August 3, 2022 • 52 mins
Our Mothership this week is fully staffed. And with a crew made up of members of Reggae Royalty: The Wailers. We retrograde to the story of when Lennie met Bob Marley, the legacy of Aston "Family Man" Barrett, how your flight staff got their first Grammy nomination, following in your parents footsteps, and One Love above everything.
Featuring: Aiesha Barrett, Aston Barrett Jr., and Leonard "Lennie" Chen
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
I have you the same. Let's go to the one
that aready ready for the same tack lunch. Oh my god, guys,
(00:31):
we are here with the best of the best. We
have been waiting for this day a really long time.
All right, We're here with the mother efan Whaler's baby.
Let's go. We got Lenny, we got Aisha, we got Austin.
Not only are they a part of an incredible legacy
as I am, but you all are artists in your
(00:52):
own way, which is so incredible, and that's what I
want to get into today. But um, we are with
the Whaler's Baby. So I am thrilled, I am excited,
and I just want you guys to go around introduce yourselves.
Who are you? Where are we? Let's go. We start
with a yeah, I know. So we're in Miami. I
(01:18):
feel like we need, oh my god, doing meditation. Honestly,
I'm not gonna lie. I just got deja vu just
a while ago. I just got av this seen I've
seen this before. I feel amazing. But yeah, So my
(01:40):
name is Aston Barrett Junior. I'm the son of Aston
family man Barrett. The legacy moves on now I carry
on the Whalers and we feel privileged and honored to
keep this message of peace, love and unity, and we're
gonna keep it going forever, new music and just pushing
it to the next level. You're ready, you know, I
(02:00):
got my sister over here. Hey, what's your name? My
name is Okay, I'm gonna break it down to of course,
I'm Jamaican, So Jamaican like to spoil people's name. So
actually my name is pronounced Aisha, but Jamaican, they say Aisha.
Gonna call every letter in the name, but either one.
(02:21):
I'll answer, of course, I don't know. Yeah, and what
do you do Aisha? So I do everything. I'm Jill
of all trades. Yeah, everything mixed, so everything. I actually
sing too, so yeah, small flex and I just saying yeah,
(02:43):
just sang, you sang. I'm doing something something, Okay, Lenny,
come on your hello, ding ding? Where are you? My
name is Lenny. What's your full name? Lenny Leonard? Keep going,
(03:08):
keep going? You got more than Andrew Chan, Well call
me Lenny. That's not your name. Your middle name is Andrew. Andrew.
You don't look like I never know that. One thing
is what we call him money or nothing? Come on, Okay, Sorry,
(03:31):
what is what day? Okay, So you know on tour
we have Owen Dready reads. So you know, in Jamaica,
everybody makes a nickname for you. So if you do something,
you have to be careful what you do because that's
going to be your name. Right. So I don't know, actually,
guess I don't really know what. Dready call him wang thing,
(03:54):
but we all call him wang thing. But Lenny's a
ladies man, so we call him one ding But when
he gets the lady we say ding dinging machine. I
(04:16):
used to say between as letty, you've gone off track.
Tell us who you are? Well? I was very close
friends with Bob And who's Bob? Bob Marley, the most
amazing artists that ever grace this earth? Yes, yeah, he's
(04:39):
a profit. What did you do with Bob? How did
you meet him? I met him to a mutual best
friend of His name is Desmond Smith. And yeah, when
I met Bob, we instantly became friends. Played a lot
of football together. Yeah me, who have I've yet seen
(05:01):
kick a soccer ball? Excuse me? Football ball? What is it? After?
This will go? All right? So that's what you did.
But like you, you're one of the most incredible, like
the passion that you have for music, the passion that
you have for this legacy. How did that happen? So
you were playing you know, football with Bob you met him?
Did you already love music before that? Yes? Since when
(05:25):
you play anything? Um? I was a DJ. You were
a DJ in Jamaica. What did you play? I played um, Billboard,
dance music, club stuff, reggae, rock, you know everything, whatever
was good music that makes people dance. That's what I like.
(05:52):
Letty is so humble as if he isn't the mascot
of Jamaica. No, don't go don't go to Jamaica with
Lenny because you'll end up leaving feeling like a queen. No, no,
don't don't go to your make without Lenny. Where was
that place that you took us to get that molasses
drink that almost killed me? Well, I didn't think you.
(06:16):
It was Carlo Les if we were at a hotel.
We were at that track getting that molasses. Everybody knows Lenny.
The funniest thing is you'll be walking at the beach
and just see ahead, come up, Lenny. Yo, It's crazy.
(06:37):
I've literally seen that. Okay, how did you guys meet money.
So I knew Lenny since I was remember, since I
remember as a as a kid. I remember, I think
I was like four or five years old. I used
to go to bro where about Morley on the way,
you know, and he had a restaurant to a friend
(06:59):
and I used to go there. Back in those days,
I used to eat lobster. I used to get, you know,
a free lobster from Lenny, and Um, Lenny was always well.
To tell you, Lenny's different, I remember. Um, I'll tell
you a story. Actually, there was a time when my
father came off tour and I guess something, some payment
(07:21):
didn't go through. And my and my father has a pride,
he doesn't ask anyone. And Lenny came and said, fumbs,
you don't look good. And he said, what's the problem.
My father said, I have all these children and I
need to figure something how And the payment didn't come
through yet. Then he said, give me a bank account.
And you know, normally probably you don't think, probably like
(07:43):
a thousand or two. This man put thirty in my
father's account. This is like in the early nineties. And
never since that, my father always tell me remember that
name Lenny Chin, never forget that name. That's why when
I met him as I got older, was at Lenny instantly.
(08:04):
The first day we got into trouble. Yeah, let me
tell you something. Oh I'm in trouble. No, as a
matter of fact, I think you're actually getting people out
of trouble, is what I think. So you guys, we
(08:26):
we met, you know, we've worked together, we worked jam
and Okay, hold on a minute, why don't we tell
that story because people don't know how we met. I'll
let you tell it, but just make sure you tell
it better. And you're prettier. You're both beautiful. Look who's talking. Yeah,
that's why she's I think she's in the middle. Look
(08:47):
at that, she's take it away. Okay. So my father,
Emilio Stefan icon One calls us Gemini one day and goes, hey,
um there, I'm working on the Whalers record. I'm like,
ha ha the Whalers record. Are you kidding me? Because hello,
(09:09):
like you said, the legacy that is your family and
what you do and what you guys carry forward is iconic.
It out stretches the entire world reggae royalty exactly. So
I'm like, okay, cute whatever, and He's like, no, I'm serious.
He started playing us the stuff that you guys were
(09:29):
doing and collaborating with him, and I was like, I
can't believe this. It's iconic. And Gem and I were
able to collaborate with y'all and uh, you know, not
only write some songs, but Aston and I sang together, um,
you know on a cover that it was iconic, amazing
and asked in your voice, I'm just saying right now,
asked needs to sing more. That's my message of the podcast.
(09:53):
But it really was just such an amazing experience. So
we met that way, We worked to other, we created
art and music, and getting to know you all as
people throughout that has been amazing. I mean we've had
parties at the house where Aisha comes and start singing
and everybody leaves the next day. In the next morning,
they're like, what was that? Excuse me, because she's like
(10:15):
a country reggae icon that nobody knows yet. But so
it's just incredible to know you guys as people and
work with you guys. So that's how we know each other.
A little backstory we can I add something, please please?
On the meeting with Emily was um a concert that
(10:39):
her dad put together and it was the Whalers featuring Emily.
And we sent Emily the playlist and we went to
rehearsal and we got to rehearse three songs and that
was it. Yep, and I can tell you Emily crushed it.
(11:01):
It was an amazing show and it was the start
of a wonderful relationship. That's where it started. Actually, that
is true. That's how it started. We did the show.
The show was amazing, and as soon as I was
going up the stairs you, Emily came to me and said,
(11:21):
asked that my dad wants to meet you. As soon
as I went to Emilio instantly connection. Yeah. He said,
reggae is coming back and it's going to be bigger
than you think. He's like, I want to produce the album.
I'm like, hold up, he did the great Amelia. Well,
(11:45):
I just told me that. I went to my dad, Yo,
guess what they want to produce alum, And he said
that's good, my man, he said go. I said, yes, ready, anytime,
let me know. And that's always starts. I didn't even
know that. I thought it was the other way around.
You all started from just banging on some drums man.
(12:08):
You know, I remember every time I played a role
you look back. I have a question for Asha, how
was it for you? Right, being a part of something,
loving these guys as much as you do, and then
realizing that you know, you have your own talent, your
own avenue. How was that for you? You know what
(12:29):
I mean? Well? Um, so for me, Okay, I'm gonna
take it back a little bit. So my dad, I mean,
I'm not saying I was a bad kid, but it's
very unruly. So my summer break punishment was to be
on the road or any break from school. But it's
two days, pack your bags. So I used to be
(12:50):
on the road a lot. Yeah, when I was cool.
You know, you go back and go back to school,
you get to braggy. I went there, I saw this,
I did this. They never believe me. I don't think
no one believed me until I started turning with these
guys like seventeen, like, oh, I was really a family. Yes,
I wasn't lying. This is the family that I was
(13:12):
making a story like that. You were coming back with
some stories, right, you know what? Um, And I'm getting
a little personal. We're talking about the last name buried.
