At its purest core, holiday season is a time to gather with family and friends. This makes it a perfect time to release the single, “Stylee,” a special collaboration between father and son.
What’s that, you ask? A father and son collaboration on a reggae track? Has that been done before? I’m guessing that at some point in the entire history of reggae music, it must have, but I hit up my compadre and Rootfire colleague, Jim the Boss, and even with his ridiculously deep knowledge of reggae history, the two of us could not think of one.
Regardless as to whether the song makes reggae history as the first of its kind, “Stylee” is a heater! Released just in time for summer playlists Down Under, the track was performed and released by Israel Starr and his father, The Mighty Asterix, who have both made huge names for themselves in the Aotearoa (New Zealand) reggae community.
Taking inspiration from the Jamaican greats like Dillinger, I-Roy and U-Roy, The Mighty Asterix was a pioneer of reggae toasting in the South Pacific. A legend of the New Zealand reggae scene, he has worked with internationally recognized New Zealand reggae artists such as Fat Freddy’s Drop and The Black Seeds, and since 2006 has been the lead singer for the globally known Salmonella Dub.
Israel Starr
Asterix’s son, the multi award-winning artist and producer, Israel Starr, grew up under his father’s tutelage in the 12 Tribes of Israel Rastafarian community amidst sound system culture, literally raised on reggae music. Starr has released five LPs to date, including some of the most critically-acclaimed reggae music out of the South Pacific, while also dabbling in hip-hop, funk and world beat.
“We have done plenty of gigs and a few feature verses on other people’s songs, but this is the first official song with both us,” Starr said about this collab with his father. “Working with my father after all these years has been a blessing. We are right in the midst of a moment in time in both our lives and this period of working together won’t last forever, but these will be the memories I hold forever!”
Deepening the paternal connections of the track, Starr and Asterix sing over a track called “Pep the Conqueror” by fellow Aotearoa musician, Christoph El Truento, who released the song as part of his Dubs from the Neighbourhood album earlier this year. The song is named for El Truento’s son, Pep, who sings over the classic Jamaican “Conqueror” riddim.
As far as how this whole thing come together, Starr said he met and toasted with El Truento at a soundsystem gig early this year and was “blown away” before coming to find out that he is the producer behind some “legendary New Zealand albums in multiple genres.” They stayed in touch and eventually Starr found himself enamored with El Truento’s “Pep the Conqueror.”
“I loved the riddim so much that I chopped it up and started freestyling over it,” he explained. “My dad then walked into the studio and loved it also. We got the vocals to 90 percent, then sent to Chris hoping he would like it.” They ended up getting so much good feedback from friends, that they decided to release the track.
Starr left Pep El Truento’s Māori vocals in the opening of the song, about which he explained, “He is basically summoning a manu taiko (watch bird) to watch over the land, and assembling the troops to protect. I think any direct translation to English kind of butchers it.”
Starr and Asterix use the delightful riddim to celebrate the joy of reggae music with improvised lyrics of their own, designed to uplift the massive with 100% feel good vibes:
Hold tight, it a come back again
What a mi talk bout each and every single
Mi say, old style it a come back again
What a mi talk bout each and every single
Me said a dancehall stylee
Israel stylee
Mighty Asterix stylee
All of the while-e
Selector your dubs are like wild fire
Spreading all over the world
Throw up ya hand if you feel alright
Fling up a fire if you feel alright
Dancehall fi ram
You can’t get me done
What em a wan talk bout dis a style and fashion
Dancehall fi ram
You can’t get me done
What em a wan talk bout dis a style and pattern
Dis one a come from creator
All di Zion daughter dem a love up mi style now
Foundation DJ say di mic we a murder
Raggamuffin youth we are the next generator
Give this crucial new track a listen and add it to your playlists at once! Kia ora!
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Over the years, he has interviewed many personalities throughout the reggae world including Ziggy Marley, Burning Spear, Lucky Dube, Bradley Nowell and many artists in the progressive roots scene.
Dave has also written and published a novel, “The Cosmic Burrito,” a tale of two friends who drive across the USA in search of the ultimate burrito. He plays ice hockey weekly for a recreational team he founded and manages, Team Rasta.
Reggae music has filled his life with a richness for which he will forever be grateful, and he gives thanks to musicians far and wide, past and present, whether they perform roots, dub, dancehall, skinhead, rocksteady or ska, whether their tools are analog or digital, as well as the producers, promoters, soundsystems, selectors and the reggae massive at large who comprise the international reggae community.
You can follow Dave on Instagram at @rootsdude and Twitter at @ElCosmicBurrito.