A pure tuff thing come at yuh. Opening with the Aramhaic words of Haile Selassie’s speech to the United Nations followed by a declaration from Bunny Wailer, Damien Marley, Bob’s seed by Jamaican Miss World 1976 Cindy Breakspeare, the subject of Kaya’s Is This Love, delivers the long-awaited follow up to his previous effort Halfway Tree. With it’s awesome title track poised to conquer the musical world and a MOBO award already under his belt, Damien has dispelled any notions of riding on his fathers dread coat tails to deliver an excellent and varied album tackling the usual themes of protest and braggadocio assisted throughout by half-brother Stephen Marley, and accompanied on tracks such as Beautiful by Mr. Whitney Houston Bobby Brown, on a version of Dad’s Pimpers Paradise by Black Thought, by Nas on Road To Ruin, Chew Stick on Carnal Mind and on next hit single Khaki Suit by Bounty Killer and none other than Eek-A-Mouse, whose Anarexol is breezily sampled. Those who love the hardcore determination expressed through Jamrock will find its near equal in Move, built on a spine-tingling sample of Exodus. Ella Fitzgerald is sampled beautifully for Road To Zion, a sped-up sample of Bunny Wailer’s Bide Up decorates The Master Has Come Back, The Skatalites Studio One classic Nimrod provides the beats for the Sean Paul-esque party soundtrack All Night and We’re Gonna Make It is built off of Jimmy Riley’s obscure Attitude. Welcome To Jamrock is a truly excellent contemporary album that deserves the wider audience has attracted. Damien and Stephen have succeeded in creating a work of real substance that should deflect any screw face accusations of hype. Free up your heart and come.
Track Listing:
1. Confrontation
2. There For You
3. Welcome To Jamrock
4. The Master Has Come Back
5. All Night-Feat. Stephen Marley
6. Beautiful-Feat. Bobby Brown
7. Pimpa's Paradise-Feat. Stephen Marley & Black Thought
8. Move!
9. For The Babies-Feat. Stephen Marley
10. Hey Girl-Feat. Stephen Marley & Rovleta Fraser
11. Road To Zion-Feat. Nas
12. We're Gonna Make It
13. In 2 Deep
14. Khaki Suit-Feat. Bounty Killer And Eek-A-Mouse
15. Carnal Mind-Feat. Chew Stick