[youtube id=”xlCmQcRPtRg”]Damian Marley’s “Welcome To Jamrock” made the imperfections of Jamaica its subject because Marley didn’t want to rehash the tourist-friendly version of the country. He referenced Jermaine Dupri’s “Welcome To Atlanta” in the title and both songs depicted a non-mainstream perspective of each place. Marley’s song was the title track of his 2005 album that was produced by his brother Stephen. “Welcome To Jamrock” attacked random violence, poverty and political corruption in its lyrics as it urged Jamaicans to stand as one and remake their home. The single and the album introduced Marley to Americans who were more familiar with his father and brothers Ziggy and Stephen. His attempt to get the attention of American listeners was aided by appearances from Black Thought, Bobby Brown and Nas. Bunny Wailer’s presence added to the album’s reggae pedigree. The broadening of his audience led to the winning of Grammy awards for Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the lead single. Marley released his fourth studio album Stony Hill in 2017.Â
