Like many successful Jamaican entertainers, Warrior King gained his earliest stage experience in talent shows. "I started out with school concerts at first," he says. "At the time when I just came inna music, I used to do some combinations with a yout' named Likkle Blacks, Marlon Stewart. We used to do Tastee's Talent Show together, so we could really start getting exposed and gain experience." When he first started out Warrior King chatted in a hardcore deejay style, like his original hero, Bounty. A switch to the more holistic "singjay" sound came gradually. "It's a natural thing what just grow inside of me, even without me realizing," the singer reasons. "People started telling me they hear I can sing now. So, really and truly it's just a natural change." Even his name is an extension of this evolution. "I changed my name from 'Junior King' to 'Warrior King' because it have a more spiritual feel to it. Fighting against oppression, fighting against wrong. I'm Jah warrior, yuh know, fighting a war of rootical love.
Warrior King's 2001 debut single, "Virtuous Woman," was an international smash, its righteous lyrics prompting the Jamaica Observer to declare the singer "one of the artistes who made a difference in 2001." Since that auspicious beginning, Warrior King's compositions have consistently charted not only in his native Jamaica, but throughout the entire Caribbean, as well as New York, London, Tokyo and beyond. "A Friend Indeed" is currently getting heavy rotation in Jamaica, while "Jah Is Always There" was a recent summer smash on Atlanta's More Fire chart. The inclusion of "Never Go Where Pagans Go" on VP Records' compilation set "Reggae Gold 2002" further raised the artist's profile. Also included are "Virtuous Woman," "Never Go Where the Pagans Go" and other compositions that have built Warrior King's reputation.
Now the conscious singer has released his first full-length album. His VP Records debut, Virtuous Woman, features production by such heavy hitters as Sheldon 'Calibud' Stewart, Richard "Chabano" Brown, Lion Paw and Penthouse as well as guest appearances by Jahmali and dub poet, DYCR. With titles like "Love Jah and Live" and "Boast Not Myself," the CD's seventeen tracks are designed, says Warrior King, to "uplift people's heart, mind and soul in a positive way. All of the songs are written by me, through inspiration of the Father. Everybody can relate to a song on the album, I'm sure of that." The album opens up with "Power To Chant," a spiritual invocation of Jah that neatly sets the tone for what's to follow. Each song featured on the cd has a different style, but the message emphasizes purity and truth.
Warrior King believes that education is the key to betterment and hopes that his music will serve to convey the teachings of His Imperial Majesty, Hailie Selassie I. "As a Rastafarian you just don't sing music, you sing music with a purpose and a mission. To the four corners of the Earth," says Warrior King, "I carry my music, and the message of the King. And the message of love, to all people of all races."
Photo & text courtesy of VP Records-Walboomers Music.
http://www.reggae-vibes.com/profiles/warriorking/warriorking.htm
Motherland Awaits
Warrior King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The motherland awaits, I'm going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, I'm leaving Rome
Caan take the system, this is not my zone
I'm glad to say, Babylon, I'm going home
The motherland awaits, I'm going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, I'm leaving Rome
Caan take the system, this is not my zone
Egypt, Cameroon, and Nigeria
Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Botswana
Sudan, Senegal, and South Africa
The king of kings reigns inna Ethiopia
Uganda, Libya, and Central Africa
Angola, Malawi, and Algeria
Ghana, Tanzania, and Namibia
Over 50 different countries in the land of Africa
The motherland awaits, I'm going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, I'm leaving Rome
Caan take the system, this is not my zone
I'm glad to say, Babylon, I'm going home
The motherland awaits, I'm going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, I'm leaving Rome
Caan take the system, this is not my zone
I'm glad to say, Babylon, I'm going home
We were once great mathematicians
We were once great engineers
We were once great doctors and physicians
Come on, my people, never be despaired
Afrika fi Afrikans a dat me advocate
Let's organize and centralize and show the world that we're great
Let's stop the imitating, we're creative and innovate
The building of our empire we should all penetrate
Mother Nature intended a place for every race
Foxes have their holes and every bird have their nest
I'm going home to Africa to build me a palace
Little justice for Africans living in the west
The motherland awaits, I'm going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, I'm leaving Rome
Caan take the system, this is not my zone
I'm glad to say, Babylon, I'm going home
The motherland awaits, I'm going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, I'm leaving Rome
Caan take the system, this is not my zone
I'm glad to say, Babylon, I'm going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, at home and abroad
Afrika fi Afrkians, at home and abroad
The motherland awaits, I'm going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, I'm leaving Rome
Caan take the system, this is not my zone
I'm glad to say, Babylon, I'm going home
The motherland awaits, I'm going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, I'm leaving Rome
Caan take the system, this is not my zone
I'm glad to say, Babylon, I'm going home
Egypt, Cameroon, and Nigeria
Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Botswana
Sudan, Senegal, and South Africa
The king of kings reigns inna Ethiopia
The king of kings reigns inna Ethiopia
The king of kings reigns in Addis Ababa
The lyrics to Warrior King's "Motherland Awaits" emphasize Afrocentric pride and the desire to return to Africa. The phrase "Afrika fi Afrikans" means "Africa for Africans" and underscores the importance of a collective African identity. The artist mentions leaving Rome, which symbolizes leaving behind Western culture and returning to his ancestral roots. He can't take the system - the societal norms and values of the West - because it does not align with his personal values and beliefs. Instead, he is going home, where the motherland awaits him.
