delightfully half-baked existence. You've definitely smoked the
stickiest crippy and the worst Jamaican schwag. County Grind got all
stoned and thought, why not ask these toasty South Florida musicians to
give us a taste of their favorite pot-inspired songs in preparation for
420? This Chronic Cover series introduces you to both songs about weed
and local talents. For the full list, click here.
A Chronic Cover compilation would be insignificant if it did not include at least one Bob Marley number. Seriously, can you think of any other artist in the history of herb culture that is more synonymous with ganja living than Mr. Marley? Like peanut butter and jelly, Bob Marley and weed are tied together in the psyche of music fans and bong aficionados alike.
The momentous aspect of Marley is that his music and message transcended pop culture. Sure, today Legends is a staple at frat-party keggers and smogging sessions done in teenyboppers' parents' Volvos, but don't let that deter from the fact that he turned cannabis-smoking into something spiritual and life-affirming. With his Rastafarian roots and devotion to Jah, Marley was considered by many to be a prophet, not your common-day pop idol by any means.
With that said, Boca Raton's "subtropic pop" sensation Mike Mineo showed great foresight in being the first to select a Marley song for this compilation when New Times asked contributors for their preferential choices. Mineo proves to be particularly astute with his choosing of "Kaya" from Marley's catalog. Thankfully, one of a handful of Bob Marley tunes not entirely played-out.
"Kaya," the title track for Marley's tenth album, captures a time when the Rasta superstar veered off the militant "Get Up, Stand Up" missive to delve into something a little more irie. Kaya is Jamaican slang for marijuana, and this song is a sunny ode to the delights offered by its pungent lure.
Mineo's version is an enchantingly smooth, blue-eyed-soul rendition that emits as many intoxicating hooks as the original. Mineo inserts his own charismatic "subtropic" charm and adds a few clips from comedian Katt Williams' (known by many as Money Mike in Friday After Next,) standup routine. Mineo makes this song his own but still shows enough respect for the original to keep Marley fans content.
Brent Williams, Mineo's producer and all around right-hand man, sums this version up best: "It's a funky a cappella take of 'Kaya'; makes we want to smoke weed and get a haircut, barbershop-quartet style."
Mineo is a busy guy this weekend, playing Friday night, 4/20, at Kevro's Art Bar in Delray Beach and Saturday at the Mizner Park Amphitheater's Relay for Life benefit.
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