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Dancehall veteran Elephant Man, also known as the “Energy God,” is facing charges for allegedly stealing electricity from the Jamaica Public Service Company at his Hillcrest Avenue apartment in Kingston, Jamaica. He’s scheduled to return to court on August 13th.
LOL@Weezy
In this third installment of “Kartel Speaks His Mind,” Vybz Kartel decides to put the Jamaica Public Service company on blast.
Established in 2007, Marley Coffee is an international gourmet coffee company that was formed by Rohan and his good friend, Shane Whittle. Located atop the lush Blue Mountains of Jamaica, the Marley Coffee Farm adheres to strict organic principles and the ITAL standard, Rastafari for food that is natural, pure, and from the Earth. “ITAL means no chemicals whatsoever,” he explains. “I chose never to use any chemicals because they also break down the human body.”
Being deeply committed to respecting the environment, Rohan is a strong advocate of sustainable farming and ethical farming practices. As a result, Marley Coffee farm workers are paid twice the average wage. The company fosters community development and youth empowerment through non-profit organizations like ‘Kicks For Cause‘ and 1LOVE.ORG. A percentage from each bag of Marley Coffee sold goes towards building soccer fields and camps for underprivileged Jamaican children.
“My siblings chose music but I chose to carry on my Dad’s legacy through farming. The coffee industry employs roughly 90,000 people in Jamaica and because of Marley Coffee, I’m in a position to provide people with jobs,” he says. “This farm is not just my farm, it’s a community farm. It helps to build the community.”
Furthermore, Rohan is also the Chairman of Jammin’ Java Corp., the public subsidiary of Marley Coffee, which is listed on the OTC US Stock Exchange. He describes it as the “US distribution arm of Marley Coffee.” The Jammin’ Java brand provides premium roasted coffee on a wholesale level to the service, hospitality, office coffee service and big-box store industries.
Last year, Marley Coffee was granted approval to start exporting their own organic Blue Mountain Coffee and that is a feat within itself, as coffee is Jamaica’s second biggest export. Presently, Marley Coffee offers 6 different blends: One Love, Buffalo Soldier, Mystic Morning, Simmer Down, Lively Up!, and Talkin’ Blues.
Coffee lovers can purchase Marley Coffee online at www.marleycoffee.com, www.jamminjavacoffee.com, www.coffeewiz.com, www.amazon.com, www.cooking.com, and at over 100 locations throughout the US and Canada, like Whole Foods Markets, Dean & Deluca, and London Drugs, to name a few.
More than just a coffee company, Marley Coffee is stirring up a revolution, dedicated to improving the lives of farmers and their families.
Recently, Rohan Marley made some comments on twitter, regarding Lauryn Hill’s pregnancy, that went viral. After responding to a follower, who failed to mention that she was an editor with Clutch Magazine, the tweets were then miscontrued as an official statement on Marley’s part.
So then what? Well, I did what any other friend would do in this case, I called him up to see how he was doing. Not much for the spotlight, Rohan has always been a very private person but I get him to comment, albeit briefly, on the public misconceptions of him. In particular, the rumours of infidelity that have plagued him.
Contrary to popular belief, Rohan has been divorced since 1996, has not remarried and was never involved with any of Lauryn’s family members. He declares, “When I’m in a committed relationship with one woman, I’m just with that one woman!” In fact, his divorce papers are public, yet sites like Wikipedia and other blogs continue to falsely report otherwise.
(The document is in French because the divorce was filed in Haiti)
As for all the recent media attention, he says, “Miss Hill and I are happy with the five kids we have together. She speaks for herself and any other questions regarding her personal life should be directed towards her.”
We share a few laughs and then the conversation gradually shifts towards Marley Coffee and his seven children. The adoration can be heard in his voice as he takes the time to tell me about their individual personalities.
His eldest, Eden, wants to be a lawyer and is looking to attend college next year. Nico, his oldest son, is the starting linebacker for his high school varsity team. Zion, 13, plays basketball and soccer. His second oldest daughter, Selah, is a straight-A student, model and singer. His third son, Joshua, 9, plays baseball and football. Rohan describes him as “very creative” and an “inventor.” John, his last son, plays soccer and football. Sarah, the youngest, already loves to sing.
No stranger to a big family, Rohan is the fourth son of reggae icon Bob Marley. In his early years, he played football for the University of Miami Hurricanes and the Ottawa Rough Riders. He confesses that he tried to play music but gave it up when a friend told him “he sucked.” When it comes to business, however, that is an entirely different story.
His family has nicknamed him “The Mayor” because he oversees The House of Marley, in addition to running his own company. In 1999, he acquired a 52-acre estate in Portland and Marley Coffee was born.
Look out for Part 2 of this story tomorrow!