Warrior King then lists multiple African countries to show the diversity of the continent and its people. Mentioning Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Sudan, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Libya, Central Africa, Angola, Malawi, and Algeria, to name a few, reinforces the idea that Africa is not one homogeneous place but rather a blend of distinct cultures, languages, and traditions. The artist calls Ethiopia "the land of the king of kings," highlighting the significance of Ethiopian history and culture in African history.
The final verse addresses the fact that Africans were once great mathematicians, engineers, doctors, and physicians, and reminds the listener to never despair. The artist advocates for Africans to organize and centralize their efforts to show the world their greatness. He encourages Africans to create and innovate instead of imitate Western culture, and emphasizes the need to penetrate the building of the African empire. Warrior King concludes the song by reminding us that every race has a place in this world, and his is in Africa, where he plans to build his own palace.
Line by Line Meaning
Afrika fi Afrikans, at home and abroad
Africa for Africans, whether they are at home or abroad
The motherland awaits, I'm going home
Africa is waiting for me to return, and I am going home
Afrika fi Afrikans, I'm leaving Rome
I am leaving Rome because Africa is for Africans
Caan take the system, this is not my zone
I cannot accept the system here because it does not belong to me
I'm glad to say, Babylon, I'm going home
I am happy to leave Babylon and return to Africa
Egypt, Cameroon, and Nigeria
These are some of the many countries in Africa
Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Botswana
These are also some of the many countries in Africa
Sudan, Senegal, and South Africa
There are many different countries in Africa, including these
The king of kings reigns inna Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia is considered the king of kings in Africa
Uganda, Libya, and Central Africa
These are more examples of the many different countries in Africa
Angola, Malawi, and Algeria
There are many countries in Africa, including these
Ghana, Tanzania, and Namibia
These are also examples of the many different countries in Africa
Over 50 different countries in the land of Africa
Africa is a continent of over 50 different countries
We were once great mathematicians
Africans once excelled in fields such as mathematics
We were once great engineers
African engineers once made great contributions to society
We were once great doctors and physicians
Africans were once great healers and medical professionals
Come on, my people, never be despaired
We should not lose hope, my fellow Africans
Afrika fi Afrikans a dat me advocate
I advocate for Africa to be for Africans
Let's organize and centralize and show the world that we're great
We should come together, organize, and demonstrate to the world our greatness
Let's stop the imitating, we're creative and innovate
We should stop imitating and use our creativity to innovate
The building of our empire we should all penetrate
We should all work towards building up Africa from the inside out
Mother Nature intended a place for every race
Nature designed a place for every race of people, including Africans
Foxes have their holes and every bird have their nest
Just as animals have their homes, Africans have a home in Africa
I'm going home to Africa to build me a palace
I plan to return to Africa and build a grand home for myself
Little justice for Africans living in the west
Many Africans living in the West face injustices and discrimination
The king of kings reigns inna Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia is an important figure in African history
Afrika fi Afrikans, at home and abroad
Africa belongs to Africans, whether they are at home or living elsewhere
The king of kings reigns in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia and has been an important city throughout African history
Contributed by Adalyn N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
bonaventure mativenga
love from Zimbabweđź‘Š