Reggae’s classic ganja tune & incendiary protest song re-licked for 2021 with two of the Jamaican “reggae revival“ movement’s stars, Yaadcore & Jah9, updating the vibes on the mic alongside Lee “Scratch” Perry’s NYC band Subatomic Sound System producing the heavyweight riddim in the future dubwise style of their acclaimed “Super Ape Returns to Conquer” album. Originally recorded in 1982 by John Holt & The Roots Radics at Channel One Studio, this song captured the hearts of a generation opposed to the CIA-funded, $9 million campaign by Jamaican police to eradicate marijuana from the island. With the goal of bringing this musical history to a new generation, Yard Birdz Records approached Emch of Subatomic Sound System to recreate the riddim with 21st century sub bass and drums, helicopters swirling overhead, and plenty of dubwise smoke & fire. Jah9 brings new vibes to John Holt’s original lyrics with her signature vocal style that evokes the deep, powerful tone of US jazz giant Nina Simone or Lauryn Hill. Known for her own poetic protest music as well as recent boomshot collaborations with Chronixx, Jah9’s performance demonstrates why her unique sound has paved the way for a new generation of women in reggae. Meanwhile, Yaadcore turns up the heat with all new verses addressing today’s cannabis industry ina style that connects the roots of classic DJs like Yellowman & U-Roy to the dancehall era of Vybz Kartel. Yaadcore surprised the world in 2020, reintroducing himself as a vocalist after being the longtime DJ for Protoje. Yaadcore is credited with launching the mixtape series that introduced Chronixx & Protoje to the world. Subatomic percussionist and Jamaican legend Larry McDonald, 84 years young, is on the congas, nyabinghi drums, & percussion, adding new African rhythms absent from the original tune. Larry brings a lifetime of heritage as a reggae originator having worked with everyone from Count Ossie, The Skatalites, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, & Lee Perry in Jamaica to Gil Scot Heron, Taj Mahal, and even Bad Brains in the USA. Subatomic’s Troy Shaka Simms adds saxophone lines that take it back to Africa with melodies inspired by the timeless Ethiopian jazz of Mulatu Astatke. The guitar lines on the original tune are redone with heavily effected horns reminiscent of Lee Perry’s Black Ark recordings. On the dubstrumental mix, Emch plays and dubs the melodica in the fragmented style of Augustus Pablo’s “King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown”.
lyrics
Flash it!
A Yaadcore with the highest centigrade in a mi pocket
Yes boss, yes boss, yes boss, yes boss...
Police in helicopter, a search fi marijuana
How it go?
Watch how the chopper dem a chop
Spy pon we fields and them waan take we crops
Tell yuh from start said we never like cops
Wolf in a sheep clothing so them never like locks
Never like when the Rastaman a talk facts
Always see the Far I and we nuh need contacts
Tell the Queendom fi lef illegal tax
And America dem fi leave all blacks
Police in helicopter, a search fi marijuana
Police man in the streets, searching fi collie weed
Soldiers in the field, burnin the collie weed
But if you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
If you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
Soldier in the herb field, burnin the collie weed
Police in helicopter, a search fi marijuana
Police man in the streets, searching fi collie weed
But if you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
If you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
Oh
Oh oh! Can say them never did know
Hey Jah9
Tell the government a our time now
Non-stop burn the fire pon the system
When you turn the marijuana farmer in a victim
Straight from mi heart so me talk and me sing
When me advocate for the cannabis business
We no lip sync
Tell me what you think
When you sipping on the drink or you blazing on the pink
Blazing on the purple make your eye dem pink
But I couldn't, I couldn't blink
Police in helicopter, a search fi marijuana
Police man in the streets, searching fi collie weed
Police men in the fields, burnin the collie weed
But if you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
If you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
So if you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
If you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
If you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
If you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
Woy
Police in helicopter, a search fi marijuana
Police man in the streets, searching fi collie weed
Police man in the fields, woy yoooow, burnin the collie weed
But if you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
If you continue to burn up the
Herbs, we gonna burn down the cane fields
credits
from Police in Helicopter,
released April 9, 2021
Recorded in Kingston, Jamaica; Dar el Salaam, Tanzania; Brooklyn, New York, and Los Angeles, California. Produced,
mixed, & mastered by Emch at Subatomic Sound in NYC & LA. Vocals: Yaadcore & Jah9 | Congas & percussion: Larry
McDonald | Saxophone: Troy Simms | Bass, Keys, Guitars, Samplers, Melodica, & Dub Effects: Emch | Art by Matteo
Anselmo (Italy)
NYC based bass music, dub, and dancehall. Touring worldwide with Lee Scratch Perry for over a decade. Founders of Dub Champions Festival. On Brooklyn Radio 24-7.
A new riddim pack from the excellent label Duppy Gun sports the psychedelic take on dancehall for which they’ve become known. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 28, 2021
