On October 28th, 2016, Bob Marley’s youngest son, Damian “Jr Gong” Marley, will release his fourth studio album, Stony Hill. He’s revealed the first song from the new record with the track “Nail Pon Cross,” in addition to other details.
The album is said to include guest appearances by Stephen Marley, Nas, Wayne Marshall, and Agent Sasc. Stephen Marley is rumored to have co-produced the record with Damian while Nas returns to pick up where he left off with Jr Gong and their joint 2010 record of Distant Relatives.
The first single from the record, “Nail Pon Cross,” debuted on Billboard and is streaming exclusively on Tidal, where Damian is one of several artists/co-owners. The song includes a sample of Sly & Robbie’s bass-heavy rhythm as heard on Black Uhuru’s 1984 hit, “Solidarity.”
“I wasn’t thinking about anything grandiose when I was writing the lyrics, just day to day personal relationships,” Marley told Billboard in an exclusive interview. “The song touches on the judgments we see in the media and in politics, but it is really about how we pass judgment on each other.”
This is an exciting year for the Marley family as Ziggy, Stephen and now Damian will all celebrate new albums in 2016. On May 20th, Ziggy dropped his self-titled record, while July 22nd saw the release of Stephen’s Revelation PtII: The Fruit of Life. Now, Junior Gong will add to the slate on Oct. 28th with the release of Stony Hill.
Since releasing his Grammy award winning album, Welcome To Jamrock, 11 years ago, Damian has worked with Nas on the aforementioned Distant Relatives that was promoted by a world tour as he also formed a super-group with Mick Jagger and Joss Stone, releasing an album titled SuperHeavy. He’s presided over the production and guidance of the next generation of Marley’s with Jo Mersa & Bambaata Marley and with the Ghetto Youths Label. He’s found success with the Jamrock Reggae Cruise while also guesting on SOJA’s “Your Song” from their 2015 record Amid The Noise & Haste.
I’d say us fans are excitedly welcoming a new full length record from Mr. Junior Gong! We’ll have more news as soon as its made available to us.
Related Links:
Damian Marley Facebook
Article By: Mike Patti
Photo By: David Norris
Watch: Damian Jr. Gong Marley – “Nail Pon Cross” (Live @ Rototom Sunsplash 2016)