Black Music Month: Damian Marley

Four-time Grammy-winning reggae star Damian Marley is the youngest son of the legendary Bob Marley. Damian — known as Jr. Gong — has a captivating style that is a reggae, hip-hop, and dancehall fusion. His debut album, Mr. Marley, released in 1996,  was produced by his brother Stephen. 

Marley continues to cultivate magic through his music and delighting audiences all over the world. His signature lyrical content, an immersion of social commentary with reflections on Africa, are a testament to his vision and unique perspective of the global landscape.

Teri McCready unpacks his legacy, influence, and the power behind his sound.

Listen now!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Celebrating Black Music Month on the Black Information Network. I
Terry McCready honoring Damien Junior Gong Marley with soulful reggae
sounds helping to shape our culture. Damien Robert Nesta Marley's
There for You was released in twenty eighteen. He's the
youngest son of reggae icon Bob Marley. He was born
in Kingston, Jamaica, in nineteen seventy eight. Like many of

(00:25):
his siblings, he was born outside of Bob's marriage to
singer Rita Marley. After seeing the film Damien Omen two,
which is based on the Antichrist, Bob was adamant about
having his son's name changed. He said it was especially
inappropriate as a Rastafarian to have a child with such
a moniker, and Damien's name was ultimately changed. He was

(00:46):
a toddler when his father died. The nickname Junior Gong
is derived from Bob's nickname, Tough Gong Mengen. Damien released
his debut album, Mister Marley under his father's Tough Gong
Life in nineteen ninety six, and a second studio album
titled Halfway Tree quickly followed. The name is a nod

(01:06):
to the rich part of town where his mother hailed
in contrast to his father's poor section of the city.
With their son Damien, a tree half way between two worlds,
rich and poor, housin the street they call it First.
Marley's third studio album was released in two thousand and five.

(01:27):
Welcome to jam Rock sold about ninety thousand copies in
its first weekend, was eventually certified gold after selling half
a milliated copies in the US. His half brother Stephen
Marley receiving producer and co writer credits for the hit
single of the same name, which was performed over a
rhythm produced by reggae superstars Slye Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare

(01:47):
two decades earlier. The subject matter was visceral and edgy,
focusing on Jamaica's struggles with poverty, politics and crime. Twenty ten,
Marley released Distant Relatives, which was a collaboration with singer Nos.
The title is a reference to their friendship Bond, but
also the connection to their African ancestry, with the album

(02:10):
creating a tapestry of Marley's dub rock esthetic with the
flow that is synonymous with Nos. The album's proceeds went
toward building schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Marley's
fourth studio album, Stony Hill, was released in twenty seventeen.
The album won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album of
the Year. His distinct, hypnotic voice and style continue to

(02:32):
win over millions. Marlee describes his music as dancehall and reggae,
even though he says people try to separate the two
genres distant relatives. For example, was a hip hop reggae hybrid.
The album's lyrical content really hones in on themes involving
Africa and contemporary reflections of both the United States and Africa. Well,

(02:53):
have you ever wondered about the origins of reggae? It
began in the late nineteen sixties. In nineteen sixty eight,
Toots and the Matles Do the Reggae became the first
song to use the word reggae. Jamaican reggae music evolved
out of earlier genres like ska, mento and rock steady.
Reggae itself typically relates to various forms of social and

(03:13):
political commentary. June is Black Music Month. Right here on
the Black Information Network, I'm Terry McCready