SOJA’s first album was recorded independently with renowned sound engineer Jim Fox. Jacob notes, “Jim told us that he would work with us and so we could afford to make our first record, and when we ran out of money he started making up ‘discounts.’ It was awesome. I asked him why a while back, and he said ‘I didn’t want to see a good thing stop.’ What was even crazier was at the time he wasn’t working with bands that were from the US, just Jamaican artists. Big ones like Black Uhuru, Israel Vibration, Burning Spear, Don Carlos, and Inner Circle. Jim worked with us independently and recorded, mixed, and mastered the whole thing. That is how it all started.” SOJA’s first album, “Soldiers of Jah Army EP” was released at the beginning of 2000.
In 2002, SOJA released their first full-length album, “Peace in a Time of War.” Though the band was young, the album had hits. “True Love,” “Rasta Courage,” and “Peace in a Time of War” were the first songs to bring the band strong attention nationally and internationally and cement them in the reggae world. Tours became larger, their fan base expanded rapidly and they grew up smart in the independent music industry. In 2006, the band released “Get Wiser,” their second full-length album. The album was a break through for the band, as they explored the duality in their music, combining beautiful, longing melodies with hard drum and bass, and layered with intricate lyrics. SOJA created their musical style with a new complexity and depth that they would carry with them to their future albums. Jacob shares, “When you listen to an artist you can either have a series of one liners, or you can tell a story with your music. We set out to tell a story, it’s like poetry – dancing around an entire theme, but never putting a period on anything. It is like the two sides of a coin, but you can see them at the same time.” “Get Wiser” debuted in the Top 10 Reggae Albums on iTunes and has remained in the top 100 since its release. Singles off the album including “Open My Eyes, “You Don’t Know Me,” and “Can’t Tell Me” remain in heavy rotation on college radio across the United States, and have also received major radio play internationally in places such as France, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Costa Rica, Mexico, Venezuela, Guam, and Tahiti. The success of “Get Wiser” took the band on three years of intense touring nationally, and internationally. In 2008 SOJA released their EP “Stars and Stripes.” They blended new sounds and new rhythms with their existing reggae sound, growing into what SOJA was becoming. The EP contained three new songs plus remixes and new versions of popular songs. In early 2009 the band released the documentary DVD “SOJA Live in Hawaii: A Marc Carlini Film,” showcasing the power and energy of their 2008 Hawaiian tour which included four islands, five cameras, four shows, and everything in between.
Now, SOJA is ready to unleash their third full-length album “Born in Babylon” - the culmination of all past efforts on their label DMV Records. Set to be released August 25, 2009 exclusively on iTunes, “Born in Babylon” focuses on telling the same roots story that reggae artists have been singing about for decades, but their way, from the flip perspective of kids who grew up not in poverty, but in a government saturated community in Arlington, Virginia, across Mason-Dixon Line from the White House. SOJA shares about their new album, “This is the album we’ve been wanting to make for ten years. At first we were hard-core old school, then we got new school and inventive. This is what we’ve learned from all that. ‘Born in Babylon’ is hard roots drum and bass, big wide guitar and vocal melodies, and two and three sided lyrics, with two and three sided messages.”
For the rest of 2009 and moving into 2010 – SOJA plans on touring the United States extensively while promoting “Born in Babylon” with mainstay horn players Hellman Escorcia (saxophone) and Rafael Rodriguez (trumpet). Currently, SOJA averages 150 shows a year and the group has toured every major city in the US and internationally throughout Canada, Puerto Rico (avg 2500), Brazil (avg 4000), Argentina, Uruguay, New Caledonia (16,000 in attendance) Palau, Saipan, Guam (avg 3500), Hawaii (avg 2,000 on each island), Sweden, Switzerland, France, Portugal (avg 2000) and Holland. The band has also shared the stage with notable artists such as Citizen Cope, Matisyahu, Ben Harper, Slightly Stoopid, Damian Marley, Govt Mule, Umphrees McGee, and Steel Pulse to name a few.
