on the hill, with an annexe for your dear old mother to live out her last few days in comfort.

In the double garage you park your big car, just like your mamma said.

Then, when you go out everyone tries to pull you down. They don't want to see you succeed and they point to your car and shout "false rasta!".



Personally though, I think if you have big money then you should at least buy a hybrid and not some ridiculous gas guzzling pimp's ride.

real dreads ride cb200

I owned a CB200 in 1977.

Actually, it was a really horrible bike!

good one Leggo - made me laugh!
Can all be so serious sometimes.
there will be weepin and wailin and gnashing of gears and dems that have no Benz will feel it, yeah...

OK - here I go again...

I'm not aware that Rastas take a vow of poverty of any sort. i'm also not aware of there being a sort of mission statement in the form of a manifesto (bible,talmud,koran) that guides the Rasta in all his works. I've always been under the impression that it is a loose part mystical life philosophy about which many Rastas themselves disagree. The Christian Bible - the King James strangely is referred to often and cited in song - but is it adhered to? I hope not!

It is a uniquely individualistic 'belief' in that it supposes that the power of the universe is inherent in Jah Rastafari who resides in man - much like the catholic holy ghost/spirit; but a man is his own spiritual and vital force. It is a kind of hyper protestantism that choses often to harken back to the fundamentalism of the Jewish old Testicle - sorry Testament. Why? The US revivalist missionaries at end of 19th C and beginning of 20th C. They are using what they know and reshaping and reforming it to suit present needs. And this applies to current and past rastas too.

Yu can beat down babylon by taking record company money and spending it on fancy cars and not paying it back.
On the other hand if the record company thinks it's worth the gamble they'll pay for the Lexus, Hummer etc. and write it off.

I just look at it as worldly person and think - judge not - lest ye be judged.

So many of these 'stars' crash and burn, I don't think their perceived betrayal of a 'faith' in a nebulous mystic philosophy should garner so much anger and confusion. They make personal choices which I think Rastafarianism entitles them to. They are not accountable to any church - but yes a judgement of their peers.

When I say 'nebulous mystic philosophy' feel free to tackle me on that statement but I mean no harm at all by it. I empathize very much with the message - I just am not the believing kind.

respect

Yeah,ACEtone, LOL, true true dat Benz thing!
Had a 79 240 diesel. After 450.000 km the gearbox was quite alright...but the crankshaft died..

when you have to go to the nyabinghi up on the hill, it is for sure easier to drive your hummer with the air conditioner than to climb with your bare feet...

soon the rasta will stop to play drums because it's easier to play a beatbox.

and soon there will be no more chalice because it's a mess to prepare it... any rasta will buy those smoking machines people talked about in these forum.

to afford all this stuff rasta will begin to buy stock options...

NO WAY

yes and rasta sell their vespa to buy stupid pc plastic trash

hey, Tru Rasta don´t take bribe

JAH BLESS

Some Rasta should check out Fela Kuti's cars,nothing else than to move from point a to point b.

I am of the opinion that money corrupts, and that fancy cars, jewelry, mansions, etc. are symbols of corruption and greed. A man doesn't need these things to live good, live healthy, or live righteous/moral.
I am not speaking from the position of a weathly man- because I am not and do not wish to be- but my opinion is definately not based on jealousy or not wanting to see a man succeed.

I have no problem with those that want to make lots of money, buy nice things, etc. but I hear the message of rastafari from these artists (namely Anthony B) and I think all that big $$ sh*t goes against it; hypocrasy to me.

One mans opinion...