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It was a whole new experience because I look up to him so much as an artist and his vibe, his spiritual. All of these great people I look up to, there's a teaching that is not taught how we think about it. We learn from thinking up things in the air, not sit down, picking up.
How did Paul Simon get involved?
Paul Simon is someone else that I have that spiritual vibe with. I met him probably once before we did this. He called me asking for help in finding a drummer for him for some music he was doing, and I was honored he would call about that. I wasn't even thinking about asking him. But we were talking and he asked what I was working on. I said, "I'm making a children's record," and he seemed genuinely interested. We talked to a lot of people, and sometimes you have fake people, but everyone on this record is real people. Ain't nothing about business, this record is all pleasure.
I felt nervous asking him, though -- it's Paul Simon. I love him and didn't want to seem as I if was trying to get him, but I got the courage. I reached out to him and he was happy to do it.
Jamie Lee [Curtis] writes some kids books, and we go way back when I was on a set for a movie she was in. She was like, "Oh, we should do a kids' record." Then eight years pass, I haven't heard from her and she came to my mind. All of these people are so real.
Your own mother, Rita Marley is also on the record; when was her part recorded?
Just three weeks or four weeks ago. I like singing with my mother. She's been singing in the background for a long time.
Is her conference to promote a united Africa, "Africa Unite," going forward this year?
Not this year, but next year hopefully. I'll be involved next year.
Your daughter Judah also contributes some vocals. Does she want to pursue a career in music someday?
She does. She loves music. All the children love music. My oldest son is 20, and he's trying to do some music. I try to guide him in a way but at that age, dem kinda think what they want to think. I guide, but the younger ones I don't start [teaching about the business] yet. They still love music from a pure sense.
My kids were a big influence on the record -- conversations with them, experiences with them.
Is there a song on here tied to a specific experience with one of your children that you can relate?
Sure, "I Love You, Too," which is a song I wrote after my young daughter, when she was 2 was when she first said, "I love you." And I said, "I love you too" ... and I thought, "and here comes a song."
Some proceeds from the album will benefit a school in Jamaica -- why did you choose this particular school?
We're already doing stuff with them, so this will be additional. We adopted a school in Jamaica in Port Antonia and have been coming up with ideas to [support them]. We do all of that through my charity, U.R.G.E. But I'm all into children. My belief is we have to focus on the future. We can't focus on today, it's not gonna work. If we really want things to change -- we talking about Jamaican economic and social programs to make a better place -- the accomplishment will be seen 10 years from now. So we can't think about ourselves, we have to think 10 years ahead of time. I am making an effort to develop better education because I believe in it.
So we are working with the school and orphanages in Jamaica. But this is the next thing: I have to build the school more. A portion of my concert tickets also goes to U.R.G.E.
Did your father's commitment to social change through music influence your commitment to children?
Everything is connected. My mother plays a big role, my relatives nobody knows play a big role. What I'm doing today is because of a combination of all the things I've ever experienced in my life.
Related: MSN Music's Live Guide | 2009 Festivals | 2009 Tours
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