Boomshots

Category: Marley

  • Joseph Mersa Marley In Memoriam

    Joseph Mersa Marley In Memoriam

    Memories of a Young Lion

    “I don’t really walk around bragging about what I can and can’t do,” Jo Mersa said the first time Boomshots interviewed him, during the summer of 2013. Just the night before he had shared the stage with his father Stephen “Ragga” Marley and his uncle Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, spitting his rapid-fire lyrics to a capacity crowd at London’s Indigo O2. “I don’t talk about it,” he said. “When you hear, you hear it — and you get weh you get.” Video and Full Story After The Jump… 

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  • The ‘Marley’ Movie Premiere

    The ‘Marley’ Movie Premiere

    Reshma B Reporting From Emancipation Park in Kingston—April 19, 2012

    This Friday, Kevin MacDonald’s acclaimed 2012 documentary film Marley will be re-released via virtual cinemas and drive-ins across the country as part of the year-long celebration of Bob Marley’s 75th anniversary. According to film’s distributor Blue Fox Entertainment, information about digital screenings of Marley can be found on MarleyMovie.com starting July 31. (Appropriately enough, Jamaica celebrates Emancipation Day on August 1.) The emotional and inspiring story follows Robert Nesta Marley from his upbringing in the rural Jamaican village of Nine Mile through his journey to Kingston’s tough Trenchtown neighborhood, where his musical career began. Featuring rare concert footage and exclusive interviews with Marley’s family and close friends, MacDonald’s goal was to get behind the legend and show us Marley the man. On April 19, 2012 the film had its Jamaican premiere at Kingston’s Emancipation Park, and I was one of the privileged few who attended the special screening. There were many VIP guests, including his wife Rita Marley and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who signed Marley to an international record deal, and of course Kevin MacDonald himself.  Video & Story After The Jump… 

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  • Junior Gong Pon Di Strong

    Junior Gong Pon Di Strong

    Reasoning With Zilla 25 Years Ago

    Damian Marley was never intimidated by great expectations. Born  on this day in 1978, the youngest son of Robert Nest Marley did not hesitate to follow in some very large footsteps, entering the music industry at an early age. He started out singing in a group called The Shepherds, along with the children of reggae stars Freddie McGregor, Judy Mowatt, and “Cat” Coore of Third World. Former Shepherd Shiah Coore still plays bass in Damian’s band to this day.

    During the mid 1990s Damian stepped out as a solo performer under the name Jr. Gong. On January 23 1995 he passed through New York City to promote the album Positively Reggae, a compilation of conscious tracks by dancehall artists like Shabba Ranks, Mad Cobra, Bounty Killer, and Patra with proceeds going to benefit Leaf of Life, a Jamaican organization for HIV-positive children.

    This photo, shot by Brian Jahn during the same press run, gives you an idea of what his hair looked like back then. Today his dreadlocks are so long he has to tuck them into a backpack when he plays soccer. I had a chance to reason with Damian that day for my Boomshots column in VIBE. He seemed like a cool youth at the time, but I had no idea this convo would be the start of such a long-lasting friendship. After all he’s accomplished since then, D remains remarkably chill. The interview has never been published in its entirely. 25 years later seems like as good a time as any. Big Up Jr. Gong. Blessings pon di strong. Interview After The Jump…
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  • HEAR THIS: Jo Mersa Marley ft. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Point of View” PREMIERE

    HEAR THIS: Jo Mersa Marley ft. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Point of View” PREMIERE

