Stephen Robert Nesta Marley(born April 20, 1972) is an American musician. The son ofBob Marley,Marley is an eight-timeGrammy Awardwinner, three times as a solo artist, twice as a producer of his younger paternal half-brotherDamian Marley'sHalfway TreeandWelcome to Jamrockalbums, and a further three times as a member of his older brotherZiggy Marley's groupZiggy Marley & The Melody Makers.
Stephen Marley | |
|---|---|
 Marley performing in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen Robert Nesta Marley |
| Also known as | Raggamuffin |
| Born | April 20, 1972 Wilmington, Delaware,United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Tuff Gong Ghetto Youths International |
| Website | stephenmarleymusic |
Marley's 2011 albumRevelation Pt. 1 – The Root of Lifewon the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2012.[1]His follow-up,Revelation Pt. 2 – The Fruit of Life,was released on July 22, 2016.[2]
In several of his self-produced solo albumsMind Control(2007),Mind Control Acoustic(2008),Revelation Part I: The Root of Life(2011) andRevelation Part II: The Fruit of Life(2016) he has composed and produced all the songs on his album, and he has played a variety of the musical instruments himself.
Early life
editStephen Marley was born inWilmington, Delaware,and raised inKingston, Jamaica.[3]He is the second eldest son of Reggae legendBob MarleyandRita Marley.Stephen started singing professionally at 7 years old with his elder siblingsZiggy Marley,Sharon MarleyandCedella MarleyinZiggy Marley and the Melody Makers[4]
Career
editMelody Makers
editIn 1979, a seven-year-old Marley started his musical career as part of the child bandZiggy Marley and the Melody Makersalongside older siblingsZiggy,Sharon and Cedella – the children of Bob Marley and wife, Rita. The Melody Makers recorded the song "Children Playing in the Streets" written by their fatherBob Marley.Proceeds of the sale of the song went to theUnited Nations Children's Fund(UNICEF). In 1980, Stephen performed the lead on the Melody Makers' single "Sugar Pie".[citation needed]
Stephen and older brother Ziggy – Bob Marley's two eldest sons – were directly mentored into music by their father and performed alongsideBob Marley and the Wailersat the 1978One Love Peace Concertin Kingston, Jamaica, 1979Reggae SunsplashinMontego Bayand at Zimbabwe's independence celebrations in Salisbury, Rhodesia (Harare,Zimbabwe) in 1980. The brothers performed, alongside the Wailers and theI Threes,at their father's funeral on May 21, 1981.
After Bob Marley's death, the Melody Makers continued with Ziggy taking over as the group's leader, composing songs such as "What a Plot" in 1982, as well as "Lying in Bed" and "I Met Her on a Rainy Day" in 1984. In 1985, the group released their first album,Play the Game Right.With their third album,Conscious Party,the group was now called "Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers" with Ziggy performing the lead vocals, and Stephen playing instruments, the group gained fame with hits such as "Tomorrow People", "Tumblin' Down", "Lee and Molly" and "Conscious Party". The album wentplatinumin the United States, and the Melody Makers would become the youngest recipients of theGrammyfor Best Reggae album for Conscious Party.
Their follow up albumOne Bright Dayreleased in 1989 featured the hit "Look Who's Dancing" written by Ziggy and Stephen. Just 17 at the time, Stephen shared the lead vocals with his big brother and performeddancehalltoasting on the song, which also featured energetic backing female vocals by Sharon, Cedella and Erica. Stephen earned the nickname "Raggamuffin" or "Ragga" as he was the first Marley to engage in dancehall rap/deejaying.
Other albums released in the 1990s includedJahmekya,Free Like We Want to B,Joy and Blues,Fallen is BabylonandSpirit of Music.Stephen played a mostly background role, as an instrumentalist, songwriter, and co-producer; but performed the lead vocals on some songs such as "Keep On", "Postman", and "One Good Spliff". Stephen shared the lead with Ziggy on songs such as "Works to Do", a track produced by Stephen himself, and "Water and Oil" adding ragga toasting to Ziggy's singing. Another Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers song written and fronted (lead vocals) by Stephen was "Tipsy Dazy" featured in the soundtrack of the 1997 Hollywood film Anaconda. Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers won a total of three Grammy awards for Best Reggae Album.
Music producer
edit
In 1999, Marley producedChant Down Babylona remix album of Bob Marley's music, modernised to appeal to a modern audience, featuring hip-hop, R&B and rock stars includingLauryn Hill,[5]Erykah Badu,Guru,Busta Rhymes,MC Lyte,Steven Tyler,Joe Perry,Chuck D,andThe Roots.The single "Turn Your Lights Down Low" featuring Lauryn Hill became a huge hit internationally, Marley modernising a song that had received little attention as a B side song in the 1977 Exodus album.
In 1996, Stephen produced debut albums by younger brothers Julian andDamian Marley(Bob Marley's sons from relationships outside his marriage to Rita). Stephen was particularly successful in Damian's musical success, producing his brother's first three albums,Mr Marley(1996), as well as the Grammy Award-winningHalfway Tree(2001) andWelcome to Jamrock(2005). Stephen contributed production of three songs to Damian's collaboration album with Nas, "Distant Relatives" (2010). On that album, Stephen produced the songs "Patience", "Leaders" and "In His Own Words", lending vocals to the latter two tracks.
