Macka.B Wants to Change the World

Regular blog readers likely already know Macka.B. After all, his vegan anthem, “Wha Me Eat”, has a few thousand hits on PETA UK’s YouTube Channel. With his new album out this autumn, we thought we’d get to know one of Britain’s most influential dancehall toasters and veteran vegans a little better. We chatted about his music and what turned him on to animal rights.

Compassion to animals came naturally to Macka.B at a young age, as it does for many children. He recalls seeing a moth when he was very young and refraining from swatting him, instead deciding to catch him in a cup and release him outside.

His childhood compassion turned to faith and a vegan diet as he got older. “I remember when I was 15 growing up in the UK and eating a steak and kidney pie. It made me feel sick because I was thinking to myself that this was a living breathing animal, and I could picture it looking at me with sorrowful eyes”, he explains. A vegan diet was also a matter of faith. Macka.B says that “a lot of Rastafarians are Ital (natural) vegans, giving thanks for life and respecting it in all forms”.

With the release of his new album, Macka.B will soon be out touring, and eating healthily on the road isn’t always convenient. Macka.B has a love of smoothies, though, and by always taking his blender on tour, he ensures that he can eat well no matter where he is.

He encourages his fans to give up meat, and he is particularly concerned with the treatment of poultry. “Jamaica eats a lot of chickens and the way chickens are treated now is really sad. KFC have a lot to answer for.”

Macka.B’s a man of conscience, and his music conveys his messages. He describes his new album, Change The World, as “Macka.B style social commentary with some heavy Reggae beats, a must for conscious people who like music with a message. Blessed love”.

You can see Macka.B’s most recent tour dates at http://www.mackab.com.