๐ REST IN POWER ๐
ย ย ย ย ย Elder Vaughn Benjamin wasn't concerned with mass appeal. He taught us the words "I am sorry" can cleanse the pineal gland far more than any meditation session or synthetic drug. This is a poignant message to me, considering so many of my western friends want to enlighten me with microdosing LSD and taking a whole heap of synthetic chemicals.
ย ย ย ย ย When I see these "enlightened" people arguing with their spouse/lover every night, and dealing with depression, addicted to alcohol and cigarettes, I have to admit it's a hard sell. So many westerners pretend to have awareness, thinking yoga, LSD and Hunter Thompson novels will help them reach enlightenment, and yet less than 0.5% of these knowledge-seekers know of "Vaughn Benjamin".
ย ย ย ย ย His reasoning concerning Psalm 68:31, "Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God," was life-altering for me. Vaughn reflected on the wisdom of the I-ncients deeply, critically and intelligently. He re-discovered that when you stretch forth your hands unto the Almighty, you are forming an inverted pyramid, and when combined with outstretched legs, a second upright pyramid is formed. The apex of these two pyramids intersect at a place within the body known as the solar plexus in English. I see no coincidence in any of this, and assume the I-ncient Aethiopians possessed a lot more wisdom than are given credit for. And Vaughn, well no one has ever and will ever chant down Babylon like this "time-traveling wordsmith."
ย ย ย ย ย I've written this little intro first as I think this post will not only be of interest to the ReggaeSteem.io community, but also NaturalMedicine.io, #EcoTrain and #InnerBlocks. So, if you're not a reggae fan, that is perfect, because Vaughn's mission was not a reggae music one, but reggae music was the tool which he used to address the social, environmental, religious, political and mental problems of our time.
ย ย ย ย ย "I don't even know where to start from, reggae music has lost its most conscious voice, and the Rastafari movement has lost it's most intellectual practitioner.
ย ย ย ย ย I came into possession of a few Midnite albums more than 20 years ago when I was just starting to dig a little deeper into reggae music than just "Bob Marley" and "Peter Tosh". I tried to force myself to like it, but the rhythms felt repetitive, almost like monastic chants, and I didn't overstand the lyrics. Those Midnite CD's eventually got buried under the many new-to-me artists' albums I was growing to like, such as Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, Buju Banton, Alpha Blondy, etc.
ย ย ย ย ย I wish I would've known back then the reason I wasn't drawn to Midnite's music was because I wasn't educated enough on Ethiopian biblical and world history, and wasn't developed enough within my Rastafari 'trod' to fully apprecialove exactly what Vaughn Benjamin was trying to musically provide the world with.
ย ย ย ย ย In due time I would grow to love Vaughn's works so much that it now makes up 85% of the music that enters my ears on a daily basis. My friends have always asked how I can basically listen to only one artist.
ย ย ย ย ย It's hard to explain to casual listeners of music what it's like when you finally unlock a deep esoteric Vaughn Benjamin track you've been listening to for some months. You're likely to have to spend some time studying like a university student preparing for an exam to fully overstand many tracks the "Wordsmith" has provided us.
ย ย ย ย ย "In fact, for those of you unfamiliar with Vaughn Benjamin, I recommend you stop reading now and watch the following clip as just one minor example of this "esoteric-ness" I speak of and just a taste of this man's power."
ย ย ย ย ย So now you see, if you've just watched that, and you're not an East African history buff or a well-educated Rasta, there's a chance you don't fully understand the depths of that tune. I could provide you, the reader, with hyperlinks to look into some of the terminology, but education is your duty only if you choose it. Look into the difference between "Ethiopia" and "Aethiopia", and the terms "Falasha" and "Beta Israel", and you'll be starting to scratch the surface.
ย ย ย ย ย Even several weeks beyond Vaughn's passing, the cause of his physical death still hasn't been released to the public. When Midnite disbanded and Akae Beka was formed, the reasons stated were "medical" and "spiritual". This has caused a few detractors on the internet to make statements roughly saying he instigated his own death through his actions. Many fans seem to believe his death was unnatural, but have yet to use words like "assassination" or "murder".
ย ย ย ย ย I was lucky enough to meet this "living legend" in the flesh at the show in the above flyer. That concert was planned to be held at Hope Gardens Shell Bandstand, but the location was shifted the day of the event, causing a lot of confusion, and we struggled to find the alternate location. We eventually arrived a little late at the Police Officer's Club on Hope Road. The show was very personal, only a few hundred attendees for the Jamaican unveiling of "Akae Beka". I enjoyed watching the Jamaicans take him in, all very surprised at the amount of international fans that flew to Jamaica only for the purpose of watching the "Wordsmith" in person.
