Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley & Nas Live In Oakland, CA Concert Recap

As reported by By Jim Harrington / Oakland Tribune

It worked.

Many believed the pairing of controversial rapper Nas and reggae star Damian "Junior Gong" Marley had potential. Yet, only a true Pollyanna, one with little experience in these types of cross-genre collaborations, could've predicted that the results would turn out as satisfying as what was witnessed on Tuesday night at the Fox Theater.

It was especially impressive given that this co-headlining tour, which features both men onstage at the same time, is only the fourth date on the trek, yet the duo has already managed to strike a near seamless blend of hip-hop and reggae. It's probably safe to say that the 36-year-old rapper and the 31-year-old son of Bob Marley put in plenty of rehearsal time.

The Fox (on Tuesday, May 25) show sold out only one day before the event, yet there were dozens of people trying to buy tickets outside the venue. Scalpers were having a field day, demanding (and getting) nearly four times the original ticket price of $39.50.

Late but urgent demand for tickets is standard operating procedure for these two genres. Also credit the recent release of the duo's album, "Distant Relatives," which hit stores last week.

The 2,800 people who managed to score seats — a colorful mix of hip-hop fans in heavy sports gear, wannabe Rastafarians wearing Marley shirts and other music lovers — were sure glad they did.

After a few opening acts — including a DJ that went on so long I nearly got carpal tunnel simply from watching the guy work — Marley and Nas took the stage 45 minutes late and delivered a nearly two-hour set of mostly killer tunes.



Junior Gong, sporting a bundle of dreadlocks that hung below his knees, and Nas, looking sharp in dark sunglasses and a black Oakland A's cap, nicely blended their distinctive voices as they rocked out, accompanied by a nine-piece band, plus (at times) two dancers and (always) a tenacious dude waving a huge Jamaican flag.

Marley, a three-time Grammy winner best known musically for his 2005 smash single "Welcome to Jamrock," provided plenty of sun-splashed moments on the microphone. His sweet delivery found an unlikely complement in Nas' harder-edged, often quite dark raps. Together, they drove home a sense of urgency to "Africa Must Wake Up," "Leaders" and "Dispear."

Nas — who proclaimed that "Hip Hop is Dead" with the title of his 2006 album, then went on to do everything in his power to prove himself wrong — had some deliriously good solo moments. The tongue twisters he delivered in such tracks as "Hate Me Now" and "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)," showed why he's considered such a force in hip-hop.

The duo closed out the main set with a tremendous take on "Welcome to Jamrock," then put an exclamation point on the evening with an uplifting encore of Bob Marley's great "Could You Be Loved."

Nas and Junior Gong might be "Distant Relatives," but this is one family get-together that hip-hop and reggae fans won't want to miss.

Photos:
Oakland Tribune

(video courtesy of Always Hustle)

More Nas And Damian Marley Performance Footage From SXSW 2010 Austin, TX

By Jenni Jones at Austin 360 / Austin Statesman

Related:
Nas And Damian Marley Performance At SXSW 2010 Austin, TX

Nas And Damian Marley Performance At SXSW 2010 Austin, TX

via Entertainment Weekly

Rumors fly faster than pedicabs on the streets of Austin during South by Southwest, and the first one was a doozy: the Black Eyed Peas were doing a surprise set at the Levi’s/Fader Fort at sundown! No, wait — it’s Justin Timberlake! Hold on — my pedicab driver just told me it’s Radiohead! Run!

After booking it under I-35 to the sprawling Levi’s/Fader (Wednesday, March 17) complex — an outpost of swag and corrugated metal where one can (and many people do) stay and play all day long, enjoying sets from bands, DJs, and what looked to be a nearly endless supply of Budweiser — I discovered our mystery guest was Nas, with new bestie Damian Marley, in town supporting Distant Relatives, their album-length collaboration (tentatively scheduled for a May 18 release, though it was also scheduled to come out last year). They’ve got great chemistry — Marley’s able to trill his classic reggae voice at the exact same speed Nas raps — and as they weave together hip-hop and the Marley family legacy (samples of “One Love” and “Exodus”), it’s more compelling than it reads on paper. “Made You Look” (with much crowd participation on the “Brave hearts!” chorus) bled into Marley’s “Welcome to Jamrock” (“Out in the streets, they call it murrrrrrder!” the crowd called out). The backing band’s female dancers and joyous conga player bounced energy back to the fired-up fans. “This feels like a family reunion out here, Austin, Texas!” crowed Nas.