    Zilla Links With His Nephew To Defend The Innocent Youths

    “Gotta do what I gots to,” sings Jo Mersa on his hard-hitting reggae-matic track “Point of View,” which Boomshots proudly premieres today. Tragic headlines of atrocities committed against a 14-year-old girl earlier this year inspired the new song, which happens to be Mersa’s first collab with his uncle Damian. Young Mersa sings the hook and drops some rhymes reminscent of 2Pac’s “Keep Your Head Up.” Aside from spitting fire bars, Gongzilla worked with Jo on the production—followed by a final mix by Stephen “Ragga” Marley. (Producer Rellee Hayden of A-Team also worked on the track along with D.C. Soul.) “You done know Pops is very specific like that,” says Jo Mersa with a smile. “Him and Uncle Damian are both very specific.” As a father himself, Jo Mersa was distressed to hear of the rape and murder of Yetanya Francis, also known as ‘Princess’, in Kingston’s Arnett Gardens community. “Just reading about it upset me so much,” he recalls. “I was like, ‘Bwoy if that was me I’d probably go crazy…’ Them things can drive somebody insane. You bring a life into this world, and somebody just violate them so many ways. It’s not like we’re telling people to turn to violence, but me feel like me woulda kill somebody. Being behind a mic is like being behind a gun for us.” Check the sounds. Audio After The Jump…
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  • An Evening with Stephen Marley… On a Mission

    An Evening with Stephen Marley… On a Mission

    Tonight’s NYC Meet & Greet Will Benefit Ghetto Youths Foundation

    Stephen Marley’s acoustic tour stops in New York City tonight, and the evening at Sony Hall is shaping up be a real “Revelation Party.” Not only will Ragga be performing selections from his newly released album One Take: Acoustic Jams, but following the Nov. 15th stop of the multi-city U.S. tour, “An Evening with Stephen Marley,” the mutiple-Grammy-winning artist, second son of Bob and Rita Marley, will take part in an exclusive Meet and Greet to benefit the Ghetto Youths Foundation’s global mission to provide aid and opportunity. This is your chance to meet Ragga up close and personal. Details After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Autumn Leaves” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Autumn Leaves” Official Music Video

    Gongzilla In Sinatra Mode

    As the days get shorter, the weather becomes cooler, the leaves on trees begin to turn orange and red, it is clear that fall is announcing it’s imminent arrival. Coinciding with the changing season Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley dropped an appropriately titled video for the Stony Hill cut “Autumn Leaves.” Directed by Mark Pellington, the video is full of powerful images of people young and old, interpretive dancers, a string orchestra, and Marley dressed in all white that work together to convey a feeling of both melancholy and hopefulness that fits well with the songs message of navigating the ups and down of love with Zilla singing “don’t give up on me.” With its prominent string arrangement, no bass and no one drop, the song is an example of a growing trend of music that challenges the very definition of what a reggae tune sounds like. Video After The Jump…
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  • Damian Marley Bringing Jamrock To Jamaica Queens

    Damian Marley Bringing Jamrock To Jamaica Queens

    Gongzilla Will Headline Groovin In The Park This Weekend

    Reggae’s most sought after superstar Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley will bring the curtain down on the highly anticipated Groovin In The Park festival that takes place on Sunday, June 24 inside Roy Wilkins Park in New York. The tremendously popular decision to add Marley to the lineup was confirmed earlier. The son of reggae icon Bob Marley and former Miss World 1976 Cindy Brakespeare cemented his own place in the annals of music history when he became the first reggae artist to win a GRAMMY outside of the “reggae” category, taking home an award for ‘Best Urban/Alternative’ performance for his single, “Welcome To Jamrock.”The acclaimed international reggae/dancehall superstar is a fixture on Billboard’s Reggae Digital Singles chart. ‘Welcome to Jamrock,’ from his Grammy winning album of the same name was certified gold in the United States. The single was listed as one of the ‘Top 100 Songs Of The Decade’ by Rolling Stone Magazine. Popular track from the disc include ‘Pimpa’s Paradise,’ ‘Confrontation’ and ‘Hey Girl.’ Story Continues After The Jump…
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  • Cannabis Cup Band Honors Bob Marley

    Cannabis Cup Band Honors Bob Marley

    NYC Remembers The Tuff Gong with Annual Tribute Concert by Cannabis Cup Band

    On Saturday, February 4, 2017,  at  B.B. Kings’ Blues Club & Girll, the Cannabis Cup All-Stars Band (CCB) of all-stars, paid tribute to Bob Marley, one of music’s greatest legends.  The concert, in its 21st year,  exceeded expectations in terms of live performances and high quality instrumentation. Photos & Video After The Jump…

