Hempress Sativa
Inimitably, Hempress Sativa is rightly regarded as a prolific Singer/Songwriter to nascent from her Generation of ‘Conscious Roots” purveyors. An anomalous talent, whose expressive writing skills with sharpened delivery commands the attention of her audience in each performance; with an uncanny ability to keep all listening as if in a trance, absorbing her every word, every rhyme. Her music though generally traditional of the Deep Roots, Rock Reggae genre; at times crosses boundaries and may reflect variants of Hip Hop, Afrobeats and R&B with the sultry serenade of (Kushite Love) exemplifying her agility as a diverse artist.Born Kerida Johnson to Ras Tafari parents Doris Ray Ricketts and Albert ‘Ilawi Malawi’ Johnson, Legendary Selector (Originally of Jah Love Muzik), Drummer, Producer and Singer/Songwriter who would become her greatest influence.Her father would summon almost 4 years old Sativa and older siblings to the ‘Control tower” which was a room he create to host his sound system equipments and Vinyl records. Located in the Ghetto of Mona Common, Papine, this 2 bedroom board house was the meeting grounds for the family and community to be entertained. Routinely, for his upcoming session he would methodically create an “Orthodox” selection which MYSTICALLY resonated with the Hearts of the masses who ventured near and far to hear Ilawi play. He would confidently hand the Mic to the offspring who dared to go first and it was there that Sativa would succumb to these encounters and began to develop her extraordinary talent.
