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37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jr. Gong rings loud and true, October 7, 2005
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
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Junior Gong is de saddest, October 23, 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.
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17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Soild Effort. Not what you might expect however., September 13, 2005
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.
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