Lyrics!: Jah9 & Reemah

They have thrilled us and done so, wonderfully coincidentally, in very similar ways. Over the past few months the brilliantly poetic Jah9 and the blazingly indefatigable Reemah have both offered what stand highly as beautiful lyrical achievements in Roots Reggae music in the form of their new albums, "New Name" and "Check Your Words", respectively. On one side, you have Jah9 who was seemingly born with pen and paper in hand, attempting to make sense of the tools which might, one day, make her a legend - while on the other was Reemah, who may never have need for either, but whose passion is great and intelligent enough to make sure neither you nor I ever forget her name. Today we bring together two reigning princesses of modern Roots Reggae and present ten colour-coded cosmically and conscience-ly connected caches of cascadingly conjugated coruscating concepts. Lyrics! Jah9 & Reemah.

"New Name" by Jah 9 [2013] & "Check Your Words" by Reemah [2012]

"New name: King Rastafari

Weakheart ah tremble when dem hear it sound

New name: Power of The Trinity

Lion of Judah, return to the throne

With a new name: King Rastafari

Weakheart ah tremble when dem hear it sound

New name: Haile Selassie I

Lion of Judah return to the throne 

Today man sees all his hopes and dreams -

Crumbling before him while he plots and schemes

Hard ways, so him choose fi learn

Then waan fi curse the fire when him plans get burned

But I know, cause ah so Jah say

THE TRUEST RESURRECTION IS SPIRITUALLY

And the key to the comfort is to pree the word

KNOWING, NOT JUST BELIEVING, HOW PROPHECY REVEALING

With a new name: King Rastafari

Weakheart ah tremble when dem hear it sound

New name: Power of The Trinity

Lion of Judah return to the throne

With a new name: King Rastafari

Weakheart ah tremble when dem hear it sound

New name: Haile Selassie I

Lion of Judah return to the throne

Whoa!

She screams in pain

Another life descends into the physical plane

Young mama frightened as she wraps her brain -

Around the work she has cut out for her - she must maintain

But I know, cause ah so Jah say

The youths dem is the future, let dem lead the way

Just nurture and prepare dem for the present day

WITH THE WORD AND THE EXAMPLE OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY!"

- 'New Name' 

"To live, to learn, to give

May love conquer hate forever

This is Jah world and none of dem caan run it

This is Jah world

If you listening, mi beg yuh answer this prayer

Show a way out fi di youths dem weh deh yah

Help wi look inside for The Most High to guide

Mek wi love, not divide

Mek wi stand fi wi rights

Well inna di jugglin, weh all man deh hustlin and -

Inna eye, it neva get betta, si dem bucklin, whoa whoa

I tell you all, the strong nah go fold

To live, to learn, to give

May love conquer hate forever

This is Jah world and none of dem caan run it

This is Jah world

Everybody waan live and not everybody waan give

That no right and tell mi, tell mi what it is

Babylon, tell mi what's yah reason

Why you make it so uneven?

COME AND TELL MI 'FORE YOU GET YAH BEATIN

Out a di beast - I trod

And now wi rise up and a so dem mad

Done plant di seed and dem say 'shame' fi how di people gettin bad

When dem neva want to si di youths dem glad"

- 'Jah World'

"Mr. Preacherman whatcha gotta say to the nation?

Mr. Preacherman, what ya gwan to say when the youths dem turn away?

I've been a believer for all of my life

But there've been constant conflicts raging in my mind

The people are hurting and crying and searching -

And waiting for a reason to go on

And all you can say is 'go pray and be patient'

'It won't be this way for too long'

Sitting and waiting - to me, that seems crazy

Making dem lazy in your congregation

PLEADING TO A SAVIOUR, AN EMANCIPATOR, WHOSE VERY BEHAVIOUR PROVES YOU WRONG"

- 'Preacher Man'

"Money in dem purse alright

Most a dem inna di church -

Dem deh a di worst

Deceit in their eyes

DEM NO GOT NO LOVE AN A DI FIRST TO CRITICIZE

Well, money inna dem pocket alright

Just fi di dollar signs - dem pretend and keep you blind

Deceit in their eyes

Dem no got no love and a di first to criticize

You no si how some wrong?

How coulda dat be anyone?

