Welcome to Jamrock

Damian Marley | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 13, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Umvd Labels
• ASIN: B000ASATWQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,950 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #25 in Music > World Music > Reggae > Dance Hall

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Grammy winner (for 2001's Halfway Tree) Damian "Junior Gong" Marley, the youngest singing son of the immortal Bob and brother of Ziggy, Julian, Stephen and Ky-mani, has made a major splash in the family business. The confrontational title track of his third album (which entered the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart at Number 7, the biggest opening week ever for a reggae artist), deals with vacationing "haves" partying on the backs of increasingly desperate "have-nots." It has fomented a storm of protest from corporate entities who claim that Marley has presented his homeland (or more accurately, their interests) in a negative light. Another high point is "Pimpa's Paradise," a heartbreaker about drugs leading to prostitution, backed by a vulnerable-sounding acoustic guitar. Produced by Damian and Stephen Marley, it's an eclectic, sophisticated mix, constructed over treacherous rhythmic undercurrents, illuminated by empathy, courage and soul. A shifting kaleidoscope of classic and cutting-edge Jamaican grooves spars with R&B and hip-hop, references to Marcus Garvey, Eek-A-Mouse, and Exodus, plus guest stints from Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Bobby Brown, Black Thought and Nas. --Christina Roden

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jr. Gong rings loud and true, October 7, 2005

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to Jamrock (Audio CD)

The youngest son of the one and only Bob Marley, Damian (Jr. Gong) Marley takes his nickname from his dad's "Tuff Gong" moniker, and has been strutting his talented genes since he was 13 years old. This is his third album, after Mr. Marley (1996) and the Grammy award winning "Halfway Tree" (2001).

The first single "Welcome to Jamrock" stormed the charts on release, with its blaring air horn and Ine Kamoze sample, causing much controversy in his homeland of Jamaica with its hard hitting, critical lyrics about poverty and politics:

"Come on let's face it, a ghetto education's basic
A most a the youths them waste it
And when they waste it, that's when they take the guns and replace it
Then them don't stand a chance at all"

The album is an expose of the side of Jamaica the tourists don't see, and music wise is a fusion of reggae, dancehall, R&B and even Hip Hop, starring his brother Stephen, with a guest list that includes Bobby Brown, Nas, Bounty Killer, Buju Banton and others. He even includes a part of a Marcus Garvey speech in the opening track.

Songs to watch are "Move", which samples his dad's "Exodus"; "Khaki Suit", a true dancehall treasure with Bounty Killer; "Pimpa's Paradise", a sad tale of drugs and prostitution; "All Night", and "In 2 Deep", but there are others worth a listen. An unusual and exciting album for fans of Reggae and Caribbean music.


Amanda Richards, October 7, 2005

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Junior Gong is de saddest, October 23, 2005

By 

winston de armas (guyana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Welcome to Jamrock (Audio CD)

People have said they like Damian Marley's music for its beats and its hooks, but I think Damian's true talent lies elsewhere. This fellow's music is nothing short of the modern "chattin" equivalent to the Wailer's deep, magical and legendary tunes. With his infinite flow techniques, Damian shows us in this album that he also deserves the title his father's still-selling album was dubbed with - "Legend". Yes, I said it. Damian is no ordinary dee-jay. Each song of this spectacular album reminds you of the "royal" blood that flows through his veins. xUnlike his contemporaries and chat-jay counterparts, Sean Paul and Elephant man, Damian is very intelligent. His music is always to-the-point and it always has a point. He does not dedicate hours to singing the praises of marijuana, or to the description of dances (yes, Elephant Man does do that).

"Welcome to Jamrock is really welcomin yuh to de lives of Jamaican citizens, as opposed to what de tourists come and experience in Jamaica. Jamaica itself has a whole heap o beauty and a whole heap o love, yuh know, but de people still livin in a struggle. So survival calls fuh drastic measures sometimes."

I for one do not envision the mind of ELephant Man producing a song that is so impacting and sensible, and yet so "vibable". People might assume, because of the sing-jay, chattah nature of Damian's music, that there is no substance beneath the songs. These people either do not understand the words, or they do not understand how the Caribbean really is.

If you want good music, with good lyrics and a rhyming ability comparable to the old-school rappers of the early 90's, check out Damian. Dis, ma boi is de thing fuh yuh.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to Jamrock, October 11, 2005

By 

D. Joshua "D" (FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to Jamrock (Audio CD)

I have only listened to Welcome to Jamrock so far.

WELCOME TO JAMROCK - Damian Marley

encapsulates the history
pulsates with vivid imagery

expresses the cold blooded violence
through use of dialectic utterances

epitome of true 'dancehall stylee'
emanating the sound of Barrington Levy


From the first time I heard it on 95.7 FM The Beat, Tampa Bay, FL, I knew that I had to purchase the music and learn the lyrics.

This is the most Jamaican sounding music I've heard in a long time. It is profoundly powerful in its delivery. The sound of it is reminiscent of the style of reggae rap, which originated in the late 70's and proliferated in the eighties. In terms of art, this cut is the peak of what Jamaican reggae rap is. It is a poetic reflection of the reality of living in Jamaica. This piece is wonderfully arranged.

It explores politics, gang violence, and a drug atmosphere, which a tourist wouldn't understand. Damian's father, Bob Marley, was a victim of the gang warfare. He was shot while performing at a concert for peace. The lyrics are true to the experiences of ghetto life in Kingston.