Mikey accepted the Covenant and the Rastafarian faith 7 years ago, but says, "Rasta is an in-born thing". He does not belong to any specific order such as Twelve Tribes, Nyabinghi or Orthodox, but instead says he follows the, "Precepts of Haile Selassie". Mikey's belief is that "Rastafari is the goodness of your heart and the cleanliness of your mind and accepting the precepts of His Imperial Majesty".
Born to sing according to Mikey as his mother said he used to always make noise as a baby. He used to mimic songs on the radio by such greats as Horace Andy, Peter Tosh, Sugar Minot, Desmond Dekker and Bob Marley. Mikey then joined the church choir at the age of 7 and was also in his school choir for 5 years. However, when he went onto high school, there was no choir, so Mikey started singing in the classroom. His teachers even encouraged him and they would call him up to sing. It got to the point where Mikey's community told him he had a good voice and should take singing seriously.
It was 1980 when Mikey was around the age of 16 that he recorded his first song called 'Roots Me Roots'. Produced by Rudie Silence, Mikey recalls, "It wasn't very successful, but it was my first experience in the studio and it gave me a lot of encouragement".
From then it was a natural progression and being a songwriter as well, although Mikey says his songs are "Co-written by Jah", success was not too far away. Hit songs for Mikey are ones that "Have an effect on somebody or touch somebody" and the hits must be rolling as he has done 5 albums to date with the latest being 'Spiritual Revolution' that was released in 2002.
Alongside Luciano, Mikey has a company called Jah Messenjah Productions and they do their own production including Mikey's last album. They also worked with co-producers such as Dean Fraser, the Firehouse Crew and Cell Block Studio to name a few. Those are not the only production people Mikey has worked with; he has worked with Xterminator, Robert French, Black Scorpio and "most of the good producers in Jamaica".
Mikey has worked on non-reggae formats as well including R&B, Blues and Jazz. He has produced artists such as Babatunde, Milton Black, Natural Black, Bitter Roots and a lot of other new artists.
No Follow Babylon
Mikey General Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you follow dem, no no!
Don't let dem lead you astray!
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You nah fi follow follow follow follow follow follow follow dutty Babylon
Or else you gonna WALLOW walla walla walla walla walla walla in destruction
Or else you gonna walla walla walla walla walla walla in destruction
They send you lies, they're full of trickeries
The God of Creation they tek for mockeries
They have the people chasing material things
So far from Jah Glory and the joy that lives within
()
So you nah fi follow follow follow follow follow follow follow dutty Babylon
Or else you gonna walla walla walla walla walla walla in destruction
Know you nah fi follow follow follow follow follow follow follow dutty Babylon
Or else you gonna walla walla walla walla walla walla in destruction
Knowledge of self is better than wealth
And you won't find happiness anywhere else
You won't get caught inna Babywrong trap
Just like oil & water, you'LL always float on top
If they say East, then you say West
If they say right you say left
Cause Jah knows best!
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Nah follow follow follow follow follow follow dem
Or else you gonna walla walla walla walla walla walla in destruction
Know you nah fi follow follow follow follow follow follow follow dutty Babylon
Or else you gonna walla walla walla walla walla walla in destruction
Just send them all of, don't you be their friend
They say they love you, but pretend dem pretend
Seh no follow dem, they are not your friend
They wanna see you fall, they wanna see you end
Mikey General's song "No Follow Babylon" is a reggae ballad that urges the listeners to stay clear of the influence of Babylon - a metaphor for the oppressive system and its ideology. The song opens by exhorting the listeners not to follow Babylon's ways, to not let them lead you astray. The song then warns of the dangers of Babylon's ways, stating that they are full of trickeries and lies that mock the God of Creation. Babylon steers people towards material pursuits, taking them away from Jah Glory and the joy that comes from it. The song warns that if one follows Babylon's ways, they will wallow in destruction.
The song, therefore, is a call to action to resist Babylon's allure and instead focus on the knowledge of self, which is better than wealth. The song urges the listeners to always go against Babylon's ways, to always go West if they say East, to go Left if they say Right, and to follow Jah's guidance. The song concludes by urging the listeners not to befriend Babylon, who may pretend to love them but actually want to see them fall.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you follow dem, no no!
Do not allow them to lead you astray.
You nah fi follow follow follow follow follow follow follow dutty Babylon
Do not follow the false teachings of the corrupt society, Babylon.
Or else you gonna WALLOW walla walla walla walla walla walla in destruction
If you follow Babylon, you will inevitably end up destroyed.
They send you lies, they're full of trickeries
Babylon spreads falsehoods and manipulations for their own gain.
The God of Creation they tek for mockeries
Babylon mocks the divine power of the Creator.
They have the people chasing material things
Babylon misguides people to prioritize material objects over spiritual growth.
So far from Jah Glory and the joy that lives within
Following Babylon leads one away from the blessings of Jah and inner happiness.
Knowledge of self is better than wealth
Self-understanding is more valuable than material possessions.
And you won't find happiness anywhere else
True happiness cannot be found in worldly goods or in following Babylon.
You won't get caught inna Babywrong trap
By staying true to oneself and rejecting Babylonian ways, one can avoid being trapped by Babywrong.
Just like oil & water, you'LL always float on top
Just as oil and water separate, one can rise above Babylon's influence and remain afloat.
Cause Jah knows best!
The wisdom and guidance of Jah is always the best choice.
Just send them all of, don't you be their friend
Reject Babylon and do not form alliances with them.
They say they love you, but pretend dem pretend
Babylon may speak of love, but their actions prove otherwise.
Seh no follow dem, they are not your friend
Remind yourself not to follow Babylon, as they do not have your best interests at heart.
They wanna see you fall, they wanna see you end
Babylon seeks to see you fail and will not help you succeed.
Writer(s): Michael George Taylor
Contributed by Mateo P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Puparoots
HERMOSA MELOIDA....BURN IT UP!!!!!