Bob Marley: Chant Down Babylon

Chuck D., Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 16, 1999)
• Original Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island
• ASIN: B00003000M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,455 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #22 in	Music > R&B > Neo-Soul
  #70 in	Music > World Music > Compilations > Reggae

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On Chant Down Babylon, Bob Marley's master tapes meet the next generation. Marley hardly needs help selling records, so these studio-engineered duets may reflect an honest attempt at linking his musical legacy with contemporary artists. Even those sympathetic to the concept, though, should wonder if it's wise to substitute new backing tracks for the original sinuous grooves of "Concrete Jungle" and "Rebel Music." (To the disc's credit, the rhythms of "No More Trouble" and "Rastaman Chant" are left largely intact.) And as obvious as the connection between reggae and hip-hop is, Guru ("Johnny Was") and even Chuck D ("Survival a.k.a. Black Survivors") have nothing to add to Marley's perfectly chosen words. Finally, don't be surprised if your patience wears as several of Marley's sons help travesty "Kinky Reggae." --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ignorant people..., February 20, 2000

By	Rita Marley (Jamaica) - See all my reviews

There are a lot of ignorants in this world that do not really understand the whole legacy of bob marley. He wanted to be loved, and he did things so people would love him. He also wanted to spread the message of our religion around the world, and make us come out as good people, scince about 50 years ago, us rasta people were thought to be very dangerous. He wanted his message to continue to be spread, no matter if he were dead or not. And I think that this album does just that. It spreads his message onto a new generation, with the help of up and coming singers. It also adds new senses of rythm, for those people who are not into the reggae vibe. I think this disk is something Bob would of have done himself if he were still alive. And please people, do not critizize this album, for it is one of the only things that has lived up to this bob marley legacy. And for that superape man, you really are going against everything rastafarianism stands for. It's all about peace. Love for everyone.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT URBAN TRIBUTE TO A LEGEND... why all the anger from our 1 star givers?? This CD is NO insult!!, April 19, 2006

By	Wr1teR ({Cook County IL Born}) - See all my reviews

Read this review in its entirety... (especially if u gave it less than 3 stars) I'm empathizing with those who are giving this album 1 star, but for the life of me I don't see why.... This album is in NO WAY insulting to Bob Marley. Was it insulting to Patti Labelle when P!nk, Lil Kim, Mya, and C. Aguilera remade and remixed Lady Marmelade? Uh, No. Is the Luther Vandross Tribute Album insulting? No. This is the cycle of our times people... That's what makes black people beautiful, our music, our culture.. how we can mix and match it and its still just as beautiful. There is nothing wrong with this cd and although of course I cannot speak for Bob Marley anymore than any of you can... To say he would not be happy is obsurd, how do we know what would make him happy? We don't! But to say the album is garbage to me is an insult to the artists who came together to blend with the Legend. I do not at all think it was a poor or sore attempt.. I think it was very creative. People do remixes all the time... so what, it's ok for 50 Cent but not Bob? lol... be serious, this is about the music. And aside from Defending Bob Til Death as some of you are admirably doing, these tracks do not degrade him or his music in any way... What this cd Does is ALLOW BOB MARLEY TO BE APPRECIATED THRU THE TIMES... and yes, you should appreciate the original tracks!! But lets be real, a lot of people can't get into some of the original tracks so what this CD does is Open up a door for appreciation across the genre boundaries. It allows the "hip hop heads" so to speak who may sooner recognize the name "Lil Scrappy" before "The Wailers" to embrace the Marley ESSENCE... it's just like a baby, if u want your child to each vegetables, maybe u mix them with some rice... if you want them to intake more calcium.. maybe u let them drink Ovaltine.. are you degrading Calcium? lol.. anyway, moving along... This is an awesome cd that embraces BoB Marleys talent and mixes it with our evolving urban style... I think they did an excellent job on the cd. All too often "remix" and "master mixes" drown out the quality of the songs we come to love and respect an artist for but this project was the exact opposite! I love the original tracks, but I must admit I am loving Some twists on the tracks JUST as much! Especially REBEL MUSIC and JOHNNY WAS... I don't want to go thru track titles cuz I'll end up naming them all... Each track and the guest artists get a thumbs up to me, at least for creativity... I see the vision of what this CD was and I like it. Most definiately a must have for raggae/raggaeton music lovers, especially, but anyone who likes urban music should be able to appreciate this album... And while you are at it, check out Matisyahu! Excellent addition to a family of cultural music artists.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Representation of Robert Nesta Marley, February 15, 2000

By	Giancarlo Lazarte (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

I have been reading some of the reviews. Others call it a disgrace and a weak representation of Bob. These people need to lighten up and consider the contribution that this cd is making to the general consciousness of today's people. I was talking to a 13 year old kid. I was playing "Talkin' Blues" by Bob. He asked me with great enthusiasm on who the artist was. And when I told him, he said he never heard about Bob Marley. This saddened me greatly. I myself have been listening to Marley since I was 12. I realized that if there was this one teenager in my face who never heard Bob's music, then there are probably millions of kids who are disillusioned in the sounds of the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, Puff Daddy, DMX, and the many other "artists" of the sad trend of popular music that the industry is thriving off of today. Many of today's youths are missing out on some great sounds in the history of music. Chant Down Babylon is a modernized sound of Mr. Marley, opening his channels to those who are interested in many artists of today. Stephen Marley has beautifully constructed a "different" sound. Although it is not as glorious as Bob Marley's own records, it is still a beautiful work of art, blending the words of a prophet with the artists of today who may or not be prophetic themselves. If you don't own any Marley, start off with legend and if you have the money GET SONGS OF FREEDOM. And for those who are Marley fanatics already, this is a different blend of Bob Marley that is definitely worth your listen.