Yesterday (September 11, 2012) marked 25 years since reggae musician and Rastafarian Peter Tosh was murdered in his home in Jamaica.
Described as the Malcolm X to Bob Marley as Martin Luther King, although Bob was described as the reggae rebel, Tosh was much more radical in his stance and attitude. Although his militant message never achieved the same level of acceptance as Bob Marley's more unifying message did Tosh was successful and highly influential in his own right, surpassing the genre of reggae winning a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Performance in 1987 for 'No Nuclear War' and his music spreading to the likes of Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton.
Tosh was a highly spiritual, strong and outspoken man who spoke passionately and unreservedly in his music and public statements against oppression and for the rights of poor people in Jamaica and around the world. On moving to Trenchtown in the capital city, Kingston the age of 15 he witnessed the poverty and the "victims of the 'shitstem'" and reflected this in the music he made with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer as part of The Wailers. He notably wrote some of the groups biggest songs "400 Years""Get Up, Stand Up" and "Simmer Down".
As a fan of good music that usually carries an educational and uplifting message of some sort, the lack of this generations Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Gil Scott Heron and Tupac is very obvious. We listen to the radio now and hear Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Drake etc rapping basic rhymes enough to the music buying public docile and satisfied. There's nothing really empowering about the encouragement of the term YOLO, especially considering this tragic story of taking a term coined by an influential artist too literally by a young impressionable mind.
Although on the underground music scene, specifically in hip hop, there are social commentators like Immortal Technique, Akala, Lowkey and even the likes of Lupe Fiasco who seems to forever be defending himself for speaking against for what is the socially acceptable 'norm' in hip hop music, and even Talib Kweli, though having achieved hip hop legend status, career longevity and substantial 'mainstream' success, his more socially aware songs are unlikely to be heard on daytime commercial popular radio like "Distractions" that he recently performed whilst in London that he dedicated to Palestine.
Tosh's now infamous and deserved rant against EMI records where he was asked about EMI Captured live release and Herb is The Healing of The Nation not being released in the US; reminiscent of the problem that Lupe had prior to his album 'Lasers' - finally released after a two year delay. The rapper said: "I don't think the label cares about an album...People just want their number-one record."
Rappers that go against the grain, usually with what is deemed as a political message, are seldom signed to major labels who give them full reign creatively, meaning their valuable and informative music is often harder to find, although their fan bases are sometimes as twice as loyal.
People may found Tosh difficult and abrasive but als respected him for his dissent against the status quo and like many revolutionary thinkers Tosh's life ended before his time.
However, the influence of the reggae rebel's music is still felt, as is his approach to music of being wholeheartedly honest about the harsh realities of inequality and injustice and a want to uplift the people.
Rest in Power Peter Tosh.