And stop using Bob Marley as the face of your “movement”.
Even though he was a smoker;he was also an artists, an activists, and someone who wanted to inspire people with his talent. His name isn’t for you to use while you sit around in somebody’s park debating whether or not penguins are real birds since they can’t fly. Do not limit his legacy by turning him into some weak Snapchat filter (by the way Snapchat, that’s black face. Literally, you’re allowing people to put his face on theirs…). So in honor of 4/20– I’m about to kill somebody’s buzz.
Bob Marley was a known activist. The man managed a handshake between two political opponents. He was always outspoken about political issues, constantly mixing it in his music along with his Rastafarian religion. He wrote what he knew; he lived in a ghetto filled with gangs and drug violence. He also knew there was a system that was oppressing black people. Even though he was half black and half white and preferred not to label his race or take sides, he knew right from wrong. Those things were expressed in his songs like “Simmer Down” which encouraged the local gangs to stop their fighting before police stepped in. That’s another thing, Marley knew the damage that a man with a badge could do to a black man. One of the most stand out lyrics are, “Sheriff John Brown always hated me, For what, I don’t know, Every time I plant a seed, He said he kill it before it grow, He said kill them before they grow.” He was brilliant and caring and for those of you who say, “Bob Marley didn’t hate anyone– he wasn’t capable.” Don’t you think he hated seeing what was happening to the Jamaican black people?
Now let’s talk about every white hippie’s favorite song: “Don’t Worry Be Happy” although written and performance originally by Bobby McFerrin. This song is about so much more than all of you fresh-into-college types not having any money to buy more weed. It’s about anyone who has ever felt oppressed by a system they couldn’t get out of. For those people worrying becomes a natural part of life. His music was made to encourage those people to keep their heads up and look for brighter days. Why would you denounce this amazing song to something as simple as a smoke anthem? Honestly, Afro Man’s “Crazy Rap” is probably a way better option. It’s significantly less serious and a whole lot funnier (even though it has its fair share of problematic moments).
Here’s another thing– just because he was a stoner doesn’t mean his life was easy going and chill. He didn’t lead the privileged life that many of his current young fans are able to lead. His father wasn’t in his life, he was raised by a single mother, he grew up around many negative influences, he sometimes went to bed hungry, and there were times when he didn’t have shoes. If you love his music and you love that he stood for finding happiness in unlikely places, take the time to learn more about the other things he stood for. For example basic human rights for impoverished people. Don’t make him into your mascot.
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