So for me, it's I never really embraced my last
name because I felt like, for me, men they just
want to hear you relate to somebody and it's like,
what's up. So I never embraced that part. Really, yeah,
(13:36):
I never did that because I was kind of dating
my brother. Means a lot of us, wait, how many
how many siblings? You guys are Well, we're not gonna
put a number out the asked them, don't you dare
say word? Well, that says we don't know, ye number
thirty five five. I'm just telling you what number thirty five?
(14:00):
That's what listen I look at. I'm gonna put it
out there. I feel like half of that number according
you know, they saying it's fifty two, which is crazy.
I feel like half of that is jacket and you
making we call it jackets, which means we're not related
by blood. But I'm not gonna say that there aren't
his kids. I just feel like my dad was loving
as a loving guy, and most of these kids, I
(14:21):
feel like, and I'm really putting out there because if
you're listening, please you to come forward because we need
a d name. I'm just I'm just saying I'm swabbing
everybody the family fair name and nobody if I know
you since since before two thousand, you're getting swabbed. Well
you know what you you have to know that. Well,
(14:43):
you know seven different brothers and seven different sisters with
seven different minds. So you're gonna have Yeah, you're gonna
have me coolest Walter, You're gonna have her burning this fire.
I'm the fire though. What's your sign? What's your quariest best?
Of course? No, excuse me, you know Sage is the best. Guys, literally,
(15:05):
Leo is the best. Leo. Well, yeah, we're actually the
closest to you, Leo. I'm a libra. No, I'm actually so,
I'm we are the dam the vision here, I mean
you are. What about scorpios, you guys, I do that
every time someone picks up a scorpios like you better
(15:28):
watch that pincer, you better watch her. It'll come out,
will come out. Scorpios are wonderful, highly sexual beings. Am Wait, no,
I'm a libra scorpio. I'm a balanced scorpio. So it's
basically on the cover under cover. By the way. Another
(15:52):
thing that is so I just want to say right now.
One thing is like taking in, you know, all the
beautiful culture from Jamaica and everything, and one thing is
visiting and experiencing it. And we were able to travel
with Lenny unfortunately without you. Guys. We missed you every
moment I promised I didn't. Now we did. We did.
(16:15):
We really did. Lenny around is like, let everyone, no,
we missed you all because we're a tribe. But we
were in Jamaica and and Lenny was taking us around
and just we had the most amazing time. I mean
we would like swim around, you know, caves and pick
mangoes and go in the river and you know, stop
(16:37):
in the middle of the road and getting the raft
and just meet the most amazing people. And that's just
one thing. Also that like, if anything, I want to
say today that you have to go out and and
learn and experience other cultures because for example, like we're
Cuban and I'm so proud of my Cuban culture, you know,
like I love my island, my rhythm, my music. That's
(16:57):
something that I'm so proud of. But it such a
it was such a joy to experience Jamaica and the
culture and the food and the music. You know, so well,
you didn't get to see the best. Um so this
part two coming up real soon. Yeah, this time I'll
be You guys are going to see my favorite places. Lady.
(17:22):
You've been telling me that since well, it's coming. I'm ready.
I'm ready. Alright, guys. So in addition to having you
(17:45):
guys here and working together and everything, Lenny, I know
that you're like you've built your own empire, you know,
you kind of have gotten into this world and done
your your thing. But Aston and Aisha we share something
in common, which for me, I feel like it's really
been difficult for me, which is like, how do you
find your own identity when you're in such a big legacy?
(18:08):
You know, for me, I didn't sing until I was eighteen,
and I was fighting it and fighting it. Everybody, Oh,
I'm sure you're gonna sound like your mom. I'm sure
this and that, and I was like no, no, no, no, no,
I didn't want to do it, you know. So I
don't know if you I want to hear your experience
about like coming into your own artistry, whichever one of
you wants to start. I would love to hear that,
Neston alright, So for me, um, I've always loved singing.
(18:31):
But I'm still today today's date, I'm still shy, so
that's always my thing. But I'm comfortable when I have
people around me, so I feel like I belong. I
thought I needed to be in a girl group, like
I was always like, oh the spice girl kind of thing,
like maybe that's what I needed to do. But singing solo,
it's just like, okay, people are staring, so but to
say to sing now? So grown up music always been
(18:54):
a part of us. It has to be, you know.
It was like we didn't really have For me, I
didn't really have much toys. So my toys were recorder
or walkman back then, cassette player. You know. My dad
would get me a keyboard player literally every year I'll
break it, I'll get it back. But I always just
wanted a microphone. But he's like, oh, go find your key,
(19:14):
and I'm like, what key? What is he talking about
finding your key? So, but yeah, as far as identity goes, um,
it's a lot, you know, especially culture wise, because people
expect you to look at certain image. You know, you
canna represent um the culture as well. But I for me,
I defined myself as I'm Asha on the rebel, so
(19:38):
I'm gonna beat me. Sometimes I do things that people
might be like, oh my gosh, look at her, she's
always make it on the gram or girl, what are
you doing? I'm like listening, got it flaunting exactly. They're
just because I'm very confident in my skin and I'm
not doing for attention, you know, But I just feel
like music though. Music is something that you can game
(20:00):
no matter where you're from. Like music. You need music
in your life. That's that's therapy. And if you don't
like music, get a problem, literally, because that was my
issue that I tried to turn away so many times.
And the magnetism of this is what brings me joy,
my passion. And you know, I tell people all the
time that say, oh I don't have a passion. You know,
(20:24):
that sucks. And I don't mean it in a judgmental way.
I mean that the same way that you fall in
love with a person, you fall in love with an
art and the same way you have to feed that relationship.
Some days you might wake up and you don't want
to sing and you don't want to play music, but
the bottom line is that you're still nurturing that relationship
because you fall. You can't help it. You fall in
(20:45):
love with it, you know, and that's that's what it is.
You can't run away. But it's hard. I'm sure you
were scared. I wish I too. Oh yeah, And I
feel like that's that's why I relieve my stress. And
I like to cry, and and I turn my pain
into songs. Like I would just be like I would
just say something random or something that's brought to me.
I just started singing about it. That's me. So I
(21:07):
was a bathroom girl like the show was singer. And
then the fan into the fan like like my voice
so good in this fan, I might be the next
Seling Dion. And in my household, you had to pick
an artist represented. So growing up as a kid, I
was Seleing Dion. My cousin was Maria Care like everybody
had to pick someone. You have to stick to that
person and said, every time they drop a song, you
better know it. And that's where you practice. That's yeah,
(21:30):
that's your id hand how you do it over there? Yeah,
never answered, I want to hear his right. Yeah, you know,
I mean it is you know what I mean. It's
kind of it is kind of funny when you. I mean,
(21:53):
you're on Instagram scrolling and then your sister's off nicking. Yeah,
we're not talking about my my boom, about legacy. Sorry
(22:13):
you guys, why are we talking about my boobs? We're not.
We're not talking about you. Talk about music. I was saying,
you on Instagram scrolling down is scary. Scroll up. Everybody's
(22:36):
on Instagram. I okay, yeah, yeah, I remember I was saying, hello, hello, hello,
we're both part of this legacy. Yes, can you play
the weed? So good? Herbs man, this is wicked. You're
killing me away hilarious. I'm telling you, I'm getting high
(23:00):
for Sorry. I should have put you between them. She's okay, alright,
so all right, back to the legacy. So really untruly
m hm. I remember when I was young, I was
(23:21):
about four or five years old. I started playing bass
guitar around like six seven. I remember one time I
was watching some Bob lay in the way. It was
um VHS and it was I remember the show actually
nineteen seven to nine, Santa Barbara. They were doing a
song called Ambushing at Night. And then I remember my
(23:43):
mother came and she said, look, there's your father. And
when she said there's your father, I'm like father. I
had no idea who he was. I just knew there
was a whole bunch of stuff and he's leaving on
I don't know. But when she said that, it clicked
to me and I was like, that's when I became
a fan. So my father is not just my father.
(24:06):
I'm actually a fan of him. So it's like I
feel the same way. Yeah, I feel the same way. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
You know. So growing up, I taught myself, but you know,
they always say when you're with someone, you become a
part of them, so the blood already is there. But
(24:29):
just being around him, I was able to learn to
field because the field is not something you can just
be taught. You have to just be around it and
learn it. And that's what That's what really happened, and
that's how I started. And I always knew that I
wanted to be a part of him. And then as
I've gotten older, like I was in high school, I
(24:52):
started touring with Julian Morley. I used to do some
tours with him and have gotten better and better and
then learn other instruments. I told myself, if I'm going
to teach wailers sound, I need to learn majority of
the instruments, so learning it was not it wasn't hard
in that aspect of ways. But I learned everything by
(25:15):
ear is not really by the books, and that's it's
like Drumline the movie. You said, how advance he was
because he used the ears as well. And as I
had gotten older and then I graduated from high school,
I went straight on tour and I did Berkeley School
of Music online and I did a few of them.
