Pusha T Explains His Love for Reggae [ XXL Magazine Article ]

In our last interview with Pusha T, the VA rhymeslinger (and one half of the Clipse) revealed some key details about his forthcoming G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam debut My Name Is My Name. Not only is he making sure to restore a certain energy and feeling back in rap with the album, but he’s also enlisted production duties from Bad Boy’s former sound architects The Hitmen to help him out. Aside from that though, what didn’t make our feature was Pyrex P speaking on his affinity forreggae music.

On his recently released Wrath of Caine mixtape, P channels his love for the genre on songs like “Blocka” as well as on the Andrea Martin-assisted “Take My Life.” But it doesn’t stop there, it dates back to the Clipse days—on joints like “There Was a Murder” (2009) and even the “Grindin’” (Selector Remix).” Speaking on this as well as the likelihood of a “Pain” music video, we bring you more Push. Eghck! —Ralph Bristout (@RalphieBlackmon); additional reporting by Jaeki Cho (@JaekiCho)

I noticed you also have an affinity for reggae. Tell me a little about that.

I just love reggae, period. I really do. Every concert that comes to my area always, always, always sells out regardless of who it is. We got a real big reggae following down there. It’s just dope and then I was thinking about what era I’m pulling from to make the mixtape, as well as My Name Is My Name, is the Belly cinematography, the fucking Shyne, Bad Boy, you know what I’m saying? All that type of shit. That’s something else that used to go hand-in-hand with hip-hop. Hip-hop and then something reggae infused. That was one of the colors that would be on everybody’s album. It hasn’t been like that in a minute.

I’m thinking about that “Respect” off of Ready To Die.

Yeah, like c’mon man. All of that shit. Like I said, the “Come Fly With Me” Sizzla from Foxy’s shit was everything to me. That record is everything to me.

The video for “Blocka” looks crazy. How was it like shooting that in Jamaica?

“Blocka” is a very special record to me. After hearing it, it had that vibe that the only way to do it is to actually go to Jamaica, and be in the mix. We was down there in Mathew’s Lane, is a whole deep history of what that area is. It was just really enlightening, to be amongst the people, and see how they were living. And also see how happy they were, man. I swear I almost adopted like three kids. Just on some old…I was there for like four days. I’m just coming out to the neighborhood, and these kids were like…just three in particular were just always hanging out with me. I mean these kids were four. The community was just really special. Just in the sense of…Jamaica’s always portrayed in a negative or dangerous light. And not to say that those things are not part of the landscape, but it’s a lot. It’s a beautiful landscape, and there’s way more to it than just that. Just being out there with the people and the kids. I had like a trailer. And they were like crazy on the trailer. And I had to spazz on the driver of the trailer, because he was a bit rude and loud, and I couldn’t deal with it. Like, “Wait, a minute. Don’t talk to my kids like that.” [Laughs] It was crazy, but…it was good to see them being into it, excited. Just the people of the neighborhood were very inviting, and I just appreciated, man.