SOJA Talk About Reggae Roots and Politics at Bonnaroo

Jacob Hemphill and Bob Jefferson of the Virginia-based reggae band SOJA met as first graders and were already performing together in middle-school hip-hop talent shows when they discovered the power of reggae. "It seemed like reggage was bigger than music in a way," Hemphill tells Rolling Stone in this interview at Bonnaroo. "The goal of reggae wasn't to be famous or rich or have an opulent lifestyle. It was kind of the opposite. It was to change the system." Hemphill and Jefferson talk about the influence of Bob Marley on their new album "Strength to Survive," alienating fans, and how Americans' growing awareness of political corruption is spurring reggae's stateside popularity.