And eventually, we find our own way. Definitely that can be said in the case of Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley who, as a Reggae musician (or a musician of any kind for that matter) carrying the name Marley, is to pursue his craft in the shadow of the King of the music, his Father Bob Marley. That makes it all the more remarkable that as of 2011, and a lot longer before, he has undergone a development as an artist which has seen him not only distinguish himself as much as he possibly can from the legacy of his legendary Father and begin to establish his own legacy, but also manage to carve out a certain piece of the entire Reggae landscape for himself. His music isn't a BIG DEAL because of his name. His music is a big deal because he is WICKED! Clearly one of his greatest assets is one of the deepest and most versatile vocabularies the entire genre has to offer and he has put this on full display throughout his enti . . . Okay, well most of his career (anyone else remember Jr. Gong just getting MAD all of a sudden?) . Right now he exists as one of the most talented wordsmiths in a landscape where such a thing is not very rare at all, but he is one of the absolute bests. Here are ten very random and very powerful wordy jewels from a royally gifted true Prince of Reggae Music - Damian Marley.
"Jah gave Moses Ten Commandments upon two tablets of stone
Lead Israel out of Egypt and then promised dem a home
Samson slew di Philistines wid a donkey jaw bone
And David slew Goliath with a two-two weh chrome
Blesed be di man weh walketh not inna di warzone
Blessed be di man weh hair natty, nappy and grown
Blessed be di herbs weh keep wi high and happy and stone
Fire fi a man weh siddung inna babylon throne
Careless woman go a dance and lef dem pickney dem alone
Cannot take care of yahself, di gideon ready nuh roam
Population unda pressure, still dem have more man ah clown
And all di wasted love dat has been lost has now been found!
Christ fed the multitude with only one loaf of bread
Poor people there is something for you!
Don't let the pressure of the system get upon yah head
Poor people there is something for you
Mankind cares not for his sisters anymore!
Still there is something for you!
Written in the book of life - We shall live forever more!
Still there is something for you"
-'One Loaf of Bread'
"Chicken merry, hawk is near
Tell dem beware, but dem still won't care
Life is a road so you drive wid care
Tire caah bust cuz you got no spare
Whole heap of lust in your atmosphere
Step pon di gas and you start draw gear
Diss Rastafari - You do not dare
Some don't share and then that's not fair
[MOVE]
Mave a move before they make a move and you-
[MOVE]
Making moves and still move and go through
[MOVE]
Moving things weh you not supposed to move
[MOVE]
Watch yah move and where you moving to
[MOVE]
Who you move wid, you move wid yah crew
[MOVE]
Move some fool from up off the avenue
[MOVE]
Move a pound and boost your revenue
[MOVE]
Move uptown and over look di view
[MOVE]
Move around and get from 1 to 2
[MOVE]
Make a wrong move in di game, you lose
[MOVE]
I stand up and I refuse to move
[MOVE]
Substance weh mi know mi not go move
[MOVE]
Metric measurement mi nah go choose
[MOVE]
Moving on and still you need a clue!
[MOVE]
Car keys are di only keys mi move
[MOVE]
Movin on and . . . LAWD!
-'Move' [MAD!]
"Well if a ganja dem ah look fah, dem know where fi find us
Well wi ah no criminal, seh Rasta ever-righteous
A bwoy a scope out wi ride and wi ah drive and puff
And him jealous how wi so shine and buff
And him jealous how wi so shine and buff
Well from him look inna di care and now di interior plush
And look upon di rims, how dem full out and flush
Ah scope out wi jewels, him ah wondah how much
And him jealous cah dem ya price caan touch
And him jealous cah dem ya price caan touch"
-'Traffic Jam' w/Stephen Marley
"A vest around his chest and Rastafari is His name
A gift of everlasting life for us to all sustain
Blessing that you all begot
Lessons that you all forgot
Rasta call, I shit you not
Do you remember Elijah and his chariot of flames?
SAME BLOOD THAT RUN THROUGH MY VEINS!"
