Damian “Jr Gong” Marley

When "Welcome To Jamrock" erupted onto airwaves halfway through 2005 it came as a shock to some—but not to Damian "Jr Gong" Marley.

The song is about the farthest thing from commercial music offerings today—an outraged and unapologetic description of the poverty and "political violence" ravaging his homeland of Jamaica—but "Welcome To Jamrock" hit—and hit hard—because it's the sound of truth and the result of years of work to bring that truth to light.

"I spent a lot of time thinking and this is the fruit of that labour," explains the youngest child of the musical Marley family."The song might be a 'success' so why be blind to that? But success can't surprise given the time put into it."

Jr Gong has been honing his skills—not so quietly—for some time. He made noise early on with 1996's Mr Marley, and his major label debut Halfway Tree showcased a unique gift for blending hard-hitting reality rhymes and an uncommonly eclectic musicality; with a classic reggae sensibility at its core and run through with streams of hip-hop, r&b and dancehall, the album resonated with urban tastemakers and won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2001.
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