In this exclusive interview with World Music Views, Tropidelic band leader Mathew says he believes people should be thankful that others are doing reggae and he doesn’t see it as appropriation.
How did you start playing music?
Begin: I started in playing drums in first grade and kinda did that in middle school, high school, then I was singing in bands before I met Roads then he asked me to play the trombone to play in Tropidelic, but I was mostly a vocalist till I met these guys which is about 9 years ago now.
Roads: I started playing guitar and writing music about 15 years ago or so, formed this band in my college years and it’s been going great ever since.
You are the leader of the band and you are originally from Ohio?
I grew up in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania but I have lived in Cleveland for I guess the better portion of my life now, but the rest of these guys are from the Cleveland area.
You guys are a rock-reggae band right?
R: The bands like Sublime and 311 who we are on tour with now, are a big influence to us set on a path of this music we are on now.
B: Yeah I think we always were just like a fan of reggae and the other elements like rock and hip hip which is around us in Cleveland kinda just got mixed into that.
Is there a big reggae scene in Cleveland?
No, there is one guy who is sorta torch bearer for the scene, I was told he may have been one of the first American reggae acts. His name is Carlos Jones and his band a few decades ago was called First Light in the 70s, I was told he was one of the first American reggae acts but there is not a huge scene for it.
I found the name of your Ep., “Three City Exodus” interesting because Bob Marley’s album is called Exodus, why that name?
R: That was a little known album, an Ep. before James was around, Kent Ohio most known for Kent State University and I think at the time the thought process was we are all leaving there and since then the band migrated about an hour north to Cleveland.
Are you signed to a label now?
R: Yes so it’s Ineffable, they have Stick Figures, Collie Buddz, they are an independent kinda label. Their backing has been helpful. We managed to get on some Spotify playlist which has helped us grow exponentially.
Who are your influences now to make music?
B: I am a big Mac Miller fan, so I do a lot of the rapping in the band so that’s a big influence for me, Run The Jewels, kinda stuff, but also i listed to a lot of reggae that’s in our scene, Rebelution I am a big fan of, Dirty Heads, I am a big fan on.
R: A lot of the same ones, but I try to listen to a diverse batch of music, a lot of BlueGrass, there is this thing called Jungle out of the U.K.
You have a Festival?
It’s called Everwild Music Festival, this year it’s like reggae adjacent, we have Dirty Heads, Highrie, Bumbin Uglies Little Strangers, it’s a little bit of a mixture of hip hop and reggae, we are not quite reggae, we are somewhere over here.
You guys are part of a new generation of artists who are charting, Stick Figure’s Wisdom just debuted at no. 51 on the Billboard chart and replaced Bob Marley as the number 1 album, it’s a new market being carved for reggae, to what do you credit the success of the American Reggae bands?
R: I think it sounds different, it is something different, its new ground, it’s new turf, that really excites people .
B: These days a lot of people are listening a lot less to full albums, or bands directly they will put it on a playlist that has the same vibe. A lot of the music being made in reggae now goes hand in hand, you will put on something because you like the vibe of it and find ten more that you like.
What do you say to critics who say white reggae bands are “culture vulturing”?
R: We’ve heard this kinda thing before, not necessarily the reggae stuff cause if you listen to our stuff, to call it reggae you don’t know what reggae really is cause its not. There are a few elements but it’s not what it is. If you are a bricklayer, if you are a craftsman and trying to do the best thing that makes sense for you, you of course gonna learn from other people and take the pieces that work best to do what you do best. I think to argue that you are appropriating culture or anything, I just don’t get down with that. We are doing what we like to do and I think people should be honored that people respect this music as much as they do to make it.
Are there any Jamaican reggae acts you would want to collaborate with?
B: Damian Marley and Nas’ album is one of my favourite projects of all time, I would like to rap with Damian Marley.
R: That Protoje I love, Alborosie is another one I like.
You are on tour with the album you just dropped?
We are on tour with 311 right now, we were on the road with Michael Franti, before with Iration.
You guys seem to be doing your thing the way you want to do it, you drop your album and go on tour to sold out venues, how did you get there?
R: It’s very DIY and grassroots, I have to stop myself every once in a while and realize what we have done. We started out slow, performing for very little people and very little money. We didn’t blow up overnight, we do ok.
B: The family element that’s associated with our fanbase is important too. We go to cities and we hang out there and make friends.
Have you ever been to Jamaica?
No but we would like to come.
What advice would you give to young bands or artists from Jamaica who want to tour in the US extensively?
R: You gotta be prepared to grind it out for years. Put in the work and pay your dues, this is hard work, it’s a job, it’s a business and it takes a long time to grow.
B: Start now, the sooner you start to make the mistakes the sooner you can remedy them.