-'It Was Written'
"Di whole country a strapped, you blame us
Now that the violence get outrageous
For minimum wages, some young teenagers -
Carry twelve gauges and waan be famous
Don't do a politician favours
They come in all size, colour, shapes and flavours
And dem introduce the violent behaviours
And push come to shove, not even dem can save us
Now what's the outcome of all these capers?
They sell more pagers and more newspapers
You read dem and bun dem and turn to vapours
Meanwhile the youth dem locked in cages"
-'Wanted [Just Ain't The Same]'
"Waan commit suicide, cuz you've been denied of your 9-to-5
You're - in 2 deep
And you're over ten and watch CNN and believe everything
You're - in 2 deep
And you're thirty-five and you still survive, idle pon corner side
You're - in 2 deep
And you're fifity-five and don't have a child fi ya joy and ya pride
You're - in 2 deep
And you're riding a freak and she love how you dweet and ya condom deplete
You're - in 2 deep
And she say 'baby please' and you're weak in the knees and kick off and release
You're - in 2 deep
Then you hear from the street seh she full of disease and you start to sneeze
You're - in 2 deep
And months and fi weeks all food you nuh eat and your weight start decrease
You're - in 2 deep"
-'In 2 Deep'
"Mek some bwoy know seh mi nah smile -
Cuz dispear nah beg friends
Man ah run racket
Man ah scheme
Man ah run race
Man ah run dung Benz
Caan trust she, nor he, nor we, nor 'I' inna contact lens
Man ah run from police ah run dung wealth and dollars and nah mek sense
SO!
Rise up to my defense!
Hollow-pointed is my preference
Shoulda been deterred, doh know what you heard
Get referred by the wrong reference
When dispear start dispense -
It ah fly and ah tear through fence
Dismember your member and all of yah limbs
Body bust inna nuff segments
Man ah run drugs
Man ah run risk
Man alla run outta time and ends
Man ah run up and dung
And ah run fi dem life
And ah run dung dis month rent
Nuttin nah gwan a yard and food deh a road
Then man haffi go touch pavement
Dispear was a tool that was used to enslave man and mek man servant
Escape from despair and desperation, become more urgent!
Mankind need to cleanse and wash out dem soul with spiritual detergents!
And distant army and distant relatives controlling di circumference!
And any man move wid no permission!
Dem feeling di circumstance!
-'Dispear' w/Nas
"It's like keeping a stageshow and waan di place fi dun
Weh you do?
Call my management weh walk wid fifty gun
Weh mi do?
Nah guh go pon stage until mi get mi funds
Wha mi sing?
Waan Jr. Gong - what a hefty sum
Youngest veteran dat intercept di run
Artist ah carry feelings and tears ah run
Seh 'yu know seh just tru him a Bob Marley son' -
'How mi get a Swizz Beatz and you no get mi none' "
"Now mi come fi bun dung all material object
Wid a rassclaat goldchain round mi neck
Mi bun a fire pon di man dem weh love bitch and fret -
And waan every little detail intricate
Well dem just caah believe, or dem won't accept -
Jr. Gong and Swizz Beatz, fassi don't forget
Well is it just me or is it hot to death?
It's the Halfway Tree CD & cassette
DJ race ah run
On your mark, get set!
And watch, everybody run to di record outlet
Tell mi who CD do you think dem get?
Di one closest to di Bob Marley boxset"
-'Halfway Tree'
"The Return of The Dread I when I get back
The entire empire will start to strike back
Well a bare army green full up my flight pack
Some red eye guy ah wonder which bank we hijack
And a wi di voluptuous girls ah smile at
Any bwoy nah like dat, him gwan pon icebox
We can be dangerous like how di night black
Wi dip and come up, select and slide-back
And seh she loves my culture, herbs and my locks
Silky smooth way I flow -
My words and my tracks
She's hoping we can spend a night at -
Somewhere that's warm and cozy
Why not?!
