Ahead of the Grammys on Sunday, Samantha Ronson has remixed Toots and the Maytals’ “Freedom Train” from their nominated album Got to be Tough.
Ronson enlisted Pete Nappi for the project, releasing the version with a video by Henry Stein. It features clips of Toots Hibbert performing with his band, producer Zak Starkey, and Sharna Sshh Liguz — Starkey’s partner and co-founder of label Trojan Jamaica. The video also features President Biden, protesters in the streets, and dancers around the world.
“Toots was a giant and his music will live on, longer than all of us, and we are honored to have been asked to contribute to this project…. especially now!” Ronson said in a statement. “Considering the current political climate, maybe we should stand outside the capitol building in DC blasting this?”
Got to Be Tough is up for Best Reggae Album at the Grammys on Sunday. It was Hibbert’s final album before he died in September 2020 at the age of 77 due to Covid-19 complications.
From Rolling Stone US
