Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley

from:               Kingston, Jamaica
website:           www.damianmarleymusic.com
myspace:         www.myspace.com/damianmarley

Almost every reference I found to this singer while doing basic research when the lineup was first released referred to him as Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley.  A strange nickname, I thought, but I never paid much attention.  As it turns out, "Jr. Gong" is an appropriate name, as well as a fitting tribute, because Damian Marley is the youngest son of Bob Marley, who went by the nickname "Tuff Gong."

Born in 1978, Damian is Marley's youngest son, and the only child the legend had with Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976.  Like most of the Marley family, Damian turned to music at a young age and turned it into a full-time career, in this case around the age of 13.  However Damian's musical path differs slightly from the rest of his family, because he is the only Marley to specialize in "DJing," the Jamaican style of rapping.

Marley has released three albums to date - 1996's Mr. Marley, 2001's Halfway Tree, and 2005's Welcome to Jamrock.  While the first two releases went mostly overlooked, the reggae-meets-hip-hop title track of his most recent album became an urban phenomenon last summer, spurring inclusion on mixtapes, airplay on urban radio, and a number of remixes. Earlier this year, Welcome to Jamrock (both the album and song) even earned the musician two Grammy Awards - for Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance.

"Welcome to Jamrock" (from Welcome to Jamrock)
"Educated Fools" (from Halfway Tree)