She's been wanting mi since my Karl Kani drop
And she needs di substance, not di hype chat"
-'The Master Has Come Back'
"Ever quick wid di lyrics, wi neva quick when wi ah talk
Fi get a hit, you haffi fit, equipped to spit a fyah ball
City fit inna mi grip and mi ah squeeze it til it small
Every itty likkle bitty drip til none nuh left at all
Go tell flippity lip-py Phillip fi mind how him ah talk
No pity like Yosimite Sam when time when wi ah war
And dem betta know wi vehicle and dem betta mark wi car"
-'Khaki Suit' w/Eek-A-Mouse & Bounty Killer [MAD!]
Lead Israel out of Egypt and then promised dem a home
Samson slew di Philistines wid a donkey jaw bone
And David slew Goliath with a two-two weh chrome
Blesed be di man weh walketh not inna di warzone
Blessed be di man weh hair natty, nappy and grown
Blessed be di herbs weh keep wi high and happy and stone
Fire fi a man weh siddung inna babylon throne
Careless woman go a dance and lef dem pickney dem alone
Cannot take care of yahself, di gideon ready nuh roam
Population unda pressure, still dem have more man ah clown
And all di wasted love dat has been lost has now been found!
Christ fed the multitude with only one loaf of bread
Poor people there is something for you!
Don't let the pressure of the system get upon yah head
Poor people there is something for you
Mankind cares not for his sisters anymore!
Still there is something for you!
Written in the book of life - We shall live forever more!
Still there is something for you"
-'One Loaf of Bread'
"Chicken merry, hawk is near
Tell dem beware, but dem still won't care
Life is a road so you drive wid care
Tire caah bust cuz you got no spare
Whole heap of lust in your atmosphere
Step pon di gas and you start draw gear
Diss Rastafari - You do not dare
Some don't share and then that's not fair
[MOVE]
Mave a move before they make a move and you-
[MOVE]
Making moves and still move and go through
[MOVE]
Moving things weh you not supposed to move
[MOVE]
Watch yah move and where you moving to
[MOVE]
Who you move wid, you move wid yah crew
[MOVE]
Move some fool from up off the avenue
[MOVE]
Move a pound and boost your revenue
[MOVE]
Move uptown and over look di view
[MOVE]
Move around and get from 1 to 2
[MOVE]
Make a wrong move in di game, you lose
[MOVE]
I stand up and I refuse to move
[MOVE]
Substance weh mi know mi not go move
[MOVE]
Metric measurement mi nah go choose
[MOVE]
Moving on and still you need a clue!
[MOVE]
Car keys are di only keys mi move
[MOVE]
Movin on and . . . LAWD!
-'Move' [MAD!]
"Well if a ganja dem ah look fah, dem know where fi find us
Well wi ah no criminal, seh Rasta ever-righteous
A bwoy a scope out wi ride and wi ah drive and puff
And him jealous how wi so shine and buff
And him jealous how wi so shine and buff
Well from him look inna di care and now di interior plush
And look upon di rims, how dem full out and flush
Ah scope out wi jewels, him ah wondah how much
And him jealous cah dem ya price caan touch
And him jealous cah dem ya price caan touch"
-'Traffic Jam' w/Stephen Marley
"A vest around his chest and Rastafari is His name
A gift of everlasting life for us to all sustain
Blessing that you all begot
Lessons that you all forgot
Rasta call, I shit you not
Do you remember Elijah and his chariot of flames?
SAME BLOOD THAT RUN THROUGH MY VEINS!"
-'It Was Written'
"Di whole country a strapped, you blame us
Now that the violence get outrageous
For minimum wages, some young teenagers -
Carry twelve gauges and waan be famous
Don't do a politician favours
They come in all size, colour, shapes and flavours
And dem introduce the violent behaviours
And push come to shove, not even dem can save us
Now what's the outcome of all these capers?
