How to Be Outside, Inside Featuring Protoje

The Jamaican reggae scene is alive and thriving, and Protoje is one of the dynamic artists delivering authentic music that blends both the roots and future of the storied genre. His latest studio album, The Art of Acceptance, released earlier this year is a must-listen. It boasts expertly produced tracks with catchy riddims and even catchier lyricism. It also features a handful of well-placed cameos from well-known artists like Masicka, Shenseea, and both Damian & Stephen Marley. 

In person, Protoje exudes a laid-back, warm, and welcoming disposition; the confident aura of a musician totally in-tune with his craft. We seized the opportunity to ask him a few questions for a special Jamaica edition of How to Be Outside, Inside - see his answers below. 

Okayplayer: Where do you go in Jamaica when you want to be outside without being outside? 

Protoje: I like to go into the mountains. That's one of my favorite places to go for long walks where I get to listen to my music and be unbothered. So I'm outside, but I'm still not having too much around me, you know. Also a nice quiet river in Jamaica is good, or somewhere out on a beach in the countryside. 

Where do you go when you want to be around people but not with people?

I like to go to Dub Club in Jamaica. There's lots of people there, but everyone is just doing their own thing. Heavy bass lines, roots rhythms playing. You can get food, you can shop for vinyl, you can do all of that, and there's many people, but you still feel like you're in your own space. 

What does your perfect day in Jamaica look like?  

My perfect day would be at home with my family. I wake up, see my daughter, hang out with her, go for a jog, go to the studio, listen to some music, hang out for a bit, come back home, and cook dinner. Then I’d hang out with my family, watch a movie with them, and go to sleep. That would be perfection. I could do that every day for years. 

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