Had Robert Nesta Marley lived to see the golden age of hip-hop, what would he have thought? What would he have said, and would he be singing hooks on conscious rappers’ tracks, fusing reggae and rap like so many have done since? Although Marley passed in 1981, a few years after the birth of recorded hip-hop music, the reggae, R&B, soul, and rock music listener likely never dived deep into the early recordings of hip-hop. It probably would have been a few years before it caught his attention as a mainstream, dominant form of musical expression for Africans transplanted into the Americas. Asking these questions are only natural, as hip-hop owes many of its musical roots to reggae and the Jamaican culture that gave birth to both. DJ Kool Herc, the godfather of rap music, was a Jamaican-born DJ who brought some of the mixing and vocal styles from the Caribbean yards onto New York dance floors, catalyzing an ongoing musical explosion that went from being a club sensation to a worldwide culture.
Being the most prominent reggae artist and one of the most famous Jamaicans of all time, Bob Marley was a cultural force of nature that influenced the world beyond Herc, reaching nearly every human being with access to electricity and speakers. Although he left us just as a new musical age was dawning, he left the world with nine children bearing the Marley name (approximately 21 if you estimate his other, unverified offspring), four of whom spawned successful musical careers, two of whom have become entranced by hip-hop, and one who has since had an enormous influence on the culture via his collaborations and deejaying, an island vocal style that has nothing to do with turntables, but is actually a fusion of the high-speed, percussive American rap delivery and more melodic, dancehall flows the fresh Caribbean breeze seems to positively infect all music with.
Nas & Damian Marley: ‘Patience’
If the accent is too heavy and you didn’t catch the lyrics, press replay – I promise it’s worth your time. Damian and Ky-Mani Marley are the odd children out in the family, basing their musical careers on a more contemporary American popular sound, rather than a continuation of Bob’s vibes and classic roots reggae instrumentation. This could be due to their mutual upbringing in the Caribbean capital of Miami:
Ky-Mani Marley: ‘One Time’
Damian Marley & Skrillex: ‘Make it Bun Dem’
Let’s cross another genre boundary. Hip-hop and reggae are dope, but some dubstep beats are just begging for someone with lyrical and vocal versatility to step forward and bring volatile human energy into the mix. Jr. Gong is always up to the task, and although neither of the artists show their faces in this official visual, this is definitely one of the most creative music videos of 2012.
Chali2na ft. Damian Marley & Stephen Marley: ‘Guns Up’
It’s straight up criminal that this joint never got the visual treatment, being as all three artists live up to their proposed stature on this track, dropping lyrics worthy of the fully-developed human brain. Then again, seeing as the chorus is what it is, it’s understandable the record company didn’t put up the money for Chali2na’s finest collabo with two of the Marley brothers.
Stephen Marley ft. Wale: ‘Made in Africa’
Anyone who comes from Africa (wait, that’s everyone, unless the Aliens have hacked RapCities) should find this video fascinating, especially those whose ancestors were brought to the West by force. Touching on a very serious subject but managing to stay positive, Stephen continues where Bob left off, ever-caring and conscious of what’s happening in today’s Africa, joined by the Nigerian-American MMG rapper Wale.
Damian Marley & Stephen Marley: ‘All Night’
Like Bob, the Marley kids aren’t all about serious rebel music, and just as there’s a time for war, there’s also a time for makin’ babies.
Stephen Marley ft. Mos Def: ‘Hey Baby’
Love itself isn’t always fun and bedroom games. This song speaks of relationship struggle, almost like ‘Waiting in Vain’ from the reverse perspective.
Nas & Damian Marley: ‘Road to Zion’
Taking it back to what some call ‘the song of the decade,’ the dream team of Nas & Damian return to bring you to contemplative depths that only true musical philosophers and storytellers can. This was also the song that inspired the two artists to produce an extraordinarily well-written and produced album together: “Distant Relatives.”
Bob Marley & The Wailers: ‘Survival’
P.S. If you’re a true Marley-head, listen to this song – or fast forward to the 2:50 mark if you’re in a rush – to hear Bob dropping some spoken word rhymes on some of the heaviest subject matter of his day (“scientific atrocity/ atomic mis-philosophy). This album came out in 1979, the year many consider to be that of hip-hop’s official birth. Something to think about next time you meditate with the herbs…
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