Gwan read book, get paper 

Come back, say dem a saved man

Speak now in general - mi no find dat too sensical -

How God seh fi pay, when you inna shack, dem inna mansion

Eight, nine, ten version can't 'gree pon one position and-

Still dem ahgo sign up inna babylon coercion

Is a thing of question - how dem no waan progression

Now, dem no waan si wi inna one vibe, one heart strong"

- 'In Dem Purse'

"I'm beginning to wonder about your intentions

Too many instances of deception

Too many alibis and excuses

Too many attempts to deny the abuses

Too many reasons to complain

Too many losses, too little gain

The very existence is a strain on the people

I know, cause I am woman so I can see

THAT LIFE DON'T RESIDE WHERE THERE ISN'T NO HARMONY

And I sing cause I care and wouldn't want anybody that I love to be circumstanced -

Out of existence

Yes, I'm beginning to wonder about your attention

Where is it focused?

In what direction?

Is your life-force in execution?

FORMING OPINIONS AND FINDING SOLUTIONS!

Declaring the victim

Sharing the blame!

Representing the potential for change -

But only in name 

Then with taxation and depression, put a strain on the people 

I speak, cause I know words are reserved for the truth

Not perfect, but aware of the example I set for the youth

And I sing cause I care and wouldn't want none of these sons and daughters to go astray -

When I could've paved the way

Yes, I'm beginning to tire of all these expenses born by the people

Relegated to zinc fences

Keeping the resources out of their reach

Breeding frustration in the values you teach -

In the media everyday

Then deny them a way to attain it 

But force them to work and maintain it

And not take their share then police force the fear into the brains of the people 

I know, from experience, the system is flawed and unfair

So I live outside it as much as I possibly dare

And I sing for justice!

Inna time when the people may be too distracted to even care

My voice will still be there"

- 'Intention'

"Unconditional love makes the world go round

You've got to know

And if you love from your heart

You make Jah blessing come down, come down!

Somebody ring di alarm cause nobody calm -

Everybody warring, tell me is it worth it

And it's a far cry, but we've got to try and I pray dat, one day, wi realize this isn't working

Majority can't escape di poverty

Oh Lord, this is a tragedy

Why does it hurt like this?!

Can't fight di feeling -

To see how everybody grieving, di world is inna crisis

This is to the people out there -

We've got to find a better way

Got to break free, have no fears

Let's find a better way

Everyday another youth blood running cold, inna plain view

Somebody please make a rescue

And some a di parents, not even old enough to pay rent

Lord wi need a break through

Looking out at society, so many broken dreams -

What does it say to me?

Emptiness - Lord please fill this vacancy

HOW CAN THEY SAY THEY CARE AND STILL LET THIS BE?

This is to the people out there -

We've got to find a better way

We've got to break free, have no fears

Let's find a better way

What make di children dem so forthright?

Cause you neva watch over dem most nights and -

CAAN LET DI SYSTEM GROW DEM

CAUSE INNA TEN YEAR'S TIME YOU NAH GO KNOW DEM

It take a village, but no one willing

Daddy nah give no dollar nor shilling and -

If you know dem, what make you nah go reassure dem

Cause a regret when you caan control dem 

This is to the people out there -

We've got to find a better way

We've got to break free, have no fears

A better way

Waan come go microchip, technologic, worldwide mass epidemic

Yet dem got dem inna tight grip

Done sight di rhetoric, it's methodic, nobody using logic -

Call di medic, all di people gone quick

Material, possession, dem breathe it

AND WHEN DEM DIE, DEM HURRY UP AND GONE LEAVE IT

Settle for their plan, they still deceiving

And if you're know they're lying, why you still believing?

This is to the people out there -

We've got to find a better way

We've got to break free, have no fears

Find a better way"

- 'Better Way'

"Legitimate or not

Some claim indemnity from the original plot

As though their integrity could still be intact

But what is the likelihood of that? -

When if you trace the source of each resource they've got -

They've tapped into the veins of the masses

The system maintains

Feeding on their youthfulness and draining from their brains

And then the weak ones are injected -

Armed and turned toward the strife

They return with force and take away their life

But make no mistake!

