I was a sophomore in high school the first time I heard of Norah Jones. A friend of mine was a big lover of jazz, soul and R&B, and as such, she always was playing something incredibly soothing and sensual. She liked to talk to me about all the wonderful artists out there who were striving to make music sensible again, less about selling records, more about illuminating talent and hard work. Naturally, I got hooked. Pop music and mainstream hip hop was such a bore to me. I had to search for more musicians who spoke to me in a manner these two genres never do. That is why I was drawn to my friend, and that is how I wound up being a lover of non-mainstream music. [Read more...]

Bob Marley died at the age of 36 of cancer, leaving behind a grand total of 11 children. He left an iconic and indelible mark on the music scene, and to this day, he’s still one of the most widely recognized faces in the history of music, along the likes of such greats such as Michael Jackson, the Beatles and Elvis Presley. Some of his children have dipped their toes and tried their hand in music, going far enough to achieve some success and adulation from critics and fans alike. David Marley, known popularly as “Ziggy”, is a well-known reggae artist in Jamaica and beyond. Same goes for Stephen and Ky-Mani. While these brothers more or less come up with good music for the masses, there can be no doubt that in pure artistry, talent and musical wizardry alone, the youngest son of “Tuff Gong” stands head and shoulders above his brothers.

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. His love of music was evident even from an early age. At 13, Jr. Gong (derived from his father’s nickname) formed a band that comprised of the members of other revered, respected reggae artists, namely the daughter of Freddie McGregor and the son of Third World guitarist Cat Core. By the time he produced his very first solo album, the 1996’s “Mr. Marley”, Damian had enough experience to realize where his strengths as an artist lay. The album surprised many critics, who could not believe their ears when they heard Damian deejaying rather than singing, an act that was almost unheard of from a Marley. His older brother Stephen lent him a helping hand in writing and producing the songs. He was only 18 at the time, but it was almost clear that Damian was destined for superstardom.

“Halfway Tree” was released in 2001, much to the delight of reggae fans around the world. The album was an interesting mishmash of dancehall and roots, with interesting Damian collaborating with artists such as Eve and Mr. Cheeks, along with his own brother Stephen. The album went on to win the “Best Reggae Album” award at the 2002 Grammys.

All his previous efforts, while fantastically impressive, were nonetheless child’s play when compared to his best album to date, “Welcome to Jamrock”. Up until that point, it was assumed that the sons of Tuff Gong were no more than marginally good reggae artists destined for success and coasting through life on their last name. However, everything changed in 2005. The song was released in anonymity in the Jamaican music scene, taking the streets of Kingston by storm. The song addressed the plight of an average Jamaican citizen, covering crime, poverty and corruption reminiscent to the early days of Bob Marley’s career. When it was learnt that the song was by Damian Marley, the song’s popularity, along with the album, spread like wildfire. Jr. Gong ended up winning two Grammy awards and introducing a new generation of avid music lovers throughout the world to the virtues, and beauty of reggae. It was this album that affirmed that Damian, by far, was the best and most talented of Bob Marley’s children, hands down. This album also included fantastically interesting guest performers, ranging from Nas to Eek-A-Mouse to Black Thought.

Bob Marley was by no means a reggae purist. Other artists such as Burning Spear have rigidly stuck to the basics of true reggae and have not veered into the pop scene. That being said, Bob Marley is considered the best reggae artists ever, and one of the best overall musicians in the history of the 20th Century, because of his ability to articulate the various conundrums that face the people around him. He spoke and sang with the voice of an army of the disenfranchised. He expressed their fears, dreams, hopes and pains. If that is the mark of greatness, if this is the criteria we are to use to measure whether or not a reggae artist is good enough to be called legendary, then none of Bob Marley’s sons have come as close to achieving this than his youngest. Tuff Gong died when Jr. Gong was only two years old, yet it seems it was Damian, out of all his eleven children, that was truly and thoroughly inspired by the elder Marley. In the future, I fully expect that Damian Marley will keep making more inspirational music, not only taking over his father’s mantle, but also curving out his own niche in the history of music. If we are to judge this statement solely from his body of work so far, including the collaborative album with Nas released in 2010, “Distant Relatives”, then Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley is well on his way to proving me right.