Damian “Junior Gong” Marley | Ballaflex

Damian Marley is the youngest son of legendary musician Bob Marley and, like, the rest of his family, is a full-time musician. Marley was born to his father and Cindy Breakspeare, who was Miss World 1976. He was only two years old when his father died. And was nicknamed “Junior Gong” in honor of his father, who’d been known as “Tuff Gong.”

Damian has been in the music business since he was 13 years old, making his record-producing debut with 1996’s “Mr. Marley.” The album was a critical hit, stirring up quite a few fans. His 2nd album “Halfway Tree” came in 2001. The album’s name is a reference to his mother growing up in the richer part of life and his father in the poorer – in other words, he’s halfway between rich and poor. Halfway Tree is also a landmark of sorts in Kingston that denotes the cultural apex of New Kingston. The album snagged a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.

In 2004 Damian participated in a 270 city tour called the “Bob Marley Roots, Rock, Reggae Festival” with four of his brothers. This would mark a trend with Marley, as he frequently tours with his brothers while they’re playing, especially Julian and Stephen, two members of the Ghetto Youths Crew. He appeared along with Julian in Stephen’s video for one of his songs, “The Traffic Jam”. He has also appeared in collaborations with various artists, including Cyprus Hill, Mariah Carey, Lil’ Kim and Snoop Dogg.

2005 saw the release of Marley’s third album “Welcome to Jamrock”, which won two Grammy awards for the album – Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance – making him the first and only Jamaican-born reggae artist to take two Grammies in the same night.

Like his father and family members Marley is a devout Rastafarian who believes in brotherly peace and freedom for all.