Welcome to Jamrock (song)

"Welcome to Jamrock"
Single by Damian Marley
from the album Welcome to Jamrock
Released March 14, 2005
Format CD single, 12" single
Recorded 2005
Genre Reggae, hip hop
Length 3:33
Label Tuff Gong/Universal/Ghetto Youths
Writer(s) Damian Marley
Producer(s) Stephen Marley
Damian Marley singles chronology
"Welcome to Jamrock"
(2005)		 "The Master Has Come Back"
(2005)

"Welcome to Jamrock" is a song by Jamaican reggae artist Damian Marley. It was released in March 2005 as the lead single from his album of the same name. The song was listed at number 270 on Pitchfork Media's "Top 500 songs of the 2000s". The song is featured in FIFA 06 & Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix

Background

The song covers issues such as crime, poverty and political corruption as part of the harsh reality of "Jamrock", Marley's personification of Jamaica, as opposed to the Jamaica advertised as a popular tourist destination. Marley laments Jamaica's high crime rate and unceasing violence, demanding that those in charge do something about it. In this sense he carries on the legacy of his father before him, in inspiring Jamaicans to stand together.

Both the rhythm (known as World Jam) and the hook are sampled from the 1984 track "World-A-Music" by Ini Kamoze - the original rhythm from the Ini Kamoze album was provided by Sly and Robbie.

Track listing

UK - CD: 1

  1. "Roshien"
  2. "Welcome to Jamrock"
  3. "Jr. Gong the Dreadful"

UK - CD: 2

  1. "Welcome to Jamrock"
  2. "Jr. Gong the Dreadful"
  3. "Lyrical .44"
  4. "Welcome to Jamrock" [Video]

Awards

Damian Marley won the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards (Grammy Awards of 2005) for the song Welcome To Jamrock.[1]

Charts

Chart (2005) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[2] 76
United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company) 13
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 55
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 18
U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks 12

References

  1. ↑ 48th Grammy Award Winners - search query for Year: 2005, Genre: All. See page 6. "2006 Grammy Award Winners". Grammy. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  2. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Damian Marley – Welcome to Jamrock" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.

External links