Music has been an integral part of Tjax Malek-I’s life. Growing up in Jamaica, Tjax remembers that music seeped out from every corner of his life, like juice from a sun ripened mango reggae flowed trough him, out of him and all around him. His childhood memories are of festivals and family gatherings all rich with the sweet sounds of the island. From a very early age, he remembers not only wanting to create music but live music. To the delight of those around him Tjax showed promising talent as he was able to perform songs after hearing them played just once. The island provided young Tjax with not only strong foundation for music but also allowed it to enter his soul and that can only happen if you are truly immersed in it. 

      At the age of 14, Tjax Malek-I joined his mother in Chicago, and it was here where his passion for music was furthered. He started practicing, and as a youth, he remembers listening to Stevie Wonder’s “Reggae Woman” repeatedly just to distinguish the tonality in the singer’s voice. His passion had matured and was turning into an obsession. He set a goal for himself – to only create expressive music with meaningful lyrics. Tjax wanted to create lyrics that would be powerful enough to resonate his home island and bring it a little closer to the listener. In the late 1970s, he picked up his first microphone and started rapping. He sang with various bands and deejayed through the 80’s, and realized his dream by releasing his first single in 1988 called “Stepping Vibrations.” He received a very positive response and kept pursuing his vision.

        On his first album, one of the most politically-charged and touching songs is “Living in a Ghetto” which captures Tjax Malek-I’s feelings as a child. The song insists that ghettos are not merely the culmination of poverty and shantytowns but also a state of mind. It dares the listener to observe his or her surroundings and to realize that politics, the class system, the state of the world all create a destitute environment.

      One of the more positive songs on the album, “United Nations,” recalls an outing at a local park where Tjax Malek-I observed his children playing peacefully with the other children who were all of different ethnicities. He wrote the song to highlight his enduring belief in unity – and that is the positive message he hopes listeners take away from his music. Unity is what will preserve us, Earth is a beautiful place to live, nature will provide and peace will prevail.

      Now with his new band, Tjax Malek-I has created “On the Front Line,” 18-track album that weaves elements of the artist’s culture and life experiences. The music reflects the hard work of Tjax Malek-I and his intricate band which consists of a full brass and background section. The aim is to captivate audiences, free minds, and spread their energy and passion – and they do deliver! Their songs are diverse, blending rock, reggae, country, rap, blues, jazz, gospel, calypso and ska music into an unprecedented 18 songs – no easy feat for any artist.

      The melody “Whatever,” is an affront on the apathy that consumes many. It challenges those that take indifferent views to life – those that listlessly cry “Whatever” to life’s most taxing situations – to rise up and take responsibility for their actions and to become involved in fighting injustices they witness. Tjax Malek-I insists that by ignoring problems, one simply becomes a part of them.

        When discussing his music, Tjax Malek-I mentions that his Rasta beliefs were solidified in Chicago as he increasingly gravitated towards music and became more inspired by his spiritual upbringing. On the new album, his favorite song is “Rastafarai,” which reminds him of a very real and primal call to his roots. It evokes memories of being in the countryside of Jamaica setting his ambitions. Maintaining this balance between thriving in Chicago and preserving his culture is emblematic by the title track of the album, “One the Front Line.” The song – and particularly why Tjax Malek-I chose it as the title of his album – speaks of his belief that he has always been on the front lines of music lyrically. The song speaks with conviction about love, hard work, and distance that separates loved ones.