Customer Reviews

Welcome to Jamrock

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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

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.

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.

Here is my straight foward analysist.

If you were expecting anything like Welcome to Jamrock you will be a bit dissapointed. There isn't anything on the album as good as that but there are some nice tracks. This album is a good effort. A nice mix of music, just a little bit unexpected:

My opinion:

Welcome to Jamrock (Excellent!)

Confrontation (JUST OK: only deccent lyrics but very good production.)

There For You (GOOD)

The Master Has Come Back (JUST OK: lyrics just above deccent.)

All Night (JUST OK: tough riddim but bland lyrics.)

Beautiful (GOOD)

Pimpass Paradise (Excellent: Single Material!)

Move (GOOD, but lyrics could have been better)

For the Babies (JUST OK)

Hey Girl (Excellent : Single Material!)

Road to Zion (GOOD: I'm tempted to say great because NAS held it down but Junior really isn't saying anything great in this track. His flow is old school reggae. It gets a pass still. And it could easily be released seperately as a single).

We're Going to Make it (GOOD)

In 2 Deep (Excellent! Possible Single)

Kakhi Suit (Excellent!)

As you can see there is not one bad song on this album and five excellent tracks out of 14 is good for any album. Overall the album is good. If I would say anything negative about it, however, it's that it's a bit unbalanced. Some of the tracks just shouldn't be there..mainly the Just Ok ones. It would have been nice if Junior kept the album in the vein of tracks like Kakhi Suit and Jamrock but this yute is a talented entertainer with a varied taste in music. Therefore, I could understand why the album is the way it is.

I on the other hand, would have just have kept the whole thing gully (LIKE JAMROCK!) and then hit them with the softer stuff on the follow-up LP.

My ratings still:

4 stars. Soild all around showing. This album deserves to be heard. Respeck.

One of my favourite albums... A very honest representaion of the Jamaica most people don't get to see, and as a fellow Jamaican, i can truly say this album makes me proud to be one. Well rounded musically, and takes you right through the evolution of Jamaican Music, from Ska (All Night) right up to Old School Dancehall (Khaki Suit) and beyond. I love it all...

While very few would ever question the greatness of Bob, his youngest son Damian arguably still has a lot of work to do to reach such legendary status. This album certainly goes a long way towards proving that Damian is one of the premiere reggae artists of this generation. This album is a proper mix of classic, roots-oriented, soulful reggae with the modern hip-hop oriented reggae that currently pervades the genre.
Welcome to Jamrock starts out strong with "Confrontation," a political song throughout which resonates the political ideals made famous by father Bob. Though the content reflects the modern political climate, Damiam certainly seems to view the world through the same lense that his father did. "Welcome to Jamrock," "We're Gonna Make It," and "Khaki Suit" (among others) certainly capture the dancehall crowd. "Move" follows Damian's trend of borrowing melodies and lyrics from Bob, as the melody and lyrics of "Exodus" flow throughout the song. "For the Babies" is a great song (if you can get past the distortion effect on Jr. Gong's voice) which portrays the pain and anguish caused by dysfunctional families (something I can definitely relate to, as many of us can). The song mixes in enough words of praise and hope to keep it from reaching a depressing level, though. Other notable songs include "Pimpa's Paradise" (featuring Black Thought of The Roots) and "Road to Zion (featuring Nas). These are my favorite songs from this classic album, and if you're into meaningful tracks, then these songs will hit a vein with you.
In all, Damiam creates his best album to date, and he mixes well tunes of the old with rhythms of the new. Further, he mixes soulful, meaningful songs with classic dancehall rhythms. Because of this mix, Damian should effectively increase his fanbase and establish his diversity as an excellent artist. While I don't think he is yet near the "legendary" status, this album takes an honest stab at it. With a few more albums at the same level, Damian will have effectively reached that level.
If you enjoy the type of music described above, I would recommend that you not hesitate to purchase this album.

This albulm is straight fire. Damian has progressed from singing his dad's song with his dad's style in "Mr. Marley" to his completely own style with "Halfway Tree" and "Welcome to Jamrock". I didnt think he could outdo "Halfway Tree" with blazin tracks like It was written and Born to be wild. I was wrong just listen to the opening song confrontation my new favorite song by jr gong he spits fire. Also road to zion is ill. Every track is sick bottom line. He brings it raw and has developed into one of the best in reggae. Also damian marley is one of the best in concert.

I had this album for some time now and "Welcome to Jamrock" is a tremendous achievement for Damian. Stephen has done an outstanding job helping his brother putting this album together. It's full of social commentary, tribal drums, and intense introspection into the state of society. It's hard to imagine that anyone can't feel the voyage to this album and putting this on last night still obtains me.

You wont found no typical reggae here, Damian has truly raised the bar here. It's an exceedingly well produced effort; it is reflective, exciting and uplifting from so many perspectives. For me the standout cut is "We're gonna make it" which in many ways is the flip side of "Welcome to Jamrock." where WTJ paints a grim and realistic picture of life in Kingston;s inner cities, the Jimmy Riley inspired track, presents a way out. A belief that despite it all there is still a light at the end of the tunnel. If WTJ speaks of lost youth led to criminal behavior by political negligence and abuse, "We're gonna make it" shows that Junior Gong believes these youth can be saved with the key line being "It's not to Late."

The other tracks on the album display a coherence not found on his masterpiece, "Halfway Tree" even if his lyrics are sometimes not as deeply personal as on "Still Searchin," "Stand a Chance"... etc. Nas lends his masterfully aggressive flows on the politically charged and incredible "Road to Zion." Both "Confrontation" and "Pimpa's Paradise," illustrate why Junior Gong cannot be placed in a box. "Beautiful"- with Bobby Brown is incredible and fittingly name. "In 2 Deep" is just as contagious as well as "For the babies". Damian brings it old school with "Khaki Suit" this track has a little bit more dance hall due to the presence of Elephant Man along with Bounty Killer and Eek-A-Mouse whom all closes this album exceptional well.

This album proves that old and new school roots reggae is not as different as it seems. If you have love for Bob Marley there's a strong chance you'll enjoy his son's as well, it's absolutely fantastic.

The lyricist Damian Marley reminds me of a reggae version of Nas or Pac. The lyrical content is extraordinary. Please read the actual lyrics in the inside cover. It will make you appreciate the album even more. It is beyond "teenie bopper" club dub or radio music. It is conscious rebel music. It is intelligent. For people with something on their minds. One song, he keeps rhyming the same word for like 20 bars. A style like that takes talent. He has a definite M.C. influence.

This album is a must have.

It was in March that a friend of mine suggested I get this album. Keep in mind, I had NEVER heard anything by any Marley aside from their father, Bob, so I was hesitant. Ironically, I had heard of him through my estranged ex-boyfriend from Trinidad (who spoke NON-Stop about Damian) during the Halfway Tree Period. Anyway, I bought the album without hearing ONE song before--a FIRST for me--and in three weeks, I owned this one, Halfway Tree and his first one, Mr. Marley ("Jr. Gong"). I was INCREDIBLY hooked! So good, in fact, I went on myspace and became his "friend" in order to get the "411" about what goes on in Jamaica with him and his family..NOW, I love them ALL..! Yes, talent IS genetic!