In addition to their new music and touring, the band remains committed to creating real music, music that cant be ignored. Jacob pauses, “Bob Marley’s fans all feel like when he is singing a song, it’s to them. You could be from anywhere, any situation, rich, poor – it doesn’t matter; the song is directed at them. He speaks to you, the love songs too. That is what we are after. Not one side of the story, the whole thing, both sides of the coin. Just listen to ‘Born in Babylon.’”
disambiguation:
If you're looking for a US act:
http://www.last.fm/music/Soldiers+of+Jah+Army
Over the years, the Washington, D.C. music scene has become best known for its hardcore (Minor Threat) and go-go (Trouble Funk) alumni, but as evidenced by the great Bad Brains, reggae has been represented as well. SOJA has risen to the forefront, picking up right where the Brains left off – creating their own blend of conscious roots music entwined with the traditional rhythms of reggae, it “comes across with passion and depth.” (Washington Post ’06)
That said, SOJA is not that easy to define. Although they are rooted in reggae, they are not limited to it; their fan-base reflects this with a very diverse population. The music includes and embraces all walks of life - it has no prejudice – it is for everyone. The band grew up listening to reggae, hip-hop, and rock. In their sound, reggae became the predominate influence because it is dedicated to a real message and promotes revolution.
The group, which includes a pair of lead singers who also pull double duty - Jacob Hemphill (guitar) and Bob Jefferson (bass) – as well as Patrick O’Shea on keyboard, percussionist Ken Brownell, and drummer Ryan Berty, originally came together in 1997. Since 2000, the quintet has issued three full length albums and one EP – their latest, ‘Get Wiser,’ is their third for the group’s own label, Innerloop.
Hemphill explains the meaning of the album’s title. “The new album is called ‘Get Wiser’ – that’s the idea. We as a society tend to have blinders on. We are trying to uplift peoples’ consciousness by breaking down what makes us blind. To do this, we got to bring back truth. People get wiser.”
“Every song is different of course.” Hemphill continues, “I found music to be a way to express myself - through my life I’ve never been able to express myself well in conversations, but I can do it through music. It’s like my way to talk.”
Ever the road warriors (SOJA averages 150 gigs per year), the group will be supporting their latest release with a healthy amount of live dates this year on the “Get Wiser Tour”. With such a list of accumulated live dates, a specific high point is hard to pin down, but Brownell remembers a particular performance. “One of the shows that remains in the front of my mind was playing in Guam for the first time for nearly 6,000 fans. That was an amazing experience.”
With SOJA calling their own shots, ‘Get Wiser’ proves that the band’s message and music will only continue to grow stronger with each successive release. In support of their latest album, “Get Wiser”, SOJA is embarking on a journey around the world.
The Band
Jacob Hemphill - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Bob Jefferson - Lead Vocals, Bass
Ken Brownell - Percussion
Ryan Berty - Drums
Patrick O’Shea- Keyboards
It's Not Too Late
SOJA Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, it's not too late
It's not too late
I mean everyone, everyone, we seal our fate
Lord, it's not too much for me to say
This whole thing is our responsibility
Is under Jah sun, it's your sun
I mean everyday, everyday
Or when we're all here, we're all here
No use in fighting your brother
We're all in it together
This whole Earth is your mother
And I work for the Father
It's not too late
It's not too late
I mean everyone, everyone, we seal our fate
Lord, it's not too much for me to say
This whole thing is our responsibility
And I mean your hands, your hands
Are part of His plan, His plan
It's like all here, we're all here
For one reason, and it's clear
No use in fighting you sister
There's no way you can get her
I mean, this whole Earth is your Mother
And I work for the Father
It's not too late
Oh yeah
Alright
The opening lines of Soja's "It's Not Too Late" come across as a call-to-action for people to get their act together to curb the planet's deteriorating state. Indeed, the song urges listeners to take responsibility for their actions and begin remedying the destruction they've unleased on the Earth. The song portrays the idea that every single human being has the responsibility to be mindful of their actions and the impact of those actions on the environment. The lyric "I mean everyone, everyone, we seal our fate," stresses the importance of everyone's participation in saving the world, as the fate of the planet lies in every individual's hands.
The reference to Jah sun and working for the father signifies that the song has roots in Rastafari culture, which promotes an environmental consciousness. The song's overarching theme is that the fate of the planet is everyone's responsibility, and we must work collectively to protect it. The chorus of the song talks about how it's not too late to make a positive impact on the environment, and that we must act quickly before everything is beyond redemption.