ย ย ย ย ย The experience was a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me. At the time I was living in Cambodia, and made some great sacrifices to make it to Jamaica to see that show. I was able to go with Jah Bruce, the older brother of my good friend Jatti Allen, a former bassist of The Congos, now a Buddhist convert living in Tennessee with a reggae band of his own, the Natti Love Joys, but that is another story.
ย ย ย ย ย At this show we actually met "Cedric Myton" himself, who asked me to deliver greetings to Jatti back in the USA. We were invited backstage and were free to walk around and mingle with Lutan Fyan, Jah 9, Muta and more. I felt like a child amongst my favorite A-list celebs, and I didn't want to bother anyone with chit-chat or photos.
ย ย ย ย ย I saw Vaughn sitting by himself in a chair away from the fans taking selfies with the more well-known Jamaican talents. I decided to just take a moment to let Vaughn know I had traveled from Cambodia to see this event. He seemed a bit taken back when I said this, and asked a few questions about my life and trod over there. I'm sure I'm the only Rastafari to have ever lived in Cambodia, and Vaughn has even addressed Cambodian politics and history in a few of his songs.
ย ย ย ย ย He seemed genuinely interested in continuing our conversation, but I cut it short, as I didn't want take up too much of his time, trying to be as respectful as possible. As soon as I turned away from Vaughn after paying respects, he went on stage and took the mic. My mind was blown, and it was a measure of this man. I know no one who can be fully engaged like that, and then switch so quickly. Most performers don't want to be bothered before going seconds before going on stage.
ย ย ย ย ย Time for another break, and an example of this man's intellect, worldview and dissection of etymology. This remains one of my favorite recorded "reasonings". If you're not familiar with reasoning, just think of it as an egalitarian back-and-forth Rastafarian version of a TED Talk.
ย ย ย ย ย I've been editing this post for weeks and weeks, and nothing I can write will serve proper justice to the impact this visionary has had on my livity. I've trod among the Bobo Shanti, Nyabinghi and Twelve Tribes of Israel, but I never felt my personal ideology was fully represented in any of these movements. I can say Vaughn addressed many of the biblical, historical and esoteric ponderings I've had within his music, poetry and reasonings.
ย ย ย ย ย I had always studied the aprocypha, especially the Book of Maccabees, the Kebra Negast and the Book of Enoch since formally leaving the church. It was originally questions I posed to the church based off my own study of the Bible and apocrypha that led me in the direction of Ethiopia, and later, H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I.
ย ย ย ย ย It was reflection on Vaughn's words that ultimately gave me the strength to seek a one-away-trod for my personal Rastafari livity. This ultimate self-reliance, and a lack of a need for a "Rasta Community", allowed me to journey to Cambodia, live there nearly 10 years, learn the language, and now teach it to non-native speakers as my main source of income.
"Okay, I will stop here as I have to much to say about the 'Wordsmith'. Do take some time to listen to some of his music, poetry or spoken word. There is no one that can dissect the English language like 'Vaughn Benjamin', and to call him merely a talented 'musician' would be quite an understatement. I do believe his words will be studied thousands of years from now, just as we study ancient texts today in a bid to reveal lost secrets and knowledge from the past. This man lived 7,000 years before his time, and is now among the cosmos reasoning I-tinually. I leave you with some 'mind-altering esoteric lyrics' and some of my favorite Vaughn 'tunes.'"
SOME LYRICS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Banking In The Pig
Banking in the pig
Banking in the filthiest thing
and then they call I man the sons of Ham
and call man color pigmentation
Man thief money and he's a swindler
Why them love the swine
couldn't be no simpler
Piggy bank is a psychological thing
Implication is only the filthy rich win
Credited
Credited to people make de numbers roun'
Credited to trueness make de vibes flood down
Such a good vibes yeah that de world follow 'long;
Kingship come out of a Kish set down...
Judah sen 'a David; Jesse number 8 son...
Roaring the scepter, the orb an' crown
Gone go call the Standing Grounding back 'roun'...
Cautious is a Unity that make Man Sound
Credited to People make the numbers round
Native Story
A whoa man dem
A native story...
You sing a one story
Cause situation legendary,
man out at sea
till it reach day 23
Given ina his name and title...
a' man Maccabee...
From the deepest seat of will power...
come home survival story.
Wrap the powers of evil from rejoice.
TV survivor man didn't see this choice.
And return to Mami, return to Mami.
The number was 3.