And then as I saw my father and I was saying, wow,
(25:40):
he's getting older. What I'm saying, I'm gonna have to
really work and try and figure out this legacy thing
with him. So and then I got a call from
Lauren Hill and I went to play bass for Lauren
Hill for two years did rocked the Bells, and then
I learned a lot came back and you know, it's
it's it's it's really nice and it's a privilege and
(26:02):
it's honor. But really, one day I really thought about it.
I'm saying, I don't want to run the band. This
is too much. And then I do get judged all
the time. This is the only part that hurts. When
I was um, you know, as a kid growing up,
they always say how many kids are you gonna have?
(26:25):
How many kids do your father have? Like I could
never be myself. They always judge me off for everything quick.
So it's like even when I wanted to date. Every
time I date a girlfriend, like, I always try to
not tell them who I am, because the first thing
(26:45):
once they find out who I am is like they
automatically have up a guard saying, oh, he's gonna have
lots of women, and and I'm like, I'm not that way.
It's like I just want to find a companion and
just be nice. So that's that's just how I am.
So it's like it was. It was. It was very hard,
but now I just got used to it. No, you know.
(27:05):
But then and when my father got ill and said
he was going to retire, he said, you have to
run the band, and I said, nope, I'm not running
this band. This is too I only want to be
a musician like you and just work. He said, but
I taught you everything, and this is the legacy for
you to carry. I said, you have a lot of children,
(27:27):
why don't you make one of them do it? One
of the older ones doing you know, I said, I'm
not the older one, you know, because when someone is
older than you, they always sometimes they look down on
your middle. They'll be like, I'm your older one, so
you have to listen to me. Those kinds of stuff.
So that's the other thing I didn't want to deal with.
(27:48):
So it's like, I'm like, I don't want to do it.
But then I remember one day I looked on him
and he looks sad, and he said, I've done a
lot of it in life, and I've made a lot
of mistakes, and I want you to learn from my mistakes,
and I want you to run the band. I said,
(28:08):
all right, I'll run the band, but not with this
management that you have, because I can't work with them
because it's toxic. And what whalers represent to me, they
were not that. It was not positivity. No, it wasn't good.
So I said, all right. I didn't know he was
(28:30):
going to fire them. He fired them, and then they
took me to court and it was a mess, and
I almost gave up again, and then Lenny said, don't
give up. Lenny was always there by my side and
said don't give up. And then when that happened, I
just started getting more stronger, more like a lion in
the jungle and just coming out and coming out each time.
(28:52):
And then you also learned of some people who say
they are your friends and you're not your friends. Because me,
I am the kind of person that I am. I
am the same. I would never change. If I tell
you I'm going to do something and if it cannot work,
that means it's an information. I found out that I
didn't know what I'm saying. I'm sorry, but this is
the law soul. Let's figure it out because I'm still
(29:14):
going to make sure you're okay. But people always take
it differently. I could never change. I'm the same to
be straight. Without Ashton Jr. This Waileess couldn't never be
at this level because he has the Wiless song. It's destiny.
I gotta tell you this kid has that is based
(29:37):
Uncle Carl's drama and the WS the sound he's got.
I agree. I agree. I can verify because I can
also verify. I remember you and I early on in
our friendship, and I'm sitting here by the way quick
aside looking at you guys and are like man from
that story. Like we've celebrated birthdays together, we've had so
(29:58):
many moments together. I'm so grateful to have you guys
in my life. Thank you. Your father told me that
reputation is key, and he's saying also in business, if
you follow everything by the books, you're everything is clean.
But when you're such a positive being and you do
so much good things and then people accuse you of
(30:19):
doing the wrong that you never did, it hurts. It really,
it really, it really hurts because I work so hard
to to have my reputation so good. But my reputation
is not for people. It's for myself. And that's the thing.
I just love being a good person. I love to give.
(30:40):
I love to see people smile. So it's like it
really hurt me and you just see how the world
is and then it's like it could have changed me.
Things like that could change you. But then you realize
that you can't change You can't make anyone change you.
You know. I guess when you're doing something good and
you're reaching were you supposed to be, you know, that's
(31:04):
when you get people red eye and all that stuff,
and it's it's natural. Your hearts it's huge, and you're
gonna always be you and I always this is me
growing up. It's something I live by that you can't
let people change you because they're not putting out the
same that you're giving them. And when you do good
(31:26):
for people, it's not the same people that you do
good for it that's going to do good back for it.
Your blessing is going to come back from somebody else.
So don't let nobody change you because the but mine
am jealous and that's what you got your sister, Eya,
because i Usha is the rebel, and there's times when
I have to step in and you better, big sister. Yeah,
(31:46):
Like I love my little brother and not gonna protect him.
I mean sometimes I know I got a character and
I say I people be thinking I'm crazy. I am crazy,
and I will own that I am crazy, but good
crazy crazy. But yeah, when it comes out to my
brother's or my dad, like, yeah, I'll go off. Can
I tell you something. I heard a beautiful thing the
other day. There was somebody performing. It was like on
(32:09):
America's Got Talent or something, and they're like, oh, you know,
I'm not normal, you know, And they said, have you
ever met a normal person? Have you right? Have you?
What is normal? What is normal? Why are we judging
ourselves against some kind of thing. There's no such thing.
Everybody has their thing, everybody has their cork, everybody has
(32:30):
their beauty. Yeah, it's not you know, like we're not
measuring ourselves against something. There's there's no such thing. Yeah,
like I felt like a couple of school has been
gone and it's okay. You know that has on. But yeah,
(33:00):
not the wronger being different. They can't we can't listen.
Everybody else is taken. I gotta be myself. So if
I'm gonna be that crazy, you shouldn't do it. I'm crazy.
Sometimes it gets certain trouble. No you when you people
say I'm in trouble, I'm like, what trouble? Like? What
what trouble like? For me, it's to listen. You got
one k life to live and everybody gets twenty four hours. Okay,
(33:22):
I'm not gonna let nobody ruin my twenty four and
for me to stay sane, I'd like to get things
off my chest, the same thing. That's just me. You
might be different. You might need a week, a day,
a month. I can't go to sleep angry. I can't
even if I'm in a relationship. We arguing right now
we're not going to sleep angry. And first of all,
we're not talking. You're not even getting the remote before
(33:44):
I grab the remote because you want did what I
want to watch? That's where it's gonna go. No, you're
gonna talk about I'm taking a college you roll over
because I'm coming on the couch even I'm gonna be
on the edge of the couch. I'm right there. I'm
just like, why would be mad for what? For what? Wait?
When I feel like Lenny's like, I want to hear
what Lenny's theory on this. I really like this. I
(34:05):
feel like we're gonna be mad. We're gonna be mad
my way. Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. She saved me
a few times with a bad woman. Oh, let's let's
not talk about them because it's a pineapple, you know, like,
they gotta go through me first. I'm sorry. I don't
(34:26):
care about who else want to approve them. It comes
down to what I used, end of the day. It
can't be that troublesome of the problems to some I
feel like, you know what, it's I'm the sweetest person.
I feel like because I have no filter and I
just say what comes to my mind be like she's
so mean, but I'm really nice person Alrightyay, I'm gonna
(34:46):
say one to three and then you're gonna say three
words one to three. Good. Wow, that's see I would
have said. I would have said, like tampon guitar water
you know what I mean? Real bud yo. I don't
know one were time? Okay, Okay, I said ready different
(35:09):
when no, that's good. Three words one to three, that's
two is not too a want that's spliff. Gotta be
the one with the slif include this splace it. You
(35:45):
know we've actually been talking English? I mean, should we
talk Jamaica? Let's speak calling English? How much have been
my English voice? Yea? Actually you guys have never heard
me talk. Okay, here we are, hold on, we're having
a little snack break. But I want to hear give
us some slang. So he said, what you're dealing with? Mean?
What are you dealing with? Going? Oh, I see what
(36:07):
you're doing? Like how are you doing? No, what you're
dealing with? Like? What are you doing? Where you're going?
Where you'll go? I mean where are you going? Where
are from? What can I buy? Ting? You can't buy
a thing? No thing soda things, and you don't think
mean anything. Anything you do you don't want to. Oh,
(36:27):
and who's gonna take me to Both Bay? Now? Both Bay?
You already got you buff? No, No, if I'm super angry,
like what, i'man crazy as your mode, there's no other
(36:48):
accent but streets. And then there's different levels of pata.
You have the uptown accent, you got a downtown accent,
the country up tone and downtown accent, and then you
an angry all Jamaican accent. So it's like it all
depends on what mood you're in, what you're going through,
what's happening in that moment, anything can come up on
my mode and anything and get that just yea, and
(37:15):
maybe you should say no, I mean let me, oh
you just got it? You know what? One of my
favorite coming Okay, listen, as much as I've learned all
that nasty ship from you guys, all right, you guys
taught us that. Listen, you taught us that, but you
know what, that's the only nasty thing I've learned. Because
(37:36):
we were in Jamaica. We went up to a mountain, right,
you took us yeah? Yeah, and what was it? It
was like incredible. Tell us what it was, Lenny? It
was they called like a rest a camp. Yep, is
this where we dance or dancing? Let me tell you
(37:57):
that it was one of the most beautiful experiences of
my because I don't want to go to where the
tourists go. I want to go with the locals exactly.
