JR GONG = WELCOME TO JAMROCK

[SAMURAI36]

With the possible exception of a little album due to be released in about 2 weeks, you probably won't find a much more hyped reggae album in 2005 than Welcome to Jamrock. It's been a rather long 4 years since the release of Bob's youngest child, Damian's last album, the excellent Halfway Tree, and 'Jamrock' promises to be even more successful than its Grammy winning predecessor.

The hype comes in the very unlikely form of the title track which draws its power from an old Junior Reid tune and an even older Ini Kamoze track (somewhere right now Ini is singing "Out in the streets they call it murderrrrrrrr" and the crowd is thinking he got it from Jr Gong), the song has become a reggae superhit and has even some of the harshest critic calling it one of reggae's finest moment's since the elder Marley was on the scene nearly a quarter century ago.

Damian's talents lie, first and foremost, in his production. Quiet as kept, his older brother Stephen has become a true reggae production master over the years, the highlight being the work he did on Halfway Tree, and Jamrock isn't a whole lot behind. Damian also has one of the single best flows in reggae and could seemingly lock down an entire track for about an hour if he ever saw fit.

While the title track is destined to receive the most attention here, the rock solid best tune is the closer, Khaki Suit featuring dancehall legends Bounty Killer and Eek-a-Mouse. The song is as polished of an old school gem as you'll hear anywhere and the death grip that Jr Gong lays into the riddim (at one point it appears as if though Bounty is almost fighting for his chance) is highly impressive mixed with Mouse's background its totally the best record. Of course check the hard hitting title track; as well as the apocolyptic opener Confrontation which features both Bunny Wailer and actual voicings of Marcus Mosiah and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I.

You also have to check the fun ska flavored All Night, both of the prerequisite homages to Nesta, the best of which being the awesome Move! (Jr.'s take on Exodus). The second international single Hey Girl, We're Going to Make it which is one of the rare roots moments on the album and of course The Master Has Come Back which is HIGHLY enjoyable.

Overall, the album is not as good as Halfway Tree, I can't go that far, what I can say is that if you've been sitting around having the title track drummed into your head, you won't be disappointed when you pick up the finished product. Welcome to Jamrock is a big big album and hopefully it becomes a landmark style album which leads more and more fans into what is real reggae music.

[jonnygemini]

I'm picking this up on Itunes tonight...I've had Welcome to Jamrock on heavy rotation for 3 months now and saw Damian live at Reggae on the River last month...so fire

[jonnygemini]

Sam7...which album are they referring to when the reviewer sez:

"With the possible exception of a little album due to be released in about 2 weeks...you probably won't find a much more hyped reggae album in 2005 than Welcome to Jamrock."

[SAMURAI36]

PEACE JONNY:

To be absolutely honest, I'm not sure....... ??

PEACE

[SAMURAI36]

Here are the lyrics to JAMROCK, for anyone interested:

"Out in the streets, dem call in MURDER…………"

Welcome to Jam Rock, can buy the drugs and come back/
Two pound of weed in a van back/
It innah yuh hand bag, yuh knapsack, it innah yuh back pack/
The smell ah give yuh girlfriend contact/
Some boy now notice, and then dem come around like tourist/
Pon da beach with a few club sodies, bedtime stories/
And pose like dem name Chuck Norris
And don' know deh real hardcore, cuz when demma do battle/
They thugs demma do what dem got to
And won't think twice to shot yuh, don't mek dem spot yuh/
Unless yuh carry guns a lot too, when pure tough ting come at yuh/
When Trenchtown man stop, laugh and block off traffic/
Dem ah wail and pop off, and dem start cap it/
With the pin filed off and it a beat rapid/
Police come in a jeep and dem can't stop it/
Some say demma Playboy, with Playboy Rabbit/
Batty mon ah get drop like a bad habit/
Some nah bother post up if yuh don't have it/
Rastafari Stands Alone…..

Welcome To Jam Rock….. "Out in the streets dem call it MURDER…."

Welcome to Jam Town, poor people get dead at random/
Political violence can done, pure Ghost and Phantom/
The youth ah get blind by stardom, and now the King Of Kings ah call/
Old mon to Pinkney, so wave up yuh hand if yuh with me/
To see the sufferation sick me, dem suit don't fit me/
To win election dem trick me, then dem don't do nothing at all/
C'mon let's face it, a ghetto education's basic/
And most of the youths dem waste it, and when dem waste it/
That's when the time dem guns replace it, then dem don't stand a chance at all/
And that's why a nuff little youth lick up some phat 'matic/
With the extra magazine innah dem back pocket/
And dem creep at night time in some black jacket/
And dem nah like guns, dem say dem lock rocket/
Dem will full yuh up a current like a short circuit/
Dem ah run a whole block, which part ah cops block it/
And from out in the morning, dem nah stop clock it/
If dem run out of rounds, ah pull back ratchet…….

Welcome to Jam Rock………South Side, North Side

Welcome to Jam Rock…….East Coast, West Coast.

Welcome to Jam Rock……Cornwall, Middlesex and Surry area

"Out in the streets, dem call it MURDER……"

Jamaica Jamaica…….Jamaica Jamaica…….
Jamaica Jamaica, Lawd…….Jamaica Jamaica!

Welcome to Jam Rock….

[Kephrem]

I didn't even realize it was one of marleys son till I seen the video, which is also ill by the way, shot in jamaica jamaica

[CIVILISON]

Heard it was really good, might have to give it a spin!

PEACE

[CIVILISON]

Classic CD!

PEACE

[jonnygemini]

samurai7assassin said:

PEACE JONNY:

To be absolutely honest, I'm not sure....... ??

PEACE

I think sean paul "trinity" is what they're talkin about

[Os3y3ris]

They call that reggae?

[jonnygemini]

AP: We recently spoke to Damian Marley about the gang violence in Jamaica. What's your take on it?

Sean Paul: The politicians are there to control this so-called chicken-coop that they got. They try to keep their organizations, so they give kids guns and tell them, "You vote for me in this area." Any young kid could pick up a gun there, especially when you're in the ghetto and have to survive. I'm a peaceful person, but when someone drives bad around me, I get road rage and that's the same thing with them, except they have life rage. They grew up in the slum, in the ghetto. They have a zinc roof and when it rains, the water rushes down to the bedspread. I know kids that live like that. There's one outlet and that's dancehall music. There's not much to do. Kids don't have games, so they go out and socialize and that's what keeps us calm.

AP: Are you comfortable being labeled a dancehall artist?

Sean Paul: Definitely. The music I do is dancehall music, although reggae is evident on my album. Reggae is the father of our music and dancehall is something that came out of it, through economic situations in Jamaica happened where not everyone could be in a band and express themselves. (My) song "Never Gonna Be The Same" is reggae. ... A song called, "Time Rolls On," it's talking to the leaders of everything — government, gangs and religion — and it's saying as time rolls on, when will we ever live together? When will we ever care about each other? For thousands of years (politicians) told us, "Follow us, follow us, we're leaders and we're going to do the right thing." Then they lead us into war with each other, time and time again. The song asks questions like, "Muslims and Christian, Buddhist and Hindu, Rastafari and Jew — when will we ever share one God?" It's very conscious music, which I'm not known for. I'm known to rock the crowd. As I said though, this album shows growth and proves that I can talk about real life

[Os3y3ris]

I copped teh CD a while ago. If you still dont have it, get it.