There is life in abundance for all to partake

So war is redundant and hate is futile

[In the face of love]

But too many put feeling

[In the face of love]

We all are the same!

The essence of life in this physical plane

So nothing can restrain the love

You just have to claim the love

Yes, I remember the censorship of showing your roots

Deception with no life conditioning for the youths

STRAIGHTENING THEIR FOLLICLES WHILE TWISTING THEIR MINDS

Replacing old traditions with their programs for decline

BUT AS I REBEL, MY NATTY SWELLS -

Defiant of the taming 

My natural advantage - I'm proclaiming

THESE SPIRALS MARK THE COURSE OF LIFE AND REPRESENT THE FORCE OF LIFE -

CONNECTED TO THE SOURCE OF LIFE"

- 'Legitimate'

"Evil in all places

Babylon working overtime, trying destroy youths mind

Convincing words while they smile

Eradication of all but their own kind

Moral crisis and infanticide

Obsessed over credit, now it gone worldwide

Why won't you show dem who you really are under, your disguise?

Got to go out and burn down all babylon sign!

Don't ask no question - no!

Just burn down babylon!

A with di torch inna hand

Fire to come burn down, all evil one

Don't ask no question - no!

Just burn down babylon!

A with di torch inna hand

Fire to come purify all di wicked ones

AIDS a weh dem ah mek to keep all unwanted - inna check

Only few ways dem seh to pass and get

So how wi spread so easily pon just one continent

All lies - you neva si wi truth yet

Can you trust someone who killed their own?

Poison food and rob innocent home

Righteousness spot out all heathen soul

FYAH TO COME WARM UP ALL THOSE WHO COLD"

- 'No Question'

"Gratitude is fuel for the actions I partake in

So in doing what I love, I get to keep it up

Perceptions leave much room to be mistaken

So in doing what I say, my word is covenant

I expect nothing but the best from I-self

Not 'my-self' nor 'me', put in personality -

Under subordination of the master key

Which is The Most High - in I & I

As a man thinketh inna his heart, so is he

Whatever you dwelling on is the reality, that you creating

Use your concentration wisely

Because your only limitation is your imagination

Priority 1 is to focus on The Most High in the meditation

Develop the routine, keep the room clean 

Balance the physical and spiritual accommodation

Sip daily from the written word, learn from the example!

Then put it into practical use within your temple

The real work is to know, the truth is the seed

The real life is to grow into what you need 

Whatever you dwelling on is the reality, that you creating

Use your concentration wisely

Because your only limitation is your imagination

Trapped inside the flesh requiring emancipation from the source of the vexation which is the enemy

Anyhow, you let the mind-control corrupt your state of meditation

You compromised your soul, lose focus of the goal 

And move further from the free, where you are to be -

Shaping your destiny

Guided by The Most High, no need for competition

WHEN CREATIVE CULTIVATION OF THE NATION IS THE MISSION!"

- 'Gratitude'

"Life is so much more than what you're thinking of

Jah Jah done give enough, for everyone of us

People carry on

I tell you live in love

Life is so much more than what you're thinking of!

Jah Jah done give enough, for everyone of us!

People carry on!

I tell you live in love!

From time to time we seem to forget the beauty of life and focus on all the things we've got to deal with

When you check it, life is everything that I ever want and -

Problems just a thought from being, all that I need

From the morning to inna di night -

I'm grateful for the simple way 

DON'T NEED MUCH OF ANYTHING, JUST GIVE MI JAH LOVE TO PENETRATE

Higher thoughts to elevate

Negative vibes, just meditate

Blessing in every situation

Now set it straight

Life is so much more than what you're thinking of

Jah Jah done give enough, for everyone of us

People carry on

I tell you live in love

Life is so much more than what you're thinking of!

Jah Jah done give enough, for everyone of us!

People carry on!

And live in love!

So why the energy to bring another one down?

Just connect with Jah, inside, to turn your life around

Stand up on righteous ground 

And when dem waan see yuh frown - 

Mi tell yah - just gi dem di love, love power sound!

And hail The Most High everyday! 

Lion conquered, here to stay!

Bless Afrika royally!

Go purify your wicked way

Bring di loving yah right away!

Raise up nation rightfully!

Break foundation weh dem lay

And live in peace and inity"

- 'Live In Love'