It was at it tell us land, where'd you take us?
In stan just outside Ourious? Yeah, you're so expressively thank you.
(38:19):
It's like the most beautiful winds of my life. And
he's like, yep, what happened? The mountains They had a nice,
nice piece of property there and the rastas and friends.
They were cooking up idle food. There was families there,
people dancing music. It was the Bible Norfghana smoke. Everybody's
(38:42):
handed on ganja to everybody. Yeah we walked in, of course,
But not only that's the food, the food, the energy.
That's another thing that people don't realize, which we need
to all take away from learning about each other, right
which I feel like Cuban people in some respect, you know,
share this. It's like it's a vibe. It's a vibration.
(39:04):
It's all about the energy that we share. You want
to write a song, you want to go on tour. Okay, yeah,
all that is great, you know whatever, we're part of
this legacy blah blah blah. But if you're not having
fun and you're not feeling good the whole time, don't
do it. You know, it's funny what you say about
like the Cuban culture, because my father told me that
he and Carlton Baba Drama, Um, they actually used to
(39:28):
go and watch music from um these musicians that came
from Cuba that came to Jamaica and they actually got
influenced by that music. Because my father told me that
Carlton used to listen to a lot of music from
Cuba as well. So even when he goes rop, it's
(39:49):
like it's a mixture of mental which is Jamaican original
heritage music and from Africa and also from Cuba. And
that's why when they play it's so different. So they
we call that music roots. You have different type of reggae.
You have love us rock, you have rock cars, you
(40:10):
have you know, you know, every every everything, So we
call it roots rock. Regga Bob moll in the way,
that's the first one that brought the American you know
what it is is I could tell you our father.
He used to tell me that the music that's coming
out of Jamaica now the drums, he called them war drums.
(40:34):
Because if you listen to the music, I'm not against
anybody because it's their thing. But if you're singing about
killing and if you're singing about doing this and that
and doing this the woman, it's like you don't grid
in woman, and you also downgrade in yourself and and
this is this is the thing. You can don't great people.
(40:55):
You have to uplift and that's what Bob Malin the
Whalers did. Reggae music original is music for suffering people,
people that was going through so much and didn't have
a voice. So you know that's their liberation of rebellion
against certain things, but still preaching love. That's the original
(41:15):
of reggae music. You know, people will say what they
want to say about our family made album of the century.
And it's a reason why they made album of the century.
It's because the love. My father said, have an inner child.
You see us, It doesn't matter how old we get,
We're gonna still have this child. Bob Marley said, my
music is so simple. Even a baby can understand it,
(41:39):
so you have to have the inner child, make jokes.
Look at me and Lenny sometimes you might think me
and Lenny is the same age because we're just always
having fun. Yet letting me still a kid though. Yeah. Yeah,
but that's what made Wailers music. So that's the culture
that I really remember in Jamaica. So for us, it's
(42:00):
to keep the reggae music alive, music for all years,
ages and centuries. Yeah. One of my favorite songs in
the album, you know do it done with Emily and Aston,
the two most amazing musicians and artists in the world.
(42:26):
I loved you. I'm glad that you're speaking because it's
questions for you. So you told us that you met
Bob playing football. How is it that you got to
be involved with the Whalers? Okay, So back in ninety two,
I was helping Julian Marley managing him and Julian never
(42:50):
had a band before, and he said I need a band.
So I called Farms and I said Farms lists put
the band together back for Julian. So we did it.
We had no purpose of touring or recording or anything,
but to put this band together with Julian, so Julian
could get to practice and become what he wants, you know. Yeah,
(43:14):
So while we were practicing, a few months into it,
the world got out and people were like, whoa Julian
Marlin and Whalers. Yeah, so we got bookings. People came
and like Japan wanted us, Brazil, so I took care
of that. I made sure that and negotiated deals with
these places, and Julian Marley and the Whalers were popping
(43:37):
and making waves. We were touring. Everybody wanted us, So
it was going good for a while. And then one
day the Whalers had to go. They had some contract
to do some shows and they took off, and so
that's when Julian formed another band. I guess that was
(44:00):
a mission. You know. The mission was always to have
the Wailers to his highest level, and we could never
do that without this man here, either of you, yeah,
both of us. Yeah, he um yeah. My father. He
sees the good and everyone and helps so many people. Yeah.
(44:23):
So you know, so I have another question for you guys.
What was it like after twenty five years to release
an album? Oh mg, yeah, it was amazing. It took
us a while we we didn't really know what to do.
We just kept making music. But Bob Marley, it's such
(44:45):
a different guy that it was so hard to really
do anything. But then bing Bing Bing Jr. Is growing
And then we met with the Grape and me that's
the fun yeah and Emily, Yeah, you know, so we
(45:09):
feel privileged. It was and we knew that this was
the right time. Getting nominated showed that it was the
right time and where were the right people. And not
only that we're with the right people, You're a family.
That was the full circle moment. I was going forward
(45:30):
the fact that through all this love and good intention,
we created this art, you know, with a lot of people,
and we're able to have the honor of being nominated
for a Grammy. Which yes, So on that note of
us being a family before we leave, everybody today who
(45:50):
I'm so grateful is listening with us. Everybody, tell us
what you're up to right now where we can listen
to you. Okay, So Aisha is working on Aisha. So
I'm still on the tour with the Whalers, but I'm
at a space now where I'm defining myself as an artist.
So for years, i I've I've loved country music. My
(46:12):
mom is British, and with the British accident, the New
York accident, the Jamaican accent, I feel like when I sing,
that all comes out into the music. So I had
to find take time to figure out what's my tone,
what's my song? Where I'm going? You know what am
I going for? So I'm currently working in the EP
right now. It's a reggae EP, but that's not where
I stopped because I definitely wants to expand my skills
(46:36):
and show the world my different versatility of my vocal range.
And you know what, I can do different genres to
like to play around the country and pop and everything,
you know, And what about the Whalers? What do we
got going out? Then they got well there's a new
album in the making, Yes Oesther than the Melia and
everybody is excited, you know. And I hope Emminent Geman
(46:59):
is right something for that, maybe baby not? You never well,
I love it. If you don't, like you're gonna have
to collapse somewhere, I'm not giving you a choice. And
you might find Asha and put it out there. Put
(47:22):
it out there, you know, I used to She's coming,
she's coming out, and of course the pictures stays the same. Yes,
we're gonna be less the left left or the right
boob or both of them going to be out. She's like,
I will deliver promoting the boobs booms. She lit right, lit,
(47:45):
bought your talaway. I'm telling you, I love you, guys.
I really appreciate you opened my life to a whole
new world way of thinking, philosophy of life. I'm grateful
to you. By the way, y'a should be profits. Yeah, yeah, alright, guys, Well,
thank you so much for flying with us today. For
(48:07):
those of you who are listening out there, you're welcome.
We forgot to tell them that it's because of you. Emily.
Why I am singing on stage story? No, that's the
true Let's go take us out. You started it. Wait,
so I feel naughty. Wait what we talk about music
(48:29):
now or something? I'm you see where your brain is? No, listen,
I was just saying I'm going back in a Nazi corner.
The story started singing. Yeah, the story how it started
was after a recorded destiny and to the backup hard
drive instead of the real hard drive when I deleted
(48:51):
my vocals. I'm at home and got a text message
from Emily. Oh my gosh, I love your voice. No
from Emily, oh my gosh, I said, I said my voice.
I said, well, yeah, I do have a deep voice
at night sometimes white thank you. She's like, yeah, man,
(49:13):
the song is so good. I'm like, wait what she said, Destiny?
I said, oh no, because I was the only one
in the studio. So I was singing out to him,
just like, oh, how would Bob Marley sing? He would
do this, do all kind of stuff. So I was
doing experiments and I was saying, I said, no, you
(49:36):
guys can't use it. So I went in the to
the studio and tell Amelia. I was like, Amelia, don't
use it. It's like, don't worry. I got someone that
sounds like you. I said, oh thank god. This man
Press played and it was me. At first, I was
like nervous, nervous that. I was like, there you go.
You made me sound good. I just I just didn't know.
(50:02):
And then that's when my confident level came up. And
then after that, you guys called me back to do
the song good times times, and after that that's when
it was like, Okay, I'm gonna work on my voice.
I'm gonna practice, I start practicing more often. And I
(50:22):
did the song and it was amazing. And then I
remember my father always tell me this, don't mess with
your food. When you see someone that is like Amelia
who is so passionate about his work and pushing, pushing
not only for himself, pushing for you because he sees
(50:43):
something glorious in you and he's putting all of his
effort into it. You don't dim someone shine. When someone
is shining for you, that's a that's a blessing. And
I just did it because I remember what my father said,
don't play around with your food. And because of that
why we were able to go to the next level.
(51:04):
I'm so happy. I'm not a kind of person that
listened to anyone. I follow my heart, and my heart
is definitely with you guys. How you guys brought me
to the next level to where I'm a singing now.
You know, I love you so so what's your artist name?
I don't. Oh my god, thank you guys, thank you
(51:32):
for that, Thank you for everything. I love you. Love
you until next time, because I know there has to
be a part two, because everybody's gonna fall in love
with you. Thank you guys. We'll see you next week.
