Welcome to Jamrock [PA]

Performer: Damian "Junior Gong" Marley
Artist: Nas; Black Thought; The Roots; Bobby Brown; Bounty Killer; Eek-A-Mouse
Producer: Stephen Marley; Damian Marley
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Damian "Junior Gong" Marley (programming); Dan Warner (guitar); Stephen Marley (keyboards); Shiah Coore, Paul Fakhourie (bass guitar); Jazzwad, Craig "Niteman" Taylor, Willburn "Squidley" Cole (drums); Eek-A-Mouse, Nas, Black Thought, Bobby Brown , Rovleta Fraser, Sean Diedrick, Owen "Dready" Reid, Noel Davey, Bounty Killer. The huge success of "Welcome to Jamrock," released as a single early in the summer of 2005, raised expectations for Damien Marley's same-titled full-length. Fortunately, everything--from the progressive blend of reggae, hip-hop, trip-hop, pop, and roots within, to the crisp production from brother Stephen Marley--lives up to the hype. While it would be an easy commercial move for Damien to replicate the positive roots vibe of his father's reggae, he instead builds on the consciousness of that music and updates the sound for the 21st century. Tinged with overtones of dancehall ("Khaki Suit") and urban contemporary R&B (the silky smooth "Beautiful," which features a cameo from Bobby Brown), WELCOME TO JAMROCK is a melting pot of an album, one as well suited to the streets of Brooklyn as the neighborhoods of Kingston. The cover image--which depicts Marley in militaristic garb surrounded by corrugated metal fences--indicates that Marley means business, a fact confirmed by this fresh, edgy music.

Rolling Stone (No. 984, p.150) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...[A] perfectly hazy blend of king-size bass lines, echo-chamber drums, air-horn blasts and a dope Ini Kamoze sample..." Spin (p.61) - Ranked #27 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005" - "[T]he title track, a classic tribal-war lament, is the inescapable one, excoriating murderers with a groove calculated to kill." Entertainment Weekly (No. 840, p.85) - "...[Marley] has a dazzling command of styles..." - Grade: A- The Wire (p.72) - "[T]his packs a lot more power, dealing in the now rather than the past." Mojo (Publisher) (p.104) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[O]n tougher cuts 'In 2 Deep' and 'Confrontation' he's lyrically and musically most adept....He's following in the footsteps of Gil Scott-Heron and Linton Kwesi Johnson."

Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley. Nicknamed "Junior Gong" as a tribute to his father's "Tuff Gong" moniker, Marley began performing at the age of 13. He released his debut full-length, MR. MARLEY, in 1996 to limited success. HALFWAY TREE followed in 2001, and, focusing more on Marley's dancehall- and hip-hop-inspired toasting style, earned the singer a Grammy. His skills came to full fruition with the release of 2005's WELCOME TO JAMROCK, which proved to be a huge success on both the reggae and the R&B charts. In an apparent effort to keep it in the family, Marley's first three albums have all been produced by half-brother Stephen Marley.

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