Overall, "It's Not Too Late" is an inspirational and thought-provoking song that encourages people to take action collectively to save our planet. The song's powerful message in combination with its reggae beat creates an inspiring melody that implores listeners to be more mindful of their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, it's not too late
There's still time to make a positive change
It's not too late
The window of opportunity is still open
I mean everyone, everyone, we seal our fate
Each person contributes to shaping their own destiny
Lord, it's not too much for me to say
Acknowledgement that this message is not too difficult to understand
This whole thing is our responsibility
We all share the responsibility for the state of the world we live in
Is under Jah sun, it's your sun
We are all equal under the sun, no matter who we are
I mean everyday, everyday
This message applies every day, not just on certain occasions
Or when we're all here, we're all here
We should all come together and work towards a common goal
No use in fighting your brother
We should not fight against each other, but work together
We're all in it together
We should all work together to achieve a common goal
This whole Earth is your mother
We should take care of the earth as if it was our own mother
And I work for the Father
Acknowledgement of a higher power and serving that higher power
I mean your hands, your hands
Your actions and choices have an impact on the world
Are part of His plan, His plan
Your actions and choices are part of a larger plan
For one reason, and it's clear
We are all here for a specific purpose
No use in fighting your sister
We should not fight against each other, regardless of gender
There's no way you can get her
There is no benefit to fighting or trying to control others
Oh yeah
Affirmation of the message being conveyed
Alright
Affirmation of the positive message being conveyed
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacob Charles Hemphill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alexisarevalo675
"It's Not Too Late"
Ohhh yea yea yahhh
All right
All right
All right
Oh its not too late
Its not too late
I mean everyone, everyone
We seal our fate.
Lord, its not too much,
For me to say,
This whole thing is our
Responsibility.
And I mean everyone, everyone
Is under jah sun, is your sun
I mean everyday, everyday,
Oh yea. We're all here, we're all here. Yea
No use in fighting your brother, oh
We are all in it together
This whole earth is your mother, oh
And I work for the father.
Its not too late
Its not too late
I mean everyone, everyone
We seal our fate yea, lord
Its not too much, for me to say
This whole thing is our
Responsibility.
And I mean your hands, your hands
Are part of his plan, his plan
Its like we're all here,
We're all here for one reason and its clear.
Yea no use in fighting your sister
There no way you can get her
I mean this whole earth is your mother,
And I work for the father.
Its not too late
Oh yea yea yahh
All right
Oh, its not too late
Oh yea yea yahhh
All right
Yea
@thamyresqueiroz7278
Alright... Alright... Alright
Oh, it's not too late
It's not too late
I mean everyone, everyone, we seal our fate
Lord, it's not too much for me to say
This whole thing is our responsability
And I mean everyone, everyone
Is under Jah sun, it's your sun
I mean everyday, everyday
Or when we're all here, we're all here
No use in fighting your brother
We're all in it together
This whole Earth is your mother
And I work for the Father
It's not too late
It's not too late
I mean everyone, everyone, we seal our fate
Lord, it's not too much for me to say
This whole thing is our responsability
And I mean your hands, your hands
Are part of His plan, His plan
It's like all here, we're all here
For one reason, and it's clear
No use in fighting you sister
There's no way you can get her
I mean, this whole Earth is your Mother
And I work for the Father
It's not too late
Oh yeah...
Alright...
@Jmdurose
One LOVE from Haiti!!!!!!
@Brotherenfamilia
oh you know life is great when u jam reggae . one love one blood noo diversity
@ekdaily
PEACE FROM CALIFORNIA!
@zionf11d
yes soja , big respect !! from brest( france)
@maryy440
peace from portugal :*
@moody757
PEACE FROM AFRICA!
@mattia393
Unity is our last chance for survival. Love to everyone around me! Thanks to SOJA for the wake up call !!!
@youngdyl7995
im off probation in 2 days, havnt smoked in 4 months, first thing im gonna do is smoke a bowl to this song, peace from America
@FlightSimXflyer
He knows that we are here for a reason. He just don't know what is the reason...
@Pancakemong
PEACE FROM COSTA RICA!