Love you. This is a Moonflower production in partnership with
I Hearts Michael Do That Podcast Network. For more podcast
(51:54):
visit the I heart Radio app, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows. Four
I have you the same. Let's go to the one
that aready ready for the same tack lunch. Oh my god, guys,
(00:31):
we are here with the best of the best. We
have been waiting for this day a really long time.
All right, We're here with the mother efan Whaler's baby.
Let's go. We got Lenny, we got Aisha, we got Austin.
Not only are they a part of an incredible legacy
as I am, but you all are artists in your
(00:52):
own way, which is so incredible, and that's what I
want to get into today. But um, we are with
the Whaler's Baby. So I am thrilled, I am excited,
and I just want you guys to go around introduce yourselves.
Who are you? Where are we? Let's go. We start
with a yeah, I know. So we're in Miami. I
(01:18):
feel like we need, oh my god, doing meditation. Honestly,
I'm not gonna lie. I just got deja vu just
a while ago. I just got av this seen I've
seen this before. I feel amazing. But yeah, So my
(01:40):
name is Aston Barrett Junior. I'm the son of Aston
family man Barrett. The legacy moves on now I carry
on the Whalers and we feel privileged and honored to
keep this message of peace, love and unity, and we're
gonna keep it going forever, new music and just pushing
it to the next level. You're ready, you know, I
(02:00):
got my sister over here. Hey, what's your name? My
name is Okay, I'm gonna break it down to of course,
I'm Jamaican, So Jamaican like to spoil people's name. So
actually my name is pronounced Aisha, but Jamaican, they say Aisha.
Gonna call every letter in the name, but either one.
(02:21):
I'll answer, of course, I don't know. Yeah, and what
do you do Aisha? So I do everything. I'm Jill
of all trades. Yeah, everything mixed, so everything. I actually
sing too, so yeah, small flex and I just saying yeah,
(02:43):
just sang, you sang. I'm doing something something, Okay, Lenny,
come on your hello, ding ding? Where are you? My
name is Lenny. What's your full name? Lenny Leonard? Keep going,
(03:08):
keep going? You got more than Andrew Chan, Well call
me Lenny. That's not your name. Your middle name is Andrew. Andrew.
You don't look like I never know that. One thing
is what we call him money or nothing? Come on, Okay, Sorry,
(03:31):
what is what day? Okay, So you know on tour
we have Owen Dready reads. So you know, in Jamaica,
everybody makes a nickname for you. So if you do something,
you have to be careful what you do because that's
going to be your name. Right. So I don't know, actually,
guess I don't really know what. Dready call him wang thing,
(03:54):
but we all call him wang thing. But Lenny's a
ladies man, so we call him one ding But when
he gets the lady we say ding dinging machine. I
(04:16):
used to say between as letty, you've gone off track.
Tell us who you are? Well? I was very close
friends with Bob And who's Bob? Bob Marley, the most
amazing artists that ever grace this earth? Yes, yeah, he's
(04:39):
a profit. What did you do with Bob? How did
you meet him? I met him to a mutual best
friend of His name is Desmond Smith. And yeah, when
I met Bob, we instantly became friends. Played a lot
of football together. Yeah me, who have I've yet seen
(05:01):
kick a soccer ball? Excuse me? Football ball? What is it? After?
This will go? All right? So that's what you did.
But like you, you're one of the most incredible, like
the passion that you have for music, the passion that
you have for this legacy. How did that happen? So
you were playing you know, football with Bob you met him?
Did you already love music before that? Yes? Since when
(05:25):
you play anything? Um? I was a DJ. You were
a DJ in Jamaica. What did you play? I played um, Billboard,
dance music, club stuff, reggae, rock, you know everything, whatever
was good music that makes people dance. That's what I like.
(05:52):
Letty is so humble as if he isn't the mascot
of Jamaica. No, don't go don't go to Jamaica with
Lenny because you'll end up leaving feeling like a queen. No, no,
don't don't go to your make without Lenny. Where was
that place that you took us to get that molasses
drink that almost killed me? Well, I didn't think you.
(06:16):
It was Carlo Les if we were at a hotel.
We were at that track getting that molasses. Everybody knows Lenny.
The funniest thing is you'll be walking at the beach
and just see ahead, come up, Lenny. Yo, It's crazy.
(06:37):
I've literally seen that. Okay, how did you guys meet money.
So I knew Lenny since I was remember, since I
remember as a as a kid. I remember, I think
I was like four or five years old. I used
to go to bro where about Morley on the way,
you know, and he had a restaurant to a friend
(06:59):
and I used to go there. Back in those days,
I used to eat lobster. I used to get, you know,
a free lobster from Lenny, and Um, Lenny was always well.
To tell you, Lenny's different, I remember. Um, I'll tell
you a story. Actually, there was a time when my
father came off tour and I guess something, some payment
(07:21):
didn't go through. And my and my father has a pride,
he doesn't ask anyone. And Lenny came and said, fumbs,
you don't look good. And he said, what's the problem.
My father said, I have all these children and I
need to figure something how And the payment didn't come
through yet. Then he said, give me a bank account.
And you know, normally probably you don't think, probably like
(07:43):
a thousand or two. This man put thirty in my
father's account. This is like in the early nineties. And
never since that, my father always tell me remember that
name Lenny Chin, never forget that name. That's why when
I met him as I got older, was at Lenny instantly.
(08:04):
The first day we got into trouble. Yeah, let me
tell you something. Oh I'm in trouble. No, as a
matter of fact, I think you're actually getting people out
of trouble, is what I think. So you guys, we
(08:26):
we met, you know, we've worked together, we worked jam
and Okay, hold on a minute, why don't we tell
that story because people don't know how we met. I'll
let you tell it, but just make sure you tell
it better. And you're prettier. You're both beautiful. Look who's talking. Yeah,
that's why she's I think she's in the middle. Look
(08:47):
at that, she's take it away. Okay. So my father,
Emilio Stefan icon One calls us Gemini one day and goes, hey,
um there, I'm working on the Whalers record. I'm like,
ha ha the Whalers record. Are you kidding me? Because hello,
(09:09):
like you said, the legacy that is your family and
what you do and what you guys carry forward is iconic.
It out stretches the entire world reggae royalty exactly. So
I'm like, okay, cute whatever, and He's like, no, I'm serious.
He started playing us the stuff that you guys were
(09:29):
doing and collaborating with him, and I was like, I
can't believe this. It's iconic. And Gem and I were
able to collaborate with y'all and uh, you know, not
only write some songs, but Aston and I sang together, um,
you know on a cover that it was iconic, amazing
and asked in your voice, I'm just saying right now,
asked needs to sing more. That's my message of the podcast.
(09:53):
But it really was just such an amazing experience. So
we met that way, We worked to other, we created
art and music, and getting to know you all as
people throughout that has been amazing. I mean we've had
parties at the house where Aisha comes and start singing
and everybody leaves the next day. In the next morning,
they're like, what was that? Excuse me, because she's like
(10:15):
a country reggae icon that nobody knows yet. But so
it's just incredible to know you guys as people and
work with you guys. So that's how we know each other.
A little backstory we can I add something, please please?
On the meeting with Emily was um a concert that
(10:39):
her dad put together and it was the Whalers featuring Emily.
And we sent Emily the playlist and we went to
rehearsal and we got to rehearse three songs and that
was it. Yep, and I can tell you Emily crushed it.
(11:01):
It was an amazing show and it was the start
of a wonderful relationship. That's where it started. Actually, that
is true. That's how it started. We did the show.
The show was amazing, and as soon as I was
going up the stairs you, Emily came to me and said,
(11:21):
asked that my dad wants to meet you. As soon
as I went to Emilio instantly connection. Yeah. He said,
reggae is coming back and it's going to be bigger
than you think. He's like, I want to produce the album.
I'm like, hold up, he did the great Amelia. Well,
(11:45):
I just told me that. I went to my dad, Yo,
guess what they want to produce alum, And he said
that's good, my man, he said go. I said, yes, ready, anytime,
let me know. And that's always starts. I didn't even
know that. I thought it was the other way around.
You all started from just banging on some drums man.
(12:08):
You know, I remember every time I played a role
you look back. I have a question for Asha, how
was it for you? Right, being a part of something,
loving these guys as much as you do, and then
realizing that you know, you have your own talent, your
own avenue. How was that for you? You know what
(12:29):
I mean? Well? Um, so for me, Okay, I'm gonna
take it back a little bit. So my dad, I mean,
I'm not saying I was a bad kid, but it's
very unruly. So my summer break punishment was to be
on the road or any break from school. But it's
two days, pack your bags. So I used to be
(12:50):
on the road a lot. Yeah, when I was cool.
You know, you go back and go back to school,
you get to braggy. I went there, I saw this,
I did this. They never believe me. I don't think
no one believed me until I started turning with these
guys like seventeen, like, oh, I was really a family. Yes,
I wasn't lying. This is the family that I was
(13:12):
making a story like that. You were coming back with
some stories, right, you know what? Um, And I'm getting
a little personal. We're talking about the last name buried.