The short set wrapped up with two blazing collabos: New track “Strong Will Continue,” a passionate exhortation in which Marley asks, “Do ya have it in ya?”; and a lighter-and-cell-phone-fueled rip through “Road to Zion,” the song that sparked their partnership back in 2005. They killed both — but it wasn’t enough for the L/FF kids, who booed heartily when the lights came on and security kicked them out. Still, it was only 8pm on St. Patty’s Day in Austin on the first night of SXSW. There’s a lot of party left, rock kiddos. Don’t you fret.

Photos:
Getty Images 1
Getty Images 2
Film Magic
Flickr - Pooneh Ghana photos



(vdeio footage courtesy of crunchyMunchkin1 & Billboard)

Nas and Damian Marley Add Lil Wayne & Reggae Great Dennis Brown On 'Distant Relatives' Tracklist

via XXL

Last night (Wednesday, March 10), XXLMag.com previewed the collaborative project from Nas and Damian Marley, Distant Relatives, and it seems as if is the long awaited album is almost ready to see the light of day.

The disc, set to come out through Universal Republic in either May or June, features cameos from Lil Wayne, Joss Stone, K’NAAN and Jamaican music legend Dennis Brown, as well as a bonus track with Junior Reid. All 14-songs, which were dedicated to the hoods in America and Africa, were produced by Marley, who seamlessly merges the worlds of hip-hop and reggae.

Distant Relatives singles, “Strong Will Continue” and “As We Enter,” have already made their way online.

Nas and Damian previously worked together on “Road to Zion” for Marley’s 2005 solo effort, Welcome to Jamrock.

Nas and Damian 'Distant Relatives' official track listing below:

01. As We Enter
02. Tribal War ft. K’NAAN
03. Strong Will Continue
04. Leaders
05. Wisdom (Sabali)
06. Count Your Blessings
07. Disappear
08. The Promised Land ft. Dennis Brown
09. Nah Mean
10. Angola (Friends)
11. My Generation ft. Lil Wayne and Joss Stone
12. Africa Must Wake Up ft. K’NAAN
13. BONUS TRACK Ancient People ft. Junior Reid
+
"In His Own Word" will also be included on the album

Damian Marley Entertains The Winter Olympic Folk In Vancouver BC

via the Vancouver Sun

More than 8,000 people danced, jumped and sang along as Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley rocked LiveCity Yaletown Wednesday night (Feb. 24).

"I feel elated," said Fayaz Bardai. "This is the first time I've seen Damian Marley live and it's the best concert I've seen all Olympics."

Risha Sidhu waited more than 90 minutes to get into the venue -- which filled to capacity -- but said it was "totally worth it."

"The show was really good," said the Richmond resident. "Everybody is so pumped."

Over the course of an hour, Marley -- the youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley -- covered old and new crowd favourites including "Could You Be Loved," "Exodus" and "Beautiful."

He also performed "Strong Will Continue," a song off his forthcoming album, Distant Relatives, with rapper Nas.

For his encore, Marley performed "Road to Zion" and "Welcome to Jamrock," the title track off his 2005 album.

"This is awesome," said Bardai. "Canada beat Russia and now this. I love it."

Chris Blackwell: Island Records, Bob Marley Music Producer Honored During Grammy Week

via Pro Sound

As part of its 2010 Grammy Week Event, The Recording Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing celebrated the music of Island Records’ founder Chris Blackwell last night at The Village Studios, West Los Angeles.

Catch a Fire honored the label’s consistent excellence in music and sound, as well as the many recording professionals that worked behind the scenes to create its landmark sessions.

Blackwell’s vision and commitment brought to the world the music of such time-honored artists such as Desmond Dekker and the Aces, Nick Drake, Melissa Etheridge, Grace Jones, Bob Marley, Roxy Music, Cat Stevens, Toots and the Maytals, U2 and Steve Winwood. The event was named for the title of Bob Marley’s first album, which last year was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame; co-hosts were musician/producers Jimmy Jam and Daniel Lanois, who also played a musical tribute to Blackwell.

In addition to the evening’s presenting partners, West LA Music/Westlake Audio and The Village Studios, other sponsors included Avid, Shure, PMC, Prism Sound, Harman brands AKG, JBL and Lexicon, Monster Cable, Melodyne, Korg, Native Instruments, MXL, KRK Systems and Sennheiser.

“We were proud to celebrate the innovative and lasting music of Island Records and its venerable founder,” stated Maureen Droney, P&E Wing senior executive director. “To have had so many great companies partner with us was truly an honor.” Special guest DJ for the evening was producer/remixer/sound supervisor Jason Bentley, who also serves as KCRW-FM’s music director.

Photos from the event:
Film Magic