Marley also worked with theFugeesin their mid 1990s remake of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry", and produced music for popular hip-hop artists such asKrayzie Bone( "Revolution" from 'Thug Mentality' album 1999), Erykah Badu ( "In Love with You" from 'Mama's Gun' album 2000), Eve ( "No, no, no" from her 'Scorpion' album, 2001), and Mr Cheeks ( "Mama Say" and "Till We Meet Again" from the 'John P Kelly' album, 2001). He also produced music for dancehall artists such asCapleton,( "Sunshine Girl" from the "Reign of Fire" album, 2004) and reggae legendsInner Circle,( "Smoke Gets in My Eyes" from the 'State of Da World' album, 2009).
In 2022 he produced an EP in tribute toNina Simone,Celebrating Nina: A Reggae Tribute to Nina Simone,featuringQueen Ifrica,Cedella Marley,andEtana.[6]
Solo career
editAfter spending many years in the background as a producer, and backing big brother Ziggy as a Melody Maker, Marley finally became a solo artist, releasing the albumsMind Control(2007),Mind Control Acoustic(2008),Revelation Part I: The Root of Life(2011), andRevelation Part II: The Fruit of Life(2016). His first three solo albums won Grammy awards for Best Reggae Album, adding to the three Grammy awards he had already won as a member of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers and the two other Grammy awards he earned for producing younger brother Damian's albumsHalfway TreeandWelcome to Jamrock."
Mind Control,which featured the single "Hey Baby" featuringMos Defpeaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, whileRevelation Part I: The Root of Lifereached position 92 and "Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life" peaked at position 129. All Marley's albums reached the number 1 position on the Billboard reggae charts.
In itsMind Controlalbum review published on April 13, 2007, theAustin Chroniclewrote:
- Stephen Marley's solo debut is everything a modern reggae album should be. Producer of myriad Marley family recordings, Stephen has developed an ambitious ear... Mindful of the music's deep roots yet awash in dancehall toasts and hip-hop beats, Mind Control layers sound skilfully...the tradition rests in strong hands.
In reviewingRevelation Part II: The Fruit of Life,Jon Pareless, writing inThe New York Timeson July 20, 2016, noted that:
- Being Bob Marley's son has given Stephen Marley a voice with archetypal familiarity, some instant brand recognition and a cultural responsibility. On "Revelation Pt. I," Mr. Marley stayed close to the roots reggae sound Bob Marley perfected in the 1970s with the Wailers, though his album added a few guest rappers. "Revelation Pt. II" is far less purist; it strives for both innovation and radio-friendly crossover. Mr. Marley's aching voice suits love songs just as well as protests...and more often than not, Mr. Marley lives up to the ambition that his last name demands of him.
On April 3, 2017, Marley andPitbullperformed onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,playing their single, "Options".[7][8]
In June 2023, Marley released the single "Old Soul". On August 18, 2023, he announced his fourth studio album, also titledOld Soul,which was released on September 15, 2023.
Personal life
editMarley lives inMiami Beach, Florida,where he has a home and a private recording studio.[9]
His eldest son,Jo Mersa Marley,was a musician who released his EPComfortable,and died on December 27, 2022.[10] His son Yohan Marley who greatly resembles in looks and voice also began his venture into music with brother Joseph’s song “Burn it Down”,[11]releasing his biggest single to date “Goodbyes” on November 24, 2020.[12]His daughter, Mystic Marley, released "Beatdown", her debut single and music video on June 6, 2018.[13]
On 27th December 2022, his eldest sonJo Mersa Marleywas found inMiami-Dade County, Florida,unconscious inside his vehicle after reportedly suffering an asthma attack. He was pronounced dead at the scene.[14]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [15] |
US Reggae [16] |
US R&B/ HH [17] |
US Indie [18] |
SWI [19] | |||
| Mind Control |
|
35 | 1 | 18 | — | — | |
| Mind Control Acoustic |
|
— | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root of Life |
|
92 | 1 | 20 | — | 73 |
|
| Revelation Pt. 2 – The Fruit of Life |
|
129 | 1 | — | 10 | 69 | |
| Old Soul |
|
— | 10 | — | — | — |
|
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
Singles
editAs lead artist
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Hey Baby (featuringMof Def) " | 2008 | Mind Control |
| "No Cigarette Smoking (In My Room) (featuringMelanie Fiona) " | 2011 | Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life |
| "Rock Stone" (featuringCapletonandSizzla) | 2014 | Revelation Pt. 2: The Fruit of Life |
| "Ghetto Boy" (featuringBounty KillerandCobra) | 2015 | |
| "So Strong" (featuringShaggy) | 2016 | |
| "Old Soul" | 2023 | Old Soul |
As featured artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Reggae Digital [22] | ||||
| "Coming Home" (Bone Thugs N Harmony featuring Stephen Marley) |
2017 | — | — | New Waves |
| "Options" (Pitbullfeaturing Stephen Marley) |
10 | — | Climate Change |
Television appearances
editReferences
edit- ^Grizzle, Shereita (2014) "Stephen Marley Lets 'Rock Stone' Loose",Jamaica Gleaner,March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
- ^" Stephen Marley announces the release of his new albumArchivedAugust 15, 2018, at theWayback Machine",bobmarley, May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
- ^"Stephen Marley – The Vogue".RetrievedFebruary 6,2023.
- ^