Blvk H3ro meeting Paul McCartney, the most bizarre interaction
Singer says one spliff made them meet; dropping album in June
Published:Sunday | April 2, 2023 | 8:45 AMStephanie Lyew - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Blvk H3ro (pronounced Black Hero) never thought a blog, yet alone a newspaper would be writing about how he met Sir Paul McCartney, especially since it involves something that is not completely accepted by the world and which his mother constantly complains about.
The story goes that, Blvk H3ro, after being invited to an event hosted by one of the international music icon’s daughters, was just doing what he normally does, when Paul McCartney nonchalantly walked up and started to engage in casual conversation.
“It was Stella McCartney’s event during the Grammy Awards week; Koffee was performing, so I thought I’d check it out, mainly because I rate her. While I was there, I was just smoking some herb and he came over, we were just chilling, and he took the spliff from me and smoke it,” Blvk H3ro shared of his encounter in a recent interview with The Sunday Gleaner.
In no time, videos circulated across social media platforms and several US-based vlogs began to share the content. Blvk H3ro further elaborated that McCartney’s security tried tirelessly to make sure no video content was being captured but their efforts were futile.
McCartney, who is one of two living members of the iconic English rock band, The Beatles, has been known to stir an enormous pot of controversy with his advocacy for the legalisation and decriminalisation of marijuana, and has even spent time in jail for possession. Over a decade ago, he announced that he was quitting smoking cannabis, though British newspapers said The Beatles’ bass guitar player and lead vocalist continued to grow the plant at his East Sussex home in England, a farmland in Peasmarsh. The Internet was abuzz with fans questioning if it was appropriate for The Beatle to be smoking marijuana at 80 years old.
To this, Blvk H3ro replied that the icon has lived his life and is enjoying “still living life”. He said that he was introduced to The Beatles through hip hop, listening to their collaborations with Kanye West and Jay-Z, but afterwards discovered the band’s entire collection.
“Most icons, the Fela Kuti and Bob Marley, we only get to meet through their music but I got to meet him in person. I appreciate the whole catalogue of The Beatles, what they stood for, and what he and John Lennon composed was simply beautiful. So, although I was not planning to post any videos, I wanted to have them to show my children, and possibly my grandchildren, the interaction I had with Paul McCartney, to teach them about the music,” he shared.
However, when he discovered that it was no longer a secret, and the videos were online, Blvk H3ro posted one to his Instagram page.
“It is a mind-blowing moment in my career, in my journey, I mean, I was like ‘this is a movie’ because there I was, doing something my mother cuss me ‘bout all the time, but it became the same factor which brought me to hang out with an icon. We hardly see these moments, like a Jamaican artiste chilling backstage with all the big names in music, we mostly hear about it,” he said. “I want to show my fans and people, who don’t have an idea of what that world is like, what it is like behind the scenes of going to the Grammy Awards, the after-parties then flying out the same night to another place to perform.”
Shouts of “Bwoy, yuh bun too much weed!” will constantly ring in the ears of Blvk H3ro, but right now, he is, ironically, too high, following that bizarre interaction. Though heeding his mother’s warning about the level of usage or the number of times he may “roll up”, the Cool Runnings singer-songwriter has admitted out of good humour that, “I continue to smoke as part of my meditation. I’ve smoked a spliff on a plane, on a train, in the subway, in church, in movie theatres, cars, buses, boats, at school, government buildings, hotels, rivers, beaches, and hot springs. The only place left fi bun a spliff is in heaven with Jah.”
While Blvk H3ro, who received a Grammy nomination for Best Global Music Performance and a Ghana Music Award nomination for Best Reggae-Dancehall Song, maintains a jovial attitude, he makes no joke about taking his recording career further. He recently completed his inaugural US tour which was also extended and he was featured on major stages such as Cali Vibes Music Festival and the SXSW Festival’s Caribbean Stage in Texas. The St Thomas-native has performed in Europe for Reggae Jam and Summerjam festivals.
He is currently working on an album with Delicious Vinyl Island, the label to which he is signed, and released the first single titled Celebration, last Friday. Produced by Sonic Gold Productions, it is a positive representation of H3ro’s impressive accomplishments, which has recently broadened his fan base from the Caribbean to a global music stage.
The music video, which will accompany the single, is a said to be “documentary-style showcase of his current movements, having recently moved to Los Angeles from Kingson, Jamaica. The visuals highlight H3ro’s magnetic persona and mystic way of forging connections with international colleagues and fans”.
Blvk H3ro noted that, “The song is like an anthem, it’s about toasting to life, and that’s why I say ‘cups up’, because you know, life is a celebration. I’ve been blessed to be presented with opportunities for the world to hear my voice, having come all the way from Waterhouse, a small community in Kingston, Jamaica, to now being able to share my music in Los Angeles and all over the world. It’s a celebration for sure.”
Coming up next are Good Body and Annabella featuring Dre Island, previewing Blvk H3ro’s much-anticipated LP, set to be released in June on Delicious Vinyl Island.
“It’s been a learning curve, just figuring out the intricacies of touring and creating merchandise. This year is about expanding on what we’ve learnt through the many interactions and showing the growth. There’s a lot of collaborations and I believe, overall, it’s a good body of work,” Blvk H3ro said confidently.