Bob Marley was always ready to deal with the politics of what was happening in the world but, at the same time, not lose sight of the fact that he's a musician.
I grew up in Oregon, so there was always a lot of that folksy, Bob Marley stuff. There was a mural of Bob Marley on a wall at my high school.
I always give the example, if you turn on the radio today, black radio, Lenny Kravitz is not black. Bob Marley wasn't black: in the beginning, only white college stations played Bob Marley.
I've been a big Bob Marley fan forever. Forever. Like big, huge. Bob Marley and the Beatles, that's my big, giant music influence. I can listen to them all the time.
I love Bob Marley's music. The only person I really listen to. A little bit of Shabba Ranks sometimes, but I mostly listen to Bob Marley.
I remember when I was 14, I went to race in Hungary, and I went to a concert, and they were playing Bob Marley songs, and I thought, "Wow, this guy is so special." It's Marley every time.
I'm touring right now and you'd be surprised to see all of the kids that come to the concerts just to see Rita Marley because it's Bob Marley's wife. I might do three or four of Bob's songs in my repertoire and they go crazy.
I've always associated consciousness with artists like Bob Marley or Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan. You know, artists that really talked about what was going on in the world and really artists that are timeless.
At the same time the folk boom was happening, the civil rights movement was happening, the anti-war movement was happening, the ban the bomb movement was happening, the environmental movement was happening. There was suddenly a generation ready to change the course of history.
There are no Jerry Garcias coming down the pike, anymore than there is a Jimi Hendrix or Bob Marley. They are all at the same level - the highest level that you strive to get to as a musician. Me and my friends - we'll all be long dead, people will still be trying to dig into what Jerry Garcia did.
Being Bob Marley's son has done many things for me, in terms of having a career in music. I'm very proud of my music, and I'm very proud of where I'm from. People hear that I'm Bob Marley's son, and they turn on my music to listen just out of curiosity.
I have always said I was Bob Marley reincarnated.
But can a song stop a war? If Bob Marley and Bob Dylan couldn't do it, it can't be done.
I'm not Bob; there will never be another Bob Marley; nobody can compete, including myself.
I love Bob Marley so much. Honestly, all of Madonna's discography. She has so many amazing, fun songs. Or Cyndi Lauper. The thing is, at the same time, I also love listening to Lana Del Rey all the time, the saddest thing you can do to yourself.
I think there's always been interest in Bob Marley.