Get busy with some six-week crops, urges Richie Spice

One of the talented Bonner brothers, who include Pliers (of Chakademus and Pliers fame), Spanner Banner and Snatcha Lion, Richie Spice undoubtedly has music running through his veins. However, the reggae artiste is now singing a different tune. It's called planting and reaping, and he is just as passionate about this as he is about his music. The Rastafarian entertainer, who hails from Rock Hall, St Andrew, disclosed that he is using this period of cancelled shows, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, to get close to the land.

"I'm at home doing a little gardening, planting some flowers and also food, such as banana, plantain and sweet potato. Music is always a part of us, so that never stops, but right now this is the focus," Spice said.

'Start planting'

Additionally, the Time So Rough singer is encouraging everyone to till the soil. He shared with THE STAR that it doesn't matter if persons want to start planting flowers to beautify the place and then graduate to planting food, "as long as we start planting".

"People need to open their eyes to the reality of what is happening in the world. People need to bring their pants on their waist, put down the gun and start farming. Get busy. Plant some six-week crop. Some of us might even have to dig up our front yard to plant a little callaloo," he said. Spice is also big on the principle that sharing is caring.

"We must live good with our neighbour so that we can go to the fence and give her two plantains. And she can give yuh two tomato. Remember that together we stand; it's also about unity and strength," he said.

As far as the musical side of his life is concerned, the Together We Stand singer, who performed his latest single at the 'Jamaica, Together We Stand' telethon (which used Spice's song as its theme) on Sunday, has completed his latest VP Records album project.

"The title is all about working together, whether it is on Labour Day, a community project, or something bigger. It is important to make that effort to unite. In these times, we are fighting all kinds of spiritual, physical, and mental warfare, and it is too easy to get scattered," Richie Spice said of the album.

Originally slated for a March 2020 release, Together We Stand has been pushed back to the third quarter of this year.