Greetings everyone, I would like to share my first interview with all of you, a wonderful interview with non other than reggae artist Jr Kelly. I taped this interview and wanted to present it word for word so that all of you could get a feel of speaking with him yourselves. I chose more personal questions in order to get to know him better, I feel that it is good to learn a person from his roots, whether it be family, culture or thoughts. I enjoyed every minute I had on the phone with Jr Kelly and hope to see him in concert next year. Please enjoy.......

PART ONE 

    Messenger: Greetings Jr Kelly, good to have the pleasure of speaking with you today.

Jr Kelly: Yes good to be here.

Messenger: May we get started?

Jr Kelly: Yes

  Messenger: Would it be ok to record this interview?

Jr Kelly: Yes

 Messenger: First I would like to congratulate you on your new album "Tough Life"

Jr Kelly: Thank You very much.

  Messenger: Would you tell us a little bit about this album and about some of the messages that you pass along through the lyrics in many of the tracks?

 Jr Kelly: Ok first and foremost this album for me, I call it my milestone album, the reason why I dubbed it my milestone album and to put a little bit of what I went through as a child in some of the tracks if you noticed the album the title of the album is Tough Life, and it really depicts what i've been through as a child growing up in rural Jamaica, in the city actually in Jamaica and what a lot of jamaicans can relate to, being through that way of life or walked that same road i've walked, you know.

Messenger: Yes

Jr Kelly: Message, message, now when it comes down to message its a funny way to , I don't really go out and search and give a message, it's kind of funny because as an artist for me when the Almighty give you such a wonderful gift you have to nourish it and cherish it, I am, I go out there and I voice my opinion and my perspective in a way where it can be absorbed by the listener and appreciated by the fans, you know, and I try to even win over a lot of new fans and win over a lot of people to see my type of music that I do which is roots music and something rich in quality, rich in accent , rich in you know in spirituality and rich in faith, you know. So to say loosely that the message I have to give is to really state that you know, we're living in desperate times, we as a people not only Jamaicans all over the world we're being persecuted by many adventities and so forth, and we have been downtrodded, and what that does to you is, it either make you curl up and die or it just make you get stronger, so always my message if I'm to say so exactly, is to be strong heartfilled, accepting yourself, believe in yourself, move forward without any doubt, try to create, try to generate that energy, try to not realize to say move mountains but try to at least have within you, that strength to change your environment and your way of life into something that you would like your child or other child or other youth, you would like people to see you in that light. And if my music can help to motivate and facilitate and be a vehicle for people to change in a positive way, it is doing its job and I have to give myself a pat on the shoulder.

Messenger: Yes! Ok, Who or what influenced you toward a musical career? And what or who guides you through this career today?

Jr Kelly: That's a good question. I get my influences from a lot of places, I get my influences just like how I get my inspiration, you know, first and foremost I got to influence myself because some of the time I have to rely on myself in a lot of ways so I seek avenues to influence myself, but outside of myself, just listening to each other, listening to people, reading books and reading peoples autobiographies, and in viewing other peoples works as a sense of influence to see what other people been through and what they've achieved you know, serve as an instrument of influence you know. What influence me now is people with a lot of issues, when I'm talking about issues probably, I'm from Jamaica and we use the term issue and it means different thing in another society, what I mean, issue is a lot to contribute and a lot of ways of going about it. People who influence me is people that have nothing but all of this energy to continue fighting, and they not only influence me, they also inspire me , people that influence me now also is my Mother and my Father, they serve as a real influence or instruments of influences you know, cause they had nothing, and you know, now afterward still don't , and their togetherness, their love serve as an influence, their love that they give to their children and to themselves and the likkle that they have and put it together and make the family stick together and gel together, they are the ambition of the family, so they serve as a major influence.

Messenger: Ok. Who is Jr Kelly, for dem that don't know....if you were like a friend of yours, and asked to describe Jr Kelly the person, what words would you use?

Jr Kelly: Jr Kelly the father, Jr kelly the provider, Jr Kelly the protector, Jr Kelly the humanitarian, Jr Kelly the philanthropist, Jr Kelly, overall, Jr Kelly the writer.

Messenger: Yes. Would you tell us a little about your personal life, roots - where you grew from, family and where you spend most of your time these days?

Jr Kelly: Well I'm gonna start with the last one first , I spend a lot of time in the studio, I spend a lot of time , if not in the studio, at home with the children, because you know, this music business is so time consuming, so a lot of time I'm not there so when I have any spare time I try to spend it with them and talk to them and play with them and you know teach them a lot of things, so you know that means, when I'm not around , it's because of prior engagements and music business, why I am not beside them ,so it's either at home or at the studio you know, and basically that within itself because I love my children you know, and a lot of artist can relate, not being around them is devastating you know, it's really really devastating, because you miss out on birthdays, you miss out on the first time they make a step trying to walk, you miss out on the first word from their mouth, because you are on tour, it's really you know it's really devastating, so thats why these days, if not at the studio, is at the home, you know.

Messenger: Yes. Would I be correct in saying that you are a Rasta, and you live that way of life?

Jr Kelly: It all depends on your aspect on Rastafarian. Of course, I am Rasta, I'm a Rasta in every respect of the word. But before that I am a black man you know, I am a human being, so it's not even a sense of just being a rasta in that sequester. Of course I enjoy being a Rastaman, all of my friends, those of them who I grew up with are Rasta, the elders that are way way older than me, teach me a lot of things about my culture,about my people, about my music,and about sports, about politics, about Africa you know, basically are a full set of teachers besides my Mother and my Father,was a group of elders that you know, that come from the communtiy that I live in, so yes I'm a Rasta.

Messenger: Do you believe that, that way of life would be a good change for many young people that are looking for a positive direction?

Jr Kelly: Well just like all other way of life, its up to you, cause I don't teach within the music in the sense of Rasta is the way or the only way, It's not for me to say, I do music, music that people can relate to, rock to and get an understanding about me and an understanding on things in life that they don't find the time to get to know, you understand, so to say that Rasta is the way,or is a lot of way out for a lot of youngsters is to say to enjoy the riches of life and to get back the riches and to reinstate or instill within them a sense of pride, a sense of being, you know, yes in a lot of aspects but I don't force anybody to do anything at all, I think that is wrong in any religion, In any movement, and you know it's not right, I don't preach that way of living like it's my way or the highway, I don't do that. But I think that Rasta have contributed a lot to the society as a group of people you know, we don't drop anything on ourselves or walk into any building unexplored and kill off millions of people and innocent people, that is not us, and the record shows that you know, all we do is teach about unity and how people must try to get along in this day and age which is very trying on everybody and toxic futurely, mentally and physically on everybody you understand, so I think we can help and we are helping and contributing in a positive way, and of which we only can improve.

Messenger: How long have you been recording music?

Jr Kelly: The first day I walk into the studio,it was November of 85.

Messenger: What is music to you?

Jr Kelly: Music to me, What a wonderful question, I've never gotten that question before. (Jr Kelly laughs) What is music, music is a living entity that take on its own shape and its own form, music is a gift from the Almighty via human being, whether that be male or female, a child or adult, and as I say it take on its own shape in time and it is the ultimate way of communicating.