Words by Eddie STATS Houghton
We have seen bits and pieces of it here and there but LargeUp is very proud to host in its fullness the exclusive premiere of the Life Teachings documentary on one of the most impactful (and elusive) artists in reggae music: I Wayne. As notoriously camera-shy as I Wayne has been since he bust on the scene back in 2004–re-energizing the one drop scene with 45s like “Living in Love” and “Can’t Satisfy Her”–its rare for I Wayne fans to stumble across a new photo or quote from ‘their artist’ let alone 25 minutes of in-depth interviews and performances. Even here, I Wayne is more likely to let others do the talking (an eccentric trait in an industry characterized by hype and self-promotion) and some of Life Teachings‘ most satisfying moments come from the experts –in this case, the likes of Mutabaruka and Assassin–testifying to the singjay’s vocal prowess and philosophical depth, respectively. Another gem is the artist’s origin story, direct from the man who helped to make it happen, Sonny Spoon. The heart of the doc, though is the extensive footage of the man himself–performing live and relating his own story and philosophy in unprecedented interviews. All of this goodness arrives just in time, of course, to support I Wayne’s LP of the same name, so after you’ve absorbed the life teachings in video form below, purchase them in audio form here or stream it right here on LargeUp.