Boomshots

Tag: Damian Marley

  • HEAR THIS: Damian “Jr.Gong” Marley ft. Stephen “Ragga” Marley “Medication”

    HEAR THIS: Damian “Jr.Gong” Marley ft. Stephen “Ragga” Marley “Medication”

    Marley Brothers Together For The Healing of the Nation

    April 20th aka 4/20 is the official herbalists’ holiday—as well as Stephen “Ragga” Marley’s birthday. In Miami the celebration began with the launch of Kaya Fest, a celebration of music and herb with the theme of “Education Before Recreation.” During the recent election Florida was one of the states that voted to legalize the herb for medicinal purposes. Rastafari has been calling ganja the “Healing of the Nation” for years so it’s only right to see Bob Marley’s youths fulfilling the vision in this time. While Ragga was celebrating his Earthstrong by kicking off the first annual Kaya Fest in Miami, his younger brother Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley was blocking off the Sunset Strip for a 4/20 celebration in conjunction with High Times magazine. As part of the festivities he premiered a new tune off his forthcoming Stony Hill album—a wicked rub-a-dub style weed tune called “Medication” featuring Ragga Marley. Today, April 22nd—aka Earth Day—Stephen and Damian will come together on stage at Kaya Fest alongside their brothers Ziggy, Julian, and Ky-Mani. This is the first time that has happened since the brothers performed in Africa over 20 years ago—so if you find yourself in Miami today there is still time to witness history. Safe to say there’s going to be some musical magic in the air—and a little bit of medication too.  Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Damian Marley’s “Joint Venture” in the Ganja Business: “You’re not a Criminal for Smoking Herb”

    Damian Marley’s “Joint Venture” in the Ganja Business: “You’re not a Criminal for Smoking Herb”

    Gongzilla Sets Up Shop,  Forbes Takes Notice

    “It goes without saying that for marijuana the attraction is very natural,” says Damian Jr. Gong Marley in a new interview with Forbes magazine. “Damian Marley Invests in Marijuana Futures” reads the headline in the respected business publication covering the news about the reggae star’s joint venture with Ocean Grown Extracts. As part of their new start-up, Marley and Ocean Grown will be turning a vacant Coalinga, California prison into a medical marijuana manufacturing plant, which Ocean Grown will provide to dispensaries. “I want my kids to look back and be proud of me and say I didn’t sell my soul to earn a dollar, that is very important to me,” he told Forbes.  Continued After The Jump… (more…)

  • 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…)

  • Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley Speaks on the “Nail Pon Cross” Music Video Controversy

    Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley Speaks on the “Nail Pon Cross” Music Video Controversy

    Judge Not, Lest Ye Shall Be Judged

    After premiering as a Tidal exclusive, Damian Marley’s powerful new video, “Nail Pon Cross” appeared on his Vevo channel earlier this week, bringing the disturbing visuals to the whole wide world. Although it’s not the first music video to feature a crucifixion scene—Damian told Billboard that he was inspired by his friend Nas’s “Hate Me Now” video—there’s still something shocking about watching Bob Marley’s son have nails pounded through his wrists and left on a telephone pole to die. A still from the video posted online generated a flurry of negative comments, especially from Christians who were offended by what they considered a sacriligeous image. “It’s ironic, because I’m being crucified for being crucified,” he recently told the Huffington Post in response to the controversy. Boomshots caught up with Jr. Gong to get his views on the visuals. Video & Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Nail Pon Cross”

    HEAR THIS: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Nail Pon Cross”

    Powerful Images and Powerful Music from Junior Gong’s Stony Hill Album

    “Be careful who you nail pon cross,” sings Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley on the new single premiered today from Stony Hill, the long-awaited follow-up to Welcome to Jamrock, which is now scheduled for an October 28 release. The thought-provoking new song is built upon the the musical foundation of Black Uhuru’s “Solidarity.” Sly & Robbie’s thunderous rhythm track provides a backdrop for Damian to speak of respect and tolerance rather than vengefulness and vindictiveness. In the video for the song, set to debut Aug 9th on Tidal, Damian actually gets nailed to a cross alongside a young African-American male, a Mexican immigrant, a Muslim man—and a Los Angeles cop. “The imagery in Nas’s ‘Hate Me Now’ video was made to look like a modern depiction of Christ’s crucifixion. That’s where I got the idea for the ‘Nail Pon Cross’ video,” Damian told Billboard when asked about his inspiration. “I haven’t seen Kanye’s Rolling Stone cover and Madonna’s energy and message is a whole lot different than mine. They thrive on controversy and I am not doing this to be controversial. This is to represent the judgments that people make. So if someone has a problem with the video, that is exactly what the song is talking about.” Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • 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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  • The Love Chocolate Playlist

    The Love Chocolate Playlist

    Boomshots Presents A Multi-Genre Playlist for Valentine’s 2016

    It’s that time again, lovers. This article features 14 decadent tunes in Reggae, Jazz, Contemporary, and Rhythm and Blues, for your listening pleasure. The songs were selected based on the artist/talent, lyrical content and overall sound. More After The Jump… (more…)

  • FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Damian Marley ft. Stephen Marley & Yami Bolo “Still Searching”

    FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Damian Marley ft. Stephen Marley & Yami Bolo “Still Searching”

    In The Twinkling Of An Eye, Dem Ready Fi Pull Down The Karl Kani…

    While “Affairs of the Heart” may be the fan favorite love song by Damian Marley, Jr. Gong, he has many other love songs with poignant lyrics. Many are interlaced with socially conscious issues. The 2001 song “Still Searching” featuring Stephen Marley and Yami Bolo off the Halfway Tree album, refers to the virtuous woman as defined by the bible in Proverbs 31:10-31. More After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning with Joss Stone: “I’d Never Offend Someone Intentionally, But It Happens”

    Reasoning with Joss Stone: “I’d Never Offend Someone Intentionally, But It Happens”

    UK Soul Singer Recalls The Roots Of Her Reggae-Infused Album

    After becoming the youngest female solo artist to top the UK albums chart in 2004, Joss Stone sued her record label EMI, and formed her own Stone’d label in 2010. She lives in Devon with her four dogs and records pretty much whatever kind of music she wants. Ever since the music industry Bible, Billboard magazine, named Joss Stone’s 2015 disc Water For Your Soul the Reggae Album of the Year, her name has become a flashpoint for controversy. A range of critics—from the Jamaica Observer to dancehall icon Bounty Killer—expressed their concerns at the idea of a white British soul star having the top reggae of the year. Billboard published an article explaining that their decision was based solely on sales, not quality. (Billboard editors also reached out to Boomshots to compile a list of the year’s 10 Best Reggae Albums, which we happily provided.) All the controversy obscures two important facts:  Full interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • Download the House of Marley x Boomshots Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise Zeen

    Download the House of Marley x Boomshots
    Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise Zeen

    Our 2015 Zeen Is The Next Best Thing To Being On Board

    “All in the Same Boat,” Bob Marley sang on The Wailers’ 1971 Boomshot “Don’t Rock My Boat,” produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry, “Rockin’ on the same rock / Got to get together, loving each other.” This lyric isnpired the title for the 2015 Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise Zeen, the official guide to who’s who and what’s happening on our second annual seafaring excursion. The limited edition Zeen contains origjnal interviews and full-color photos of all 23 acts on board—Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Stephen Marley, Julian Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Third World, Sly & Robbie, Maxi Priest, Super Cat, Bounty Killer, Popcaan, Elephant Man, Cham, Tarrus Riley, Morgan Heritage, Protoje, Tanya Stephens, and many more—plus all 10 champion sound systems. It also contains QR code links to exclusive Boomshots content—interviews and live performances direct from the cruise.  If you didn’t make it on this year’s cruise, the Zeen is the next best thing to being there. There’s even a discount code for House of Marley audio gear. Download Link After The Jump…
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  • Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise 2: Twice As Nice

    Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise 2: Twice As Nice

    They Said “What Happens On The Cruise Stays On The Cruise”—But They Were Wrong!

    Having successfully completed its second annual mission, Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise goes down in history as another amazing experience for lovers of reggae and dancehall music. This year featured not one but two back-to-back cruises loaded with no fewer than 23 different acts—not including guest artists—plus another 10 “sound systems,” three of whom engaged in an epic battle dubbed the first ever “sound clash on the sea.” Not a single detail was overlooked: from the movies showing in the ship’s theater to the music playing in the hallways when you step out of your cabin—even the buckets of Guiness sold hot or cold—everything was chosen to appeal to lovers of Jamaican culture. Roughly half the passengers hailed from the United States, with twenty or so other nationalities representing the UK, Europe, Asia, South America, the Pacific Islands, and of course the Caribbean. Rumor has it that there was even an early morning Niyabinghi session on the uppermost deck of the ship at dawn. For the second year in a row, the Boomshots team was on board to catch all the action. Check out the photo gallery above and watch this space for highlights of performances by Super Cat, Ragga Marley, King Jammy’$ Super Power and much much more. Video After The Jump…
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  • Super Cat Confirmed for Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise

    Super Cat Confirmed for Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise

    The Wild Apache Will Be On Board—Nah Tek Back No Chat

    Not content to be merely awesome, the second annual Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise continues to up the artistic ante. Yesterday Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley’s official cruise Facebook page made a late-breaking announcement: dancehall reggae legend Super Cat has just been confirmed for both of the five-night cruises from Miami to Jamaica and back. (Cat joins an already excpetional lineup, ranging from Jr. Gong to Barrington Levy to Capleton and Popcaan and many many more.) After a lengthy hiatus from the music business, the Wild Apache rallied forward in 2013, taking the music scene by storm with a surprise appearance alongside Shaggy in NYC. Since then Cat made a historic return to Jamaica for Sting 2013 and has continued to perform select spot dates for various groups of fans fortunate enough to witness history in the making every time the Don Dada steps on the stage. With the all-star sound system lineup on board this year’s cruises (including Jammy’s, Saxon, Metro Media, and Black Scorpio to name a few) some truly legendary musical moments are likely to unfold on the high seas. Video & Booking Details After The Jump… (more…)