Protoje on Reggae’s Future, AI Music & Why Real Jamaican Sound Still Matters

Reggae artist Protoje sits down with David Levy at Irish & Jam to go deep on his highly anticipated new album, The Art of Acceptance and he holds nothing back. In this episode, Protoje opens up about what he personally had to accept before the album could exist, his spiritual journey to Ethiopia that grounded the entire project, and what it truly means to evolve as an artist over 16+ years in the music industry. He speaks candidly about his deep bond with his mother and why her presence is the reason he continues to make music. He also shares how becoming a father has sharpened him emotionally, his creative process for collaborating with Damian Marley and Stephen Marley, the making of the Lost in Time Festival, his bold stance on AI in reggae and dancehall, and why he refuses to live inside a cage of people's expectations. This is one of the most honest and inspiring reggae interviews of 2026. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Intro & The Art of Acceptance album 01:45 – What Protoje had to personally accept 03:15 – Ethiopia: spiritual & creative reset 05:00 – His mother & why she is his reason 06:30 – Becoming a father & emotional growth 08:00 – Album creation process with Winter James 12:30 – AI in reggae — where do we stand? 14:35 – Refusing to live in people's expectations 17:00 – His 74-year-old father still writing music 18:00 – How he chooses collaborators (Damian Marley) 19:30 – Lost in Time Festival origin story 23:00 – Mentoring the next generation of reggae artists 26:00 – Danny Bassie — the greatest reggae bassist 29:00 – Owning your masters & the music business 30:00 – That time he froze seeing Stephen Marley side-stage 33:00 – Speed round & closing FOLLOW PROTOJE: Stream The Art of Acceptance: [link] Instagram: [link] Website: [link] FOLLOW IRIE JAM RADIO: Instagram: [link] | YouTube: [link] Facebook: #Protoje #ArtOfAcceptance #ReggaeMusic #RootsReggae #ReggaeRevival #DamianMarley #StephenMarley #JamaicanMusic #ModernReggae #ReggaeInterview #LostInTimeFestival #NewReggae2026 #MusicPodcast #DancehallPodcast #iriejamradio