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  • Damian Marley Live at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom

    Damian Marley Live at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom

    A Souled-Out Show on the Road to Stony Hill

    Eleven years after welcoming us to Jamrock, Damian Marley is on the road to Stony Hill. It’s not just the name of the marijuana dispensary that the youngest Marley brother is opening near the Denver Bronco’s home field in Colorado. It’s not just the strand of weed that Jr. Gong personally helped to develop and test for said dispensary. Stony Hill, the name of the St. Andrew community north of Kingston where the young Lion grew up, is the title of Damian Marley’s upcoming fourth solo studio album. Full Review, Video & Photos After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Gentleman ft. Ky-Mani Marley “Tomorrow” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Gentleman ft. Ky-Mani Marley “Tomorrow” Official Music Video

    Cross-Cultural Collab Imagines A Brighter Future

    Strolling through the streets of old Havana, Gentleman & Ky-Mani invite the listener to “Step out of your comfort zone” on “Tomorrow,” the latest video from their collaborative album, Conversations. Breaking down the walls of musical and cultural apartheid, these eclectic artists—who share a love and respect for reggae while remaining open to all inspiration— joined forces to create a new project free of all self-imposed boundaries, written and recorded in JA with worldwide talents like Shane Brown and Clay in the mix. “Wonder what the world will bring tomorrow?” sings Gentleman on the track, visually interpreted by director Noël Dernesch for It’s Us Media.. “Will it be joy, will it be sorrow?” Ky-Mani offers no easy answers but puts the conversation in broader context. “The world is on the verge of change when nothing stays the same. But if by chance you find it strange. It’s just a part of what’s ordained.” Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Rakim Bigs Up Stephen “Ragga” Marley: “He’s Keeping It Lit For The Next Generation”

    WATCH THIS: Rakim Bigs Up Stephen “Ragga” Marley: “He’s Keeping It Lit For The Next Generation”

    The Making Of Revelation Part 2

    “Doing a song with Rakim, I couldn’t do it lukewarm,” says Stephen “Ragga” Marley. “It still did haffi rock heavy.” The song in question is “So Unjust” the third track on Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life. The long-awaited sequel to Ragga’s Grammy-winning 2011 album Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life picks up where part one left off, highlighting Ragga’s versatility and expanding his sonic terrain with a wide range of styles and collaborations, from roots reggae to dancehall, hip hop, soul, R&B and dance music. Complex Media enlisted acclaimed director Stephanie Black to document the process of making the album. “Something to wake up the masses,” is how Rakim describes this parrticular track. “That’s right up my alley.” The hip hop icon goes on to praise Stephen’s role as a producer and a cultural force “It’s like the Bible of music, when the Marleys speak,” says Rakim, who estimates hip hop’s current consciouness level “at zero.” Although Rakim says he means no offense to the artists who are out today, in his words “Something ain’t right…. We definitely need conscious music and it has to come from the superiors, you know what I mean? Stephen Marley is definitely one of them cats who can stand anywhere with a bullhorn, and say Hey!” says Rakim. “It’s a blessing to be part of the march.” Video After The Jump…
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  • HEAR THIS: Damian Marley “Caution”

    HEAR THIS: Damian Marley “Caution”

    When The Fire Starts, Don’t Say Gongzilla Didn’t Warn You

    He’s given us three Set Up Shop compilations and one classic collaborative album with Nas, but it’s been a minute since Damian Marley’s last solo album, the multi-Grammy winning Welcome To Jamrock. Now here comes the first single, a hardcore slice of ghetto life reminiscent of Robert Nesta Marley’s “Dem Belly Full (But We Hungry)” The track for “Caution” is based on Black Uhuru’s “Youths of Eglington,” anchored by a solid Sly & Robbie bass line as Jr Gong kicks that real. Audio After The Jump…

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