Welcome to Jamrock (single)
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| "Welcome to Jamrock" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Damian Marley | ||
| from the album Welcome to Jamrock | ||
| Released | 2005 | |
| Format | 12" single | |
| Recorded | 2004 | |
| Genre | Reggae | |
| Length | 3:23 | |
| Label | Tuff Gong/Universal/Ghetto Youths | |
| Writer(s) | Damian Marley |
|
| Producer(s) | Stephen Marley | |
| Chart positions | ||
| Damian Marley singles chronology | ||
| "And You Be Loved" (2001) |
"Welcome to Jamrock" (2005) |
"The Master Has Come Back" (2005) |
"Welcome To Jamrock" is the first single from Damian Marley's album of the same name.
"Welcome to Jamrock" marks the re-emergence of reggae without the dancehall influence that is the trademark of other Jamaican artists. The young Marley talks about crime, poverty, and capitalism in his first single. Citing that Jamaica is portrayed as a great tourist location, but Jamrock is the harsh reality.
The hook of the song says Out in the streets, they call it murder! and more powerful lyrics such as Welcome to Jamdom, poor people are dead at random or Come on let's face it, a ghetto education's basic/A most a the youths them waste it/And when they waste it, that's when they take the guns and replace it/And them don't stand a chance at all.
Parts of the song can also be interpreted as a warning to naive tourists seeking to experience the ideallized version of Jamaica presented in tourist brouchures:
Some boy noy notice, them only come around like tourist On the beach with a few club sodas Bedtime stories, and pose like dem name Chuck Norris And they don't know the real hardcore Cause Sandals a now back too, the thugs they have do what them got to And won't think twice to shoot you Don't make them spot you, unless you carry guns a lot too A pure tuff things come at you
Both the rhythm and the above-mentioned hook are sampled from the 1984 track World-A-Music by Ini Kamoze - the original rhythm on the Ini Kamoze album was provided by Sly and Robbie.
[edit] Track listing
UK - CD: 1
- Welcome To Jamrock
- Jr Gong The Dreadful
UK - CD: 2
- Welcome To Jamrock
- Jr. Gong The Dreadful
- Lyrical .44
- Welcome To Jamrock [Video]
[edit] Chart Success
The single made heavy airwaves in summer 2005 and became a top 15 hit in the rap/hip hop charts. It is Damian Marley's most popular song.