So for me, it's I never really embraced my last
name because I felt like, for me, men they just
want to hear you relate to somebody and it's like,
what's up. So I never embraced that part. Really, yeah,
(13:36):
I never did that because I was kind of dating
my brother. Means a lot of us, wait, how many
how many siblings? You guys are Well, we're not gonna
put a number out the asked them, don't you dare
say word? Well, that says we don't know, ye number
thirty five five. I'm just telling you what number thirty five?
(14:00):
That's what listen I look at. I'm gonna put it
out there. I feel like half of that number according
you know, they saying it's fifty two, which is crazy.
I feel like half of that is jacket and you
making we call it jackets, which means we're not related
by blood. But I'm not gonna say that there aren't
his kids. I just feel like my dad was loving
as a loving guy, and most of these kids, I
(14:21):
feel like, and I'm really putting out there because if
you're listening, please you to come forward because we need
a d name. I'm just I'm just saying I'm swabbing
everybody the family fair name and nobody if I know
you since since before two thousand, you're getting swabbed. Well
you know what you you have to know that. Well,
(14:43):
you know seven different brothers and seven different sisters with
seven different minds. So you're gonna have Yeah, you're gonna
have me coolest Walter, You're gonna have her burning this fire.
I'm the fire though. What's your sign? What's your quariest best?
Of course? No, excuse me, you know Sage is the best. Guys, literally,
(15:05):
Leo is the best. Leo. Well, yeah, we're actually the
closest to you, Leo. I'm a libra. No, I'm actually so,
I'm we are the dam the vision here, I mean
you are. What about scorpios, you guys, I do that
every time someone picks up a scorpios like you better
(15:28):
watch that pincer, you better watch her. It'll come out,
will come out. Scorpios are wonderful, highly sexual beings. Am Wait, no,
I'm a libra scorpio. I'm a balanced scorpio. So it's
basically on the cover under cover. By the way. Another
(15:52):
thing that is so I just want to say right now.
One thing is like taking in, you know, all the
beautiful culture from Jamaica and everything, and one thing is
visiting and experiencing it. And we were able to travel
with Lenny unfortunately without you. Guys. We missed you every
moment I promised I didn't. Now we did. We did.
(16:15):
We really did. Lenny around is like, let everyone, no,
we missed you all because we're a tribe. But we
were in Jamaica and and Lenny was taking us around
and just we had the most amazing time. I mean
we would like swim around, you know, caves and pick
mangoes and go in the river and you know, stop
(16:37):
in the middle of the road and getting the raft
and just meet the most amazing people. And that's just
one thing. Also that like, if anything, I want to
say today that you have to go out and and
learn and experience other cultures because for example, like we're
Cuban and I'm so proud of my Cuban culture, you know,
like I love my island, my rhythm, my music. That's
(16:57):
something that I'm so proud of. But it such a
it was such a joy to experience Jamaica and the
culture and the food and the music. You know, so well,
you didn't get to see the best. Um so this
part two coming up real soon. Yeah, this time I'll
be You guys are going to see my favorite places. Lady.
(17:22):
You've been telling me that since well, it's coming. I'm ready.
I'm ready. Alright, guys. So in addition to having you
(17:45):
guys here and working together and everything, Lenny, I know
that you're like you've built your own empire, you know,
you kind of have gotten into this world and done
your your thing. But Aston and Aisha we share something
in common, which for me, I feel like it's really
been difficult for me, which is like, how do you
find your own identity when you're in such a big legacy?
(18:08):
You know, for me, I didn't sing until I was eighteen,
and I was fighting it and fighting it. Everybody, Oh,
I'm sure you're gonna sound like your mom. I'm sure
this and that, and I was like no, no, no, no, no,
I didn't want to do it, you know. So I
don't know if you I want to hear your experience
about like coming into your own artistry, whichever one of
you wants to start. I would love to hear that,
Neston alright, So for me, um, I've always loved singing.
(18:31):
But I'm still today today's date, I'm still shy, so
that's always my thing. But I'm comfortable when I have
people around me, so I feel like I belong. I
thought I needed to be in a girl group, like
I was always like, oh the spice girl kind of thing,
like maybe that's what I needed to do. But singing solo,
it's just like, okay, people are staring, so but to
say to sing now? So grown up music always been
(18:54):
a part of us. It has to be, you know.
It was like we didn't really have For me, I
didn't really have much toys. So my toys were recorder
or walkman back then, cassette player. You know. My dad
would get me a keyboard player literally every year I'll
break it, I'll get it back. But I always just
wanted a microphone. But he's like, oh, go find your key,
(19:14):
and I'm like, what key? What is he talking about
finding your key? So, but yeah, as far as identity goes, um,
it's a lot, you know, especially culture wise, because people
expect you to look at certain image. You know, you
canna represent um the culture as well. But I for me,
I defined myself as I'm Asha on the rebel, so
(19:38):
I'm gonna beat me. Sometimes I do things that people
might be like, oh my gosh, look at her, she's
always make it on the gram or girl, what are
you doing? I'm like listening, got it flaunting exactly. They're
just because I'm very confident in my skin and I'm
not doing for attention, you know, But I just feel
like music though. Music is something that you can game
(20:00):
no matter where you're from. Like music. You need music
in your life. That's that's therapy. And if you don't
like music, get a problem, literally, because that was my
issue that I tried to turn away so many times.
And the magnetism of this is what brings me joy,
my passion. And you know, I tell people all the
time that say, oh I don't have a passion. You know,
(20:24):
that sucks. And I don't mean it in a judgmental way.
I mean that the same way that you fall in
love with a person, you fall in love with an
art and the same way you have to feed that relationship.
Some days you might wake up and you don't want
to sing and you don't want to play music, but
the bottom line is that you're still nurturing that relationship
because you fall. You can't help it. You fall in
(20:45):
love with it, you know, and that's that's what it is.
You can't run away. But it's hard. I'm sure you
were scared. I wish I too. Oh yeah, And I
feel like that's that's why I relieve my stress. And
I like to cry, and and I turn my pain
into songs. Like I would just be like I would
just say something random or something that's brought to me.
I just started singing about it. That's me. So I
(21:07):
was a bathroom girl like the show was singer. And
then the fan into the fan like like my voice
so good in this fan, I might be the next
Seling Dion. And in my household, you had to pick
an artist represented. So growing up as a kid, I
was Seleing Dion. My cousin was Maria Care like everybody
had to pick someone. You have to stick to that
person and said, every time they drop a song, you
better know it. And that's where you practice. That's yeah,
(21:30):
that's your id hand how you do it over there? Yeah,
never answered, I want to hear his right. Yeah, you know,
I mean it is you know what I mean. It's
kind of it is kind of funny when you. I mean,
(21:53):
you're on Instagram scrolling and then your sister's off nicking. Yeah,
we're not talking about my my boom, about legacy. Sorry
(22:13):
you guys, why are we talking about my boobs? We're not.
We're not talking about you. Talk about music. I was saying,
you on Instagram scrolling down is scary. Scroll up. Everybody's
(22:36):
on Instagram. I okay, yeah, yeah, I remember I was saying, hello, hello, hello,
we're both part of this legacy. Yes, can you play
the weed? So good? Herbs man, this is wicked. You're
killing me away hilarious. I'm telling you, I'm getting high
(23:00):
for Sorry. I should have put you between them. She's okay, alright,
so all right, back to the legacy. So really untruly
m hm. I remember when I was young, I was
(23:21):
about four or five years old. I started playing bass
guitar around like six seven. I remember one time I
was watching some Bob lay in the way. It was
um VHS and it was I remember the show actually
nineteen seven to nine, Santa Barbara. They were doing a
song called Ambushing at Night. And then I remember my
(23:43):
mother came and she said, look, there's your father. And
when she said there's your father, I'm like father. I
had no idea who he was. I just knew there
was a whole bunch of stuff and he's leaving on
I don't know. But when she said that, it clicked
to me and I was like, that's when I became
a fan. So my father is not just my father.
(24:06):
I'm actually a fan of him. So it's like I
feel the same way. Yeah, I feel the same way. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
You know. So growing up, I taught myself, but you know,
they always say when you're with someone, you become a
part of them, so the blood already is there. But
(24:29):
just being around him, I was able to learn to
field because the field is not something you can just
be taught. You have to just be around it and
learn it. And that's what That's what really happened, and
that's how I started. And I always knew that I
wanted to be a part of him. And then as
I've gotten older, like I was in high school, I
(24:52):
started touring with Julian Morley. I used to do some
tours with him and have gotten better and better and
then learn other instruments. I told myself, if I'm going
to teach wailers sound, I need to learn majority of
the instruments, so learning it was not it wasn't hard
in that aspect of ways. But I learned everything by
(25:15):
ear is not really by the books, and that's it's
like Drumline the movie. You said, how advance he was
because he used the ears as well. And as I
had gotten older and then I graduated from high school,
I went straight on tour and I did Berkeley School
of Music online and I did a few of them.
And then as I saw my father and I was saying, wow,
(25:40):
he's getting older. What I'm saying, I'm gonna have to
really work and try and figure out this legacy thing
with him. So and then I got a call from
Lauren Hill and I went to play bass for Lauren
Hill for two years did rocked the Bells, and then
I learned a lot came back and you know, it's
it's it's it's really nice and it's a privilege and
(26:02):
it's honor. But really, one day I really thought about it.
