Frederick Toot's Hibbert just turned 70. Yeah, 70. And unless the world ends tomorrow, he'll likely soon have another Grammy to grind up his weed with. Unplugged on Strawberry Hill/ Reggae Got Soul is the latest release from Toots & the Maytals and was nominated for Reggae Album of the Year. It's a live album/ DVD of 12 of the biggest Toots hits.
I know what you're thinking . . . "No way dude, he didn't even record any new songs, how can he win a Grammy? Jimmy Cliff's gonna slay him." I say naw son, it's about longevity. Toots has stayed relevant and kept the passion alive for 60 years. Plus, while Jimmy was acting in movies, Toots was doing hard time on drug charges. Well, sort of, give or take a few years.
Truth is, I love Toots and Jimmy and I couldn't give less of a shit about the Grammys. It is cool to see some reggae elders getting due respect though. I'm sharing one of my all-time favorite songs, "Time Tough". This new live version is fresh and Toot's soulful voice still makes this crazy world seem OK.
