iHipHop Interview- Jah Cure: Longing For Redemption

The island of Jamaica: Arguably the best food in the Caribbean, not to mention it’s white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue waters, and undoubtedly a smoker’s heaven for various undisclosed reasons.

The island is also the home to some of the greatest musicians in the world including the spiritual soul of Siccature Alcock also known as Jah Cure.

For those who are well versed in Reggae culture, his name is not an unfamiliar one at all, and his story isn’t either.

His musical journey began in 1997 with some help from Reggae legends Sizzla and Beres Hammond, but by 1999 the man who was given his stage name by Capleton had been found guilty of being in possession of a gun, rape, and robbery after he was pulled over by the police in Montego Bay (all charges he adamantly denies to this day).

Sentenced to 15 years in jail, the artist originally from Hanover, Jamaica was still allowed access to studio equipment where he recorded and released three albums, with one of his biggest songs to date being ‘Longing For’ (which became an international success).

Freed from prison back in 2007, his fourth album True Reflections…A New Beginning also made the voyage with him.

Fast-forward to 2009, and you’ll find the 31-year-old Reggae star still healing people with his words just as his name implies, but now he will be doing it with his fifth album Universal Cure due out on April 14th of this year.

So how does one stay strong amidst of having some of the most crucial time of his taken away from him? He’s already found the “cure,” and maybe you can too…

iHipHop.com: How’s life been treating you these days?

Jah Cure: Right now I just feel grateful for my life, you know? I’m just giving a lot of thanks for everything that is happening to me…

iHipHop.com: Your new album Universal Cure is coming out on April 14th, what can people expect to hear from it?

Jah Cure: We tried a lot of different things… We covered a few tracks, like we did a cover version of Bob Marley’s ‘Burning And Looting’ and we did a few others too… I think this is going to be one of the best albums I ever put out so far since I’ve been in music.

But I don’t really want to judge it like that, I’m going to wait for the people to get it; you know? I want the people out there to tell me about it, and their take.

iHipHop.com: Did you work with any other artists on your new record?

Jah Cure: I worked with other artists… I have a track with Flo Rida, Junior Reid, and Movado… I have another track with a girl named Phyllisia… The name of the song with her and I is called ‘Call On Me,’ and that’s the one that we’re promoting in Jamaica.

iHipHop.com: How do you think you’ve matured mentally and spiritually through your music?

Jah Cure: I think considering where I’m coming from and what I know now, I’ve grown a lot; you know what I mean? I think there was a lot stuff going on with me, and the power of my music helped me big time.

iHipHop.com: So were you paroled, or did you receive your full release from your incarceration?

Jah Cure: I never got paroled… I didn’t want parole… I served the time, and after that I was totally free… I did the time…

iHipHop.com: The whole time you were in prison, how did you keep your spirit strong?

Jah Cure: It was just the music that kept me strong… We had a band in there, and we would also play soccer. But everyone in there loved the music… It was the music that really kept all of us happy in there…

iHipHop.com: How did you get the opportunity to still be able to record music while still incarcerated?

Jah Cure: I started it, and I created the idea and after that, [they] all realized it and started acting on the idea too… It was a good idea, and the people in charge of the prison wanted it to look good.

But I still give thanks because it was a good idea, and a lot of artists in Jamaica and around the world have been to prison before me and after me, and still didn’t come up with that idea. That really made a difference…

iHipHop.com: How do you feel about the current state of Reggae music, do you feel like it’s moving in a positive direction?

Jah Cure: Reggae is Reggae, and people have to know what the difference is… Because Dancehall is not always positive, but Reggae is always positive… As long as you know the difference between Dancehall and Reggae you’re good…

Because a lot of people think that everything coming out of Jamaica is Reggae, and it’s not true. As long as everybody does their part, it will be fine…

iHipHop.com: How was the experience like for you when you started performing in front of crowds again? Were you a little nervous?

Jah Cure: I was already prepared; and I couldn’t wait to get outside to do this. I was never nervous because when I was in prison, the inmate population was really big, and I used to perform in there too… Every year they had a Christmas show, and I would perform for all the people in there…

iHipHop.com: So how do you still manage to remain focused enough to do music despite all that you’ve been through in the past?

Jah Cure: All I ever had was the music… All I have to do is think about the music, and I’ll be good… It’s the music that keeps me calm, and this music is my life… This is something that I love to do, and I enjoy it…

When I was younger, I always prayed that I would get my chance in music so people could hear my voice. So now I’ve been given that chance, and I’m very grateful for it…

iHipHop.com: Is there anything that you didn’t know about life ten years ago that you’re now aware of at this moment?

Jah Cure: There are so many things… You learn about life in every department… It doesn’t matter if it was a couple years ago, or months ago, because it was the past… Days ago, and hours ago is the past…

So whatever you do always ends up in the past, and right now I’m just giving thanks because I could be worse, and right now life is great…