I'm saying, I don't want to run the band. This
is too much. And then I do get judged all
the time. This is the only part that hurts. When
I was um, you know, as a kid growing up,
they always say how many kids are you gonna have?
(26:25):
How many kids do your father have? Like I could
never be myself. They always judge me off for everything quick.
So it's like even when I wanted to date. Every
time I date a girlfriend, like, I always try to
not tell them who I am, because the first thing
(26:45):
once they find out who I am is like they
automatically have up a guard saying, oh, he's gonna have
lots of women, and and I'm like, I'm not that way.
It's like I just want to find a companion and
just be nice. So that's that's just how I am.
So it's like it was. It was. It was very hard,
but now I just got used to it. No, you know.
(27:05):
But then and when my father got ill and said
he was going to retire, he said, you have to
run the band, and I said, nope, I'm not running
this band. This is too I only want to be
a musician like you and just work. He said, but
I taught you everything, and this is the legacy for
you to carry. I said, you have a lot of children,
(27:27):
why don't you make one of them do it? One
of the older ones doing you know, I said, I'm
not the older one, you know, because when someone is
older than you, they always sometimes they look down on
your middle. They'll be like, I'm your older one, so
you have to listen to me. Those kinds of stuff.
So that's the other thing I didn't want to deal with.
(27:48):
So it's like, I'm like, I don't want to do it.
But then I remember one day I looked on him
and he looks sad, and he said, I've done a
lot of it in life, and I've made a lot
of mistakes, and I want you to learn from my mistakes,
and I want you to run the band. I said,
(28:08):
all right, I'll run the band, but not with this
management that you have, because I can't work with them
because it's toxic. And what whalers represent to me, they
were not that. It was not positivity. No, it wasn't good.
So I said, all right. I didn't know he was
(28:30):
going to fire them. He fired them, and then they
took me to court and it was a mess, and
I almost gave up again, and then Lenny said, don't
give up. Lenny was always there by my side and
said don't give up. And then when that happened, I
just started getting more stronger, more like a lion in
the jungle and just coming out and coming out each time.
(28:52):
And then you also learned of some people who say
they are your friends and you're not your friends. Because me,
I am the kind of person that I am. I
am the same. I would never change. If I tell
you I'm going to do something and if it cannot work,
that means it's an information. I found out that I
didn't know what I'm saying. I'm sorry, but this is
the law soul. Let's figure it out because I'm still
(29:14):
going to make sure you're okay. But people always take
it differently. I could never change. I'm the same to
be straight. Without Ashton Jr. This Waileess couldn't never be
at this level because he has the Wiless song. It's destiny.
I gotta tell you this kid has that is based
(29:37):
Uncle Carl's drama and the WS the sound he's got.
I agree. I agree. I can verify because I can
also verify. I remember you and I early on in
our friendship, and I'm sitting here by the way quick
aside looking at you guys and are like man from
that story. Like we've celebrated birthdays together, we've had so
(29:58):
many moments together. I'm so grateful to have you guys
in my life. Thank you. Your father told me that
reputation is key, and he's saying also in business, if
you follow everything by the books, you're everything is clean.
But when you're such a positive being and you do
so much good things and then people accuse you of
(30:19):
doing the wrong that you never did, it hurts. It really,
it really, it really hurts because I work so hard
to to have my reputation so good. But my reputation
is not for people. It's for myself. And that's the thing.
I just love being a good person. I love to give.
(30:40):
I love to see people smile. So it's like it
really hurt me and you just see how the world
is and then it's like it could have changed me.
Things like that could change you. But then you realize
that you can't change You can't make anyone change you.
You know. I guess when you're doing something good and
you're reaching were you supposed to be, you know, that's
(31:04):
when you get people red eye and all that stuff,
and it's it's natural. Your hearts it's huge, and you're
gonna always be you and I always this is me
growing up. It's something I live by that you can't
let people change you because they're not putting out the
same that you're giving them. And when you do good
(31:26):
for people, it's not the same people that you do
good for it that's going to do good back for it.
Your blessing is going to come back from somebody else.
So don't let nobody change you because the but mine
am jealous and that's what you got your sister, Eya,
because i Usha is the rebel, and there's times when
I have to step in and you better, big sister. Yeah,
(31:46):
Like I love my little brother and not gonna protect him.
I mean sometimes I know I got a character and
I say I people be thinking I'm crazy. I am crazy,
and I will own that I am crazy, but good
crazy crazy. But yeah, when it comes out to my
brother's or my dad, like, yeah, I'll go off. Can
I tell you something. I heard a beautiful thing the
other day. There was somebody performing. It was like on
(32:09):
America's Got Talent or something, and they're like, oh, you know,
I'm not normal, you know, And they said, have you
ever met a normal person? Have you right? Have you?
What is normal? What is normal? Why are we judging
ourselves against some kind of thing. There's no such thing.
Everybody has their thing, everybody has their cork, everybody has
(32:30):
their beauty. Yeah, it's not you know, like we're not
measuring ourselves against something. There's there's no such thing. Yeah,
like I felt like a couple of school has been
gone and it's okay. You know that has on. But yeah,
(33:00):
not the wronger being different. They can't we can't listen.
Everybody else is taken. I gotta be myself. So if
I'm gonna be that crazy, you shouldn't do it. I'm crazy.
Sometimes it gets certain trouble. No you when you people
say I'm in trouble, I'm like, what trouble? Like? What
what trouble like? For me, it's to listen. You got
one k life to live and everybody gets twenty four hours. Okay,
(33:22):
I'm not gonna let nobody ruin my twenty four and
for me to stay sane, I'd like to get things
off my chest, the same thing. That's just me. You
might be different. You might need a week, a day,
a month. I can't go to sleep angry. I can't
even if I'm in a relationship. We arguing right now
we're not going to sleep angry. And first of all,
we're not talking. You're not even getting the remote before
(33:44):
I grab the remote because you want did what I
want to watch? That's where it's gonna go. No, you're
gonna talk about I'm taking a college you roll over
because I'm coming on the couch even I'm gonna be
on the edge of the couch. I'm right there. I'm
just like, why would be mad for what? For what? Wait?
When I feel like Lenny's like, I want to hear
what Lenny's theory on this. I really like this. I
(34:05):
feel like we're gonna be mad. We're gonna be mad
my way. Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. She saved me
a few times with a bad woman. Oh, let's let's
not talk about them because it's a pineapple, you know, like,
they gotta go through me first. I'm sorry. I don't
(34:26):
care about who else want to approve them. It comes
down to what I used, end of the day. It
can't be that troublesome of the problems to some I
feel like, you know what, it's I'm the sweetest person.
I feel like because I have no filter and I
just say what comes to my mind be like she's
so mean, but I'm really nice person Alrightyay, I'm gonna
(34:46):
say one to three and then you're gonna say three
words one to three. Good. Wow, that's see I would
have said. I would have said, like tampon guitar water
you know what I mean? Real bud yo. I don't
know one were time? Okay, Okay, I said ready different
(35:09):
when no, that's good. Three words one to three, that's
two is not too a want that's spliff. Gotta be
the one with the slif include this splace it. You
(35:45):
know we've actually been talking English? I mean, should we
talk Jamaica? Let's speak calling English? How much have been
my English voice? Yea? Actually you guys have never heard
me talk. Okay, here we are, hold on, we're having
a little snack break. But I want to hear give
us some slang. So he said, what you're dealing with? Mean?
What are you dealing with? Going? Oh, I see what
(36:07):
you're doing? Like how are you doing? No, what you're
dealing with? Like? What are you doing? Where you're going?
Where you'll go? I mean where are you going? Where
are from? What can I buy? Ting? You can't buy
a thing? No thing soda things, and you don't think
mean anything. Anything you do you don't want to. Oh,
(36:27):
and who's gonna take me to Both Bay? Now? Both Bay?
You already got you buff? No, No, if I'm super angry,
like what, i'man crazy as your mode, there's no other
(36:48):
accent but streets. And then there's different levels of pata.
You have the uptown accent, you got a downtown accent,
the country up tone and downtown accent, and then you
an angry all Jamaican accent. So it's like it all
depends on what mood you're in, what you're going through,
what's happening in that moment, anything can come up on
my mode and anything and get that just yea, and
(37:15):
maybe you should say no, I mean let me, oh
you just got it? You know what? One of my
favorite coming Okay, listen, as much as I've learned all
that nasty ship from you guys, all right, you guys
taught us that. Listen, you taught us that, but you
know what, that's the only nasty thing I've learned. Because
(37:36):
we were in Jamaica. We went up to a mountain, right,
you took us yeah? Yeah, and what was it? It
was like incredible. Tell us what it was, Lenny? It
was they called like a rest a camp. Yep, is
this where we dance or dancing? Let me tell you
(37:57):
that it was one of the most beautiful experiences of
my because I don't want to go to where the
tourists go. I want to go with the locals exactly.
It was at it tell us land, where'd you take us?
In stan just outside Ourious? Yeah, you're so expressively thank you.
(38:19):
It's like the most beautiful winds of my life. And
he's like, yep, what happened? The mountains They had a nice,
nice piece of property there and the rastas and friends.