And ova de Bola Maccabee.
Situation legendary, situation legendary.
Love Is Among
Cultivate love and loyalty
Cultivate careful temperate speech
Words make body temperature change degree...
inside the human being
Here are the words of his Majesty...
"We must become something that our upbringing
and education has not prepared us to be."
Ras Mek Peace (1999)
1 - Pagan, Pay Gone
2 - In The Race So Far
3 - Banking In The Pig
5 - Empress
6 - Lion Wears The Crown
Jubiless Of Zion (2000)
4 - Batter Ram Sound
5 - Great Zimbabwe Walls
13 - White Collar Criminal
Unpolished (2001)
1 - Bushman
2 - Love The Life You Live
9 - Mama Africa
Assini (2002)
2 - Worker Be
16 - No Fear No Sorrow
Seek Knowledge Before Vengeance (2002)
14 - New Life
15 - Late Night Ghetto
He Is Jah (2003)
1 - He Is Jah
2 - Leaders Be
8 - Drifters
Vijan (2003)
1 - All Ye Naashan
2 - See Blah Sum
4 - Thanks For Life
11 - Ru Be
Ainshant Maps (2004)
1 - Praise Jah
2 - Livity
3 - Drought
5 - Abadyn Abyss
8 - Knocka Fia
Scheme A Things (2004)
3 - Lianess
Let Live (2005)
13 - All My Life
Jah Grid (2006)
7 - Royal Habits
10 - Before I Lose My Strength
New 1000 (2006)
1 - Real Time
2 - Medulla Oblongota
3 - Heart Stay
Aneed (2007)
1 - Ehlend
9 - Jai
Better World Rasta (2007)
3 - Honor
9 - Evening Come
Bless Go Roun (2007)
1 - Ye Lands
Infinite Quality (2007)
11 - Lose Everything
12 - Frequency
13 - Stay With His Majesty
14 - Hymns
15 - Before David
Rule The Time (2007)
6 - In H.I.M.
10 - Rule The Time
For All (2008)
2 - Selassie Bring It On
9 - Jesse David
11 - If They Want
Kayamagan (2008)
1 - Burning Fire
6 - The Good Life
11 - A Cool Veranda
Live 94117 (2008)
7 - Blue Lotus
8 - Pompeii
Standing Ground (2008)
1 - Standing Ground
6 - Mass Appeal
16 - Feel Like Praise
Supplication To H.I.M. (2008)
1 - A Good Word
7 - Supplication To H.I.M.
Ina Now (2009)
1 - Get Through
To Mene (2009)
6 - Psalm 87 From 1
What Makes A King (2010)
2 - Emotions
3 - Native Story
5 - Jah Bless Her
7 - High Place Of Anu
King's Bell (2011)
3 - Mongst I & I
4 - Earth Is The Lords
6 - System Peak Out
10 - On The Broadcast
11 - Peak Tension Time
Treasure (2011)
7 - Rastar
8 - Gather Them In
The Way (2011)
1 - Love Is Among
2 - Bun A' Corn
4 - Neva Before
6 - Still Going Forward
7 - Rastaman
11 - One Ya
Children Of Jah (2012)
1 - I Must Say
4 - Children Of Jah
10 - Carboniferous Land
In Awe (2012)
5 - Worth Working For
Be Strong (2013)
5 - Set It And Done
Lion Out Of Zion (2013)
3 - Things To Be Thankful For
Beauty For Ashes (2014)
2 - When Jah Arise
3 - Same Boat We
5 - Betterment Mouth
6 - Same I Ah One
9 - All I's On You
10 - Weather The Storm
Ride Tru (2014)
1 - Calm The Day
2 - To Them
5 - Credited
13 - Ride Tru
Homage To The Land (2015)
1 - All We Be
4 - Call Out To Jah
Livicated (2016)
1 - Firmness
3 - Discreet
5 - Daughtaz And Sunz
7 - Lifetime
Portals (2016)
2 - Ideals Of the Emperor
3 - Like Rhyme
5 - Psalm
6 - Let Babylon Go
JahSayDo (2017)
1 - One Foot In Front
4 - Platune
7 - Kind Words
8 - Kingdom Freeup
10 - Run Down
12 - Elixir
14 - Double
Nurtured Frequency (2018)
1 - Whole World Watching
3 - Diseased
5 - Power Of The Trinity
6 - Holy JAH
Topaz (2018)
1 - Tempest I've Seen
2 - Rallying Cry
Hail The King (2019)
3 - Estevanico
6 - Fe Prominence
10 - Winners On The Ground
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