They sell more pagers and more newspapers
You read dem and bun dem and turn to vapours
Meanwhile the youth dem locked in cages"
-'Wanted [Just Ain't The Same]'
"Waan commit suicide, cuz you've been denied of your 9-to-5
You're - in 2 deep
And you're over ten and watch CNN and believe everything
You're - in 2 deep
And you're thirty-five and you still survive, idle pon corner side
You're - in 2 deep
And you're fifity-five and don't have a child fi ya joy and ya pride
You're - in 2 deep
And you're riding a freak and she love how you dweet and ya condom deplete
You're - in 2 deep
And she say 'baby please' and you're weak in the knees and kick off and release
You're - in 2 deep
Then you hear from the street seh she full of disease and you start to sneeze
You're - in 2 deep
And months and fi weeks all food you nuh eat and your weight start decrease
You're - in 2 deep"
-'In 2 Deep'
"Mek some bwoy know seh mi nah smile -
Cuz dispear nah beg friends
Man ah run racket
Man ah scheme
Man ah run race
Man ah run dung Benz
Caan trust she, nor he, nor we, nor 'I' inna contact lens
Man ah run from police ah run dung wealth and dollars and nah mek sense
SO!
Rise up to my defense!
Hollow-pointed is my preference
Shoulda been deterred, doh know what you heard
Get referred by the wrong reference
When dispear start dispense -
It ah fly and ah tear through fence
Dismember your member and all of yah limbs
Body bust inna nuff segments
Man ah run drugs
Man ah run risk
Man alla run outta time and ends
Man ah run up and dung
And ah run fi dem life
And ah run dung dis month rent
Nuttin nah gwan a yard and food deh a road
Then man haffi go touch pavement
Dispear was a tool that was used to enslave man and mek man servant
Escape from despair and desperation, become more urgent!
Mankind need to cleanse and wash out dem soul with spiritual detergents!
And distant army and distant relatives controlling di circumference!
And any man move wid no permission!
Dem feeling di circumstance!
-'Dispear' w/Nas
"It's like keeping a stageshow and waan di place fi dun
Weh you do?
Call my management weh walk wid fifty gun
Weh mi do?
Nah guh go pon stage until mi get mi funds
Wha mi sing?
Waan Jr. Gong - what a hefty sum
Youngest veteran dat intercept di run
Artist ah carry feelings and tears ah run
Seh 'yu know seh just tru him a Bob Marley son' -
'How mi get a Swizz Beatz and you no get mi none' "
"Now mi come fi bun dung all material object
Wid a rassclaat goldchain round mi neck
Mi bun a fire pon di man dem weh love bitch and fret -
And waan every little detail intricate
Well dem just caah believe, or dem won't accept -
Jr. Gong and Swizz Beatz, fassi don't forget
Well is it just me or is it hot to death?
It's the Halfway Tree CD & cassette
DJ race ah run
On your mark, get set!
And watch, everybody run to di record outlet
Tell mi who CD do you think dem get?
Di one closest to di Bob Marley boxset"
-'Halfway Tree'
"The Return of The Dread I when I get back
The entire empire will start to strike back
Well a bare army green full up my flight pack
Some red eye guy ah wonder which bank we hijack
And a wi di voluptuous girls ah smile at
Any bwoy nah like dat, him gwan pon icebox
We can be dangerous like how di night black
Wi dip and come up, select and slide-back
And seh she loves my culture, herbs and my locks
Silky smooth way I flow -
My words and my tracks
She's hoping we can spend a night at -
Somewhere that's warm and cozy
Why not?!
She's been wanting mi since my Karl Kani drop
And she needs di substance, not di hype chat"
-'The Master Has Come Back'
"Ever quick wid di lyrics, wi neva quick when wi ah talk
Fi get a hit, you haffi fit, equipped to spit a fyah ball
City fit inna mi grip and mi ah squeeze it til it small
Every itty likkle bitty drip til none nuh left at all
Go tell flippity lip-py Phillip fi mind how him ah talk
No pity like Yosimite Sam when time when wi ah war
And dem betta know wi vehicle and dem betta mark wi car"
-'Khaki Suit' w/Eek-A-Mouse & Bounty Killer [MAD!]
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