They were cooking up idle food. There was families there,
people dancing music. It was the Bible Norfghana smoke. Everybody's
(38:42):
handed on ganja to everybody. Yeah we walked in, of course,
But not only that's the food, the food, the energy.
That's another thing that people don't realize, which we need
to all take away from learning about each other, right
which I feel like Cuban people in some respect, you know,
share this. It's like it's a vibe. It's a vibration.
(39:04):
It's all about the energy that we share. You want
to write a song, you want to go on tour. Okay, yeah,
all that is great, you know whatever, we're part of
this legacy blah blah blah. But if you're not having
fun and you're not feeling good the whole time, don't
do it. You know, it's funny what you say about
like the Cuban culture, because my father told me that
he and Carlton Baba Drama, Um, they actually used to
(39:28):
go and watch music from um these musicians that came
from Cuba that came to Jamaica and they actually got
influenced by that music. Because my father told me that
Carlton used to listen to a lot of music from
Cuba as well. So even when he goes rop, it's
(39:49):
like it's a mixture of mental which is Jamaican original
heritage music and from Africa and also from Cuba. And
that's why when they play it's so different. So they
we call that music roots. You have different type of reggae.
You have love us rock, you have rock cars, you
(40:10):
have you know, you know, every every everything, So we
call it roots rock. Regga Bob moll in the way,
that's the first one that brought the American you know
what it is is I could tell you our father.
He used to tell me that the music that's coming
out of Jamaica now the drums, he called them war drums.
(40:34):
Because if you listen to the music, I'm not against
anybody because it's their thing. But if you're singing about
killing and if you're singing about doing this and that
and doing this the woman, it's like you don't grid
in woman, and you also downgrade in yourself and and
this is this is the thing. You can don't great people.
(40:55):
You have to uplift and that's what Bob Malin the
Whalers did. Reggae music original is music for suffering people,
people that was going through so much and didn't have
a voice. So you know that's their liberation of rebellion
against certain things, but still preaching love. That's the original
(41:15):
of reggae music. You know, people will say what they
want to say about our family made album of the century.
And it's a reason why they made album of the century.
It's because the love. My father said, have an inner child.
You see us, It doesn't matter how old we get,
We're gonna still have this child. Bob Marley said, my
music is so simple. Even a baby can understand it,
(41:39):
so you have to have the inner child, make jokes.
Look at me and Lenny sometimes you might think me
and Lenny is the same age because we're just always
having fun. Yet letting me still a kid though. Yeah. Yeah,
but that's what made Wailers music. So that's the culture
that I really remember in Jamaica. So for us, it's
(42:00):
to keep the reggae music alive, music for all years,
ages and centuries. Yeah. One of my favorite songs in
the album, you know do it done with Emily and Aston,
the two most amazing musicians and artists in the world.
(42:26):
I loved you. I'm glad that you're speaking because it's
questions for you. So you told us that you met
Bob playing football. How is it that you got to
be involved with the Whalers? Okay, So back in ninety two,
I was helping Julian Marley managing him and Julian never
(42:50):
had a band before, and he said I need a band.
So I called Farms and I said Farms lists put
the band together back for Julian. So we did it.
We had no purpose of touring or recording or anything,
but to put this band together with Julian, so Julian
could get to practice and become what he wants, you know. Yeah,
(43:14):
So while we were practicing, a few months into it,
the world got out and people were like, whoa Julian
Marlin and Whalers. Yeah, so we got bookings. People came
and like Japan wanted us, Brazil, so I took care
of that. I made sure that and negotiated deals with
these places, and Julian Marley and the Whalers were popping
(43:37):
and making waves. We were touring. Everybody wanted us, So
it was going good for a while. And then one
day the Whalers had to go. They had some contract
to do some shows and they took off, and so
that's when Julian formed another band. I guess that was
(44:00):
a mission. You know. The mission was always to have
the Wailers to his highest level, and we could never
do that without this man here, either of you, yeah,
both of us. Yeah, he um yeah. My father. He
sees the good and everyone and helps so many people. Yeah.
(44:23):
So you know, so I have another question for you guys.
What was it like after twenty five years to release
an album? Oh mg, yeah, it was amazing. It took
us a while we we didn't really know what to do.
We just kept making music. But Bob Marley, it's such
(44:45):
a different guy that it was so hard to really
do anything. But then bing Bing Bing Jr. Is growing
And then we met with the Grape and me that's
the fun yeah and Emily, Yeah, you know, so we
(45:09):
feel privileged. It was and we knew that this was
the right time. Getting nominated showed that it was the
right time and where were the right people. And not
only that we're with the right people, You're a family.
That was the full circle moment. I was going forward
(45:30):
the fact that through all this love and good intention,
we created this art, you know, with a lot of people,
and we're able to have the honor of being nominated
for a Grammy. Which yes, So on that note of
us being a family before we leave, everybody today who
(45:50):
I'm so grateful is listening with us. Everybody, tell us
what you're up to right now where we can listen
to you. Okay, So Aisha is working on Aisha. So
I'm still on the tour with the Whalers, but I'm
at a space now where I'm defining myself as an artist.
So for years, i I've I've loved country music. My
(46:12):
mom is British, and with the British accident, the New
York accident, the Jamaican accent, I feel like when I sing,
that all comes out into the music. So I had
to find take time to figure out what's my tone,
what's my song? Where I'm going? You know what am
I going for? So I'm currently working in the EP
right now. It's a reggae EP, but that's not where
I stopped because I definitely wants to expand my skills
(46:36):
and show the world my different versatility of my vocal range.
And you know what, I can do different genres to
like to play around the country and pop and everything,
you know, And what about the Whalers? What do we
got going out? Then they got well there's a new
album in the making, Yes Oesther than the Melia and
everybody is excited, you know. And I hope Emminent Geman
(46:59):
is right something for that, maybe baby not? You never well,
I love it. If you don't, like you're gonna have
to collapse somewhere, I'm not giving you a choice. And
you might find Asha and put it out there. Put
(47:22):
it out there, you know, I used to She's coming,
she's coming out, and of course the pictures stays the same. Yes,
we're gonna be less the left left or the right
boob or both of them going to be out. She's like,
I will deliver promoting the boobs booms. She lit right, lit,
(47:45):
bought your talaway. I'm telling you, I love you, guys.
I really appreciate you opened my life to a whole
new world way of thinking, philosophy of life. I'm grateful
to you. By the way, y'a should be profits. Yeah, yeah, alright, guys, Well,
thank you so much for flying with us today. For
(48:07):
those of you who are listening out there, you're welcome.
We forgot to tell them that it's because of you. Emily.
Why I am singing on stage story? No, that's the
true Let's go take us out. You started it. Wait,
so I feel naughty. Wait what we talk about music
(48:29):
now or something? I'm you see where your brain is? No, listen,
I was just saying I'm going back in a Nazi corner.
The story started singing. Yeah, the story how it started
was after a recorded destiny and to the backup hard
drive instead of the real hard drive when I deleted
(48:51):
my vocals. I'm at home and got a text message
from Emily. Oh my gosh, I love your voice. No
from Emily, oh my gosh, I said, I said my voice.
I said, well, yeah, I do have a deep voice
at night sometimes white thank you. She's like, yeah, man,
(49:13):
the song is so good. I'm like, wait what she said, Destiny?
I said, oh no, because I was the only one
in the studio. So I was singing out to him,
just like, oh, how would Bob Marley sing? He would
do this, do all kind of stuff. So I was
doing experiments and I was saying, I said, no, you
(49:36):
guys can't use it. So I went in the to
the studio and tell Amelia. I was like, Amelia, don't
use it. It's like, don't worry. I got someone that
sounds like you. I said, oh thank god. This man
Press played and it was me. At first, I was
like nervous, nervous that. I was like, there you go.
You made me sound good. I just I just didn't know.
(50:02):
And then that's when my confident level came up. And
then after that, you guys called me back to do
the song good times times, and after that that's when
it was like, Okay, I'm gonna work on my voice.
I'm gonna practice, I start practicing more often. And I
(50:22):
did the song and it was amazing. And then I
remember my father always tell me this, don't mess with
your food. When you see someone that is like Amelia
who is so passionate about his work and pushing, pushing
not only for himself, pushing for you because he sees
(50:43):
something glorious in you and he's putting all of his
effort into it. You don't dim someone shine. When someone
is shining for you, that's a that's a blessing. And
I just did it because I remember what my father said,
don't play around with your food. And because of that
why we were able to go to the next level.
(51:04):
I'm so happy. I'm not a kind of person that
listened to anyone. I follow my heart, and my heart
is definitely with you guys. How you guys brought me
to the next level to where I'm a singing now.
You know, I love you so so what's your artist name?
I don't. Oh my god, thank you guys, thank you
(51:32):
for that, Thank you for everything. I love you. Love
you until next time, because I know there has to
be a part two, because everybody's gonna fall in love
with you. Thank you guys. We'll see you next week.
Love you. This is a Moonflower production in partnership with
I Hearts Michael Do That Podcast Network. For more podcast
(51:54):
visit the I heart Radio app, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows. Four
Hosts And Creators
Gemeny Hernandez
Emily Estefan
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