K-JAH West is a radio station in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that plays reggae, dub and dancehall music from various decades. The DJs are Marshall Peters and Johnny Lawton (voiced by Lowell Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare respectively) both of whom are of Jamaican descent.
Description
K-JAH West takes a relaxed, laid-back attitude, a reflection of the reggae music it airs. It tells its listeners to get out of their cars or stop working, and just go out in the sun and "cool out". It criticizes gangsters, telling them "the guns don't make them look tough" and that "they ain't got base". Although K-JAH West approves of marijuana, it says "winners don't take hard drugs". They also think of themselves as "pilgrims sent from the east bringing a message to the west".
The two hosts, Marshall Peters and Johnny Lawton, speak in thick Jamaican accents, something that can make them hard to understand to players not familiar with the Jamaican dialect. They smoke a lot on air.
They seem to be "vitriolic best buds" as they occasionally bicker on air; through their conversations it is revealed Johnny convinced Marshall to get the pair to move to the west coast to get their music heard on a wider audience; however, Marshall soon found out that the real reason why Johnny wanted to come to San Andreas was to be an actor, and even took acting lessons. This is a recurrent in their dialogue as Marshall frequently taunts Johnny for wanting to become an actor, calling him "Mr. Vinewood" and even telling him "he's no rasta". Johnny replies that Marshall "won't be fighting for revolution if the only thing he does is sitting in the ground, smoking and not making any music". Johnny took acting so seriously that he even went to the extent of quitting smoking, but Marshall soon makes him return to the habit. Although Johnny wants to be more widely known, he still loves reggae, as he says "so you want to be a rudeboy? you don't get it on CSR".
They criticize the Grove Street Families and the Ballas for going to war with each other, and because crack is an "inferior" drug. They also comment about the supposed lights in the desert, which they claim were actually because everyone was "just high".
DJ Gringo and Pat McKay are also featured on this station as the imaging voices.
This station is a West Coast counterpart to the other K-JAH station in Liberty City that is featured in GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories, which is referenced in their station ident, which says "the best in reggae from Kingston, Brixton and Liberty City all the way to San Andreas".
Tracklist
| Song: | Preview: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|
| "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" by Black Harmony (1979) | This song is missing from the iOS, Android, PS2 Classics (PS3, PS4 and PS5), Rockstar Games Launcher, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. | |
| "Ring My Bell" by Blood Sisters (1979) | This song is missing from the iOS, Android, PS2 Classics (PS3, PS4 and PS5), Rockstar Games Launcher, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. | |
| "Wicked Inna Bed" by Shabba Ranks (1990) | ||
| "Batty Rider" by Buju Banton (1992) | ||
| "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown" by Augustus Pablo (1975) | ||
| "Revolution" by Dennis Brown (1983) | ||
| "Armagideon Time" by Willi Williams (1979) | ||
| "Sidewalk Killer" by I-Roy (1972) | ||
| "Funky Kingston" by Toots & The Maytals (1973) | ||
| "Cokane in My Brain" by Dillinger (1976) | ||
| "Pressure Drop" by Toots & The Maytals (1969) | ||
| "Bam Bam" by Pliers (1992) | ||
| "Here I Come" by Barrington Levy (1984) | ||
| "Drum Pan Sound" by Reggie Stepper (1990) | ||
| "Great Train Robbery" by Black Uhuru (1986) | ||
| "Chase The Devil" by Max Romeo & The Upsetters (1976) |
Deleted Songs
The following songs were requested and approved to be in the game; however, they didn't make the cut for unknown reasons:
- Tenor Saw – Ring The Alarm (1985)[1]
- Sister Nancy - Bam Bam (1982)[2]
Gallery
Trivia
- This is the favorite station for the San Fierro Rifa, Pizzaboy courier and Jamaican Taxi Drivers.
- Curiously, in GTA Liberty City Stories the Uptown Yardies have on their outfits the logo of K-JAH West, instead of the logo of Liberty City's K-JAH.
- Max Romeo's "Chase The Devil" was sampled in Lee "Scratch" Perry's "Disco Devil", which is featured in Blue Ark in GTA V. Both songs featured The Upsetters.
- In Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, GTA III's radio wheel erroneously displays K-Jah West's logo instead of K-Jah's.
See Also
- Bush Sounds - an early reggae station in Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 that plays more songs from The Upsetters.
- Heavy Heavy Monster Sound - an early reggae and ska station in GTA London 1969 and GTA London 1961.
- K-JAH - Liberty City's version of K-JAH West, in GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories.
- Tuff Gong Radio - a classic reggae station in GTA IV.
- Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 - a contemporary dancehall station in GTA IV that plays another song from Buju Banton.
- RamJam FM - a reggae and dancehall station in Episodes from Liberty City which plays more songs from Barrington Levy and Toots & The Maytals.
- Ticklah - a dub and reggae instrumentals station in GTA Chinatown Wars.
- Blue Ark - a reggae station in GTA V which plays more songs from Dennis Brown and The Upsetters, and also hosted by its leader Lee "Scratch" Perry.
References
- ↑ The Royality Network Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20081012055343/http://www.roynet.com/archive_current_events/010104.cfm
- ↑ The Royality Network Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20081012055701/http://www.roynet.com/archive_current_events/080104.cfm