Rohan Marley is the only one of Bob Marley sons that did not go into music. But Rohan recently made headlines when he decided to cut his dreadlocks off.
During a recent marketing seminar while doing some promotion for his Marley Coffee business, Rohan Marley took the opportunity to explain why he cut his hair.
SEE ALSO: Rohan Marley Cut His Dreads And Shave His Beard [PHOTO]
Rohan says he did not want everyone to have a perceived perception of him the first time they see him especially being the son of the greatest reggae artist in history.
“You know why I had to remove my locks?” Rohan said. “It’s because I did not want to walk into an environment and you have a perception of who I am, or hi irie man look at this he is Bob son… so I took my locks off and then you get to know the person, you get to know my inside.”
Rohan Marley is an entrepreneur who started Marley Coffee from scratch. He also has five kids with hip hop icon Lauryn Hill.
Watch the video below.
Every man has the right to pursue their own destiny and should not be criticized for it, so long as he is not causing harm. It is hypocritical to call a man a sell out and insult his personal decisions while claiming to be of Ras Tafari or any other moral alignment you’ve made the personal decision to not “sell out” from. Insulting Rohan about something as trivial as what he decided to do with his own hair, or calling him a “clown,” can’t be defended or agreed with from any ethical stance.
I’m surprised no one has commented on how lively and skilled the speech was. I know I was smiling like everybody else in the crowd during the standing ovation, and as he delivered the outro like the son of his father (no “trademark” needed). I for one commend Rohan for his bravery, entering into big business and discarding his ego and image enough to sacrifice his locks for the cause, even knowing so many badminded Half Tafari might judge him for it. I tell you this: A MAN DOES NOT HAVE TO WEAR LOCKS TO BE AND DO GOOD, AND NOT EVERY MAN WITH LOCKS DOES GOOD.
I thought his explanation summed that up very well.
Fyah! You a bald head to conform to corporate society.
This was uncomfortable to watch. That was clowning.
Funny, yet he promotes coffee with the Marley name and the logo is a picture of him with dreadlocks. People should see you for who you are, in the same way I’ve lived in the UK for 20 years and not changed my Jamaican to suit….
Haile Selassie did not have dreads… Ras Tafari did not smoke marijuana… dreads and marijuana were introduced to jamaica by indians like hindus and others using the likes of bhang drinks…
What you have said about “marijuana” and locks coming to Jamaica via India is not true and is pure semantics. Here’s why: Science and history says Cannabis Sativa (the name of the plant that produces “marijuana”) originally evolved on the steppes of Central Asia (Mongolia/Siberia). From Asia it has spread around the world to literally EVERY continent (except maybe Antarctica?), and even to the islands. After Cannabis Sativa made it to India (didn’t take long as India is also an Asian country), the environment and the farmers bred towards a shorter, more narcotic variety which eventually became so different from the original Sativa that it is now labeled Cannabis Indica (just like dogs were bred from wolves).
Now, here’s where your whole “Jamaicans got weed and dreads from Hindus” statement falls apart, big time:
1. Most of the old school ganja in Jamaica was landrace Sativa (not the Hindus’ Indica), which came over from South America via island hopping tradesmen (don’t believe me? Google Jamaican Sativa). The Hindus brought over their entirely different subspecies (Indica) from the Hindu Kush mountain range. It’s also possible (and highly likely) that European slave owners and tradesmen also brought hemp and cannabis to Jamaica, being that the island was a known port for spices and herbs. Therefore, the ganja in Jamaica did not only come from Hindus. In fact the equatorial Sativa varieties from South America were already on the island first, and those strains do better in Jamaica’s climate than the Hindu Kush varieties. So you’re way off thinking it only came to Jamaica via Hindus drinking Bhang, way off.
2. The original Ras Tafari in Jamaica are relocated Africans. Cannabis has been in Africa for thousands of years. Funny thing is, landrace African strains (Cannabis from Africa) is mostly Sativa and is nothing like the Hindu’s Indica. So if anything, African Jamaicans were reunited with Cannabis Sativa when they got to the island, and it didn’t come from Hindus it came from South America, and originally Asia, as far as we currently know.
3. The oldest recoverable evidence says Cannabis came from Asia, and that evidence is about 5,000 years old. After 5,000 years, how much evidence do you think can survive the jungles of the Congo or the sands of the Sahara? It is very possible, and likely, that Cannabis came from the jungles of Africa originally (like humans), but we have not been able to find evidence older than Asia’s evidence (yet) simply because Asia’s environment has been more suited to preservation during the past 5,000 years. The African Sahara used to be a jungle, and if cannabis originated there, would we really find preserved evidence of it in what is now a desert of sand? Thus, you’re arguing semantics because regardless of where it came from first (we don’t really know but so far they think it’s Asia), by the time Ras Tafari came about it was already worldwide, so saying that any culture got it from another is silly at that point.
Also, the hair of an African will naturally lock up if left unbrushed, while many Asians and Hindus use oils and bands to help form their locks, so if anything Africans dreads would’ve happened first simply because the way African hair locks together, and because, once again, all humans originated in Africa. Therefore, it is entirely possible that the ancestors of Jamaican Ras Tafari (ancient Africans) had dreads before human beings even made it to India, lol.
You’re welcome.
That was an elaborate well define reply to my comment (post)… I still believe that (whenever or wherever) marijuana made it’s way to Jamaica with the most religious and cultural impact by people which migrated from India like the Hindus and Sadhu… Rastafarianism is native to the Caribbean and it’s a religion that goes back to Africa through Ethiopia taking the name from Ras Tafari (Haile Selassie I)… Selassie didn’t practice the use of marijuana and he cut his hair and beard… Rastafarians have a spliced belief that they have taken up from their experiences in Jamaica… Everybody has the right to live and let live, but we have to be specific about our beliefs… It seems that marijuana has become the reason for worship and dedication to Rastafarians…
You seem strange without your dread. I guess it will take time to get used to. I love how you seem to be so involved with your kids…
That’s a poor reason and it shows a surprising lack of self belief/awareness….
Dear Rohan,
There’s no reason under the sun for your appearance to date, cutting off your dreadlocks and shaving your beard doesn’t make you a different person. This is part of the Marley trademark. I think corporate America would still accept you with or without the dreadlocks. After all, you’re selling coffee not your looks. I wish you success in your business because your kids have to eat. Meanwhile you should really marry your baby momma LAUREN HILL. Jah Bless
Sell out!!!
Every man has the right to pursue their own destiny and should not be criticized for it, so long as he is not causing harm. It is hypocritical to call a man a sell out and insult his personal decisions while claiming to be of Ras Tafari or any other moral alignment you’ve made the personal decision to not “sell out” from. Insulting Rohan about something as trivial as what he decided to do with his own hair, or calling him a “clown,” can’t be defended or agreed with from any ethical stance.
I’m surprised no one has commented on how lively and skilled the speech was. I know I was smiling like everybody else in the crowd during the standing ovation, and as he delivered the outro like the son of his father (no “trademark” needed). I for one commend Rohan for his bravery, entering into big business and discarding his ego and image enough to sacrifice his locks for the cause, even knowing so many badminded Half Tafari might judge him for it. I tell you this: A MAN DOES NOT HAVE TO WEAR LOCKS TO BE AND DO GOOD, AND NOT EVERY MAN WITH LOCKS DOES GOOD.
I thought his explanation summed that up very well.