It’s been several days since Todd Youth’s passing. When I first heard the news I was stunned. I thought, “I literally just saw him a few months ago at The Locker Room!” It’s funny how someone’s passing can bring time into perspective. One moment you’re here and the next… well, who knows!
I didn’t personally know Todd, in fact I only interacted with him briefly the night of the his show with Fireburn that summer night in Garden Grove, CA. But no one can deny the tremendous impact he had as a musician and more so, as a friend to all those who had the honor of crossing paths with him.
A little about Todd, he was born May 15, 1971 as Todd Schofield, but was best known as Todd Youth. He was especially known for his work with Warzone, Murphy’s Law and Danzig. His most recent project was Fireburn, a super band who also includes Ras Israel Joseph of Bad Brains.
On the day of his passing, Ras Israel said the following on a Facebook post: “On the passing of my friend, and my Brother Todd Youth. There are no words to express how sad I am at the passing of my brother Todd Youth. The music he made will forever be remembered, and I’m so thankful that I was able to work with him and that we created Fireburn together…” Read the rest of his post here.
His passing inspired me to go back to my archive of interviews I had done and shows I had photographed as novice photographer. The night of his show with Fireburn, I had the pleasure of chatting with Ras Israel Joseph for a moment. I’d like to share that with you now as well as some of the images I took that night.
Much like Ras Israel mentioned in his post, there are no words that can express how sad his family members and friends must be feeling– I offer my deepest condolences. But his music and memory will forever live on even after our physical being withers away. Before I share with you my conversation with Ras Israel, I’d like to leave you with Todd Youth’s words. In an interview he did with The New York Hardcore Chronicles, Todd was asked, “Is hardcore dead?” he responded with a charming smirk on his face, “Hardcore will never die. There’s really nothing else to say.” Without further ado, enjoy the short yet powerful conversation I had with Ras Israel Joseph.
Long live Hardcore and long live Todd Youth!
So your set was unfortunately just shut down by the Garden Grove Police— what thoughts come into your mind when these things happen?
With out being united, the whole system crumbles. Just like if they were to legalize Marijuana, all the drug companies will crumble. So much like that, when they don’t want to legalize certain things or even help certain things grow they will fight it. But tonight, well yes… they shut it down and it may have been the noise or maybe the ordinance but I always find it beyond coincidence that every time we do something to unite they want to fight.
Your debut album with Fireburn was just released— Talk about the concept behind, Don’t Stop The Youth.
The concept is the current political situation that has been around for 400 years but still is magnified today in our current government. Our country is the only country in the world that has freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of of association, freedom of religion, and I see those things being eroded. America has a lot of warts but I love America— I love where a man can be a Rastaman and be free! I love where a man can vote for change and I don’t want to see that changed. I can say anything I want, within reason! The album is really fighting against corruption. The first word on the record is ‘corruption’ and the second word on the second verse is ‘destruction’. That’s kind of the mood right now and we’ve got to get back to Jah, Jah, Children. “Jah, Jah” is a sound, an ancient sound, and its the sound we choose to express that we are the children of one breath!
What was the thought process of placing the reggae song, “Jah, Jah, Children” amongst the heavier Hardcore tunes in the EP?
Well you know, reggae is in our heart. Todd Youth and I love reggae music. Reggae is a meditative music. It has a quality that can make you introspective if you play the right kind of reggae. So we decided that we were going to share this feeling with other people via the music on the EP. We wrote a pulsating rhythm and called it ‘Jah, Jah Children.” The rhythm is known as the steppers beat– It’s a traditional beat in reggae but it is the heartbeat. It’s our love for the mediation and our love for what Rastafari stands for which is ultimately, unity among the races. There is no race, there is only us— team human! So that’s why the reggae is there. It’s like the weather, sometimes you get a nice breeze.
Last words?
The current political and social situation with people killing each other in mass and people hating each other over race can only lead to one direction— to our fall. If you look at Rome when the senate was sold out, authoritarians were in power, and military was used as the police… That was the end of Rome. We need to watch where we are going because we are the one chance in all the history of the world that can have the unity of all these people and the freedom of the Constitution.
Go out and vote at your local elections. Elect good people in your town. Love each other and never stop loving each other, ever, ever! Fatherless, homeless, motherless, widow, child… help them. Feed them, clothed them, shelter them, love them, lead them, teach them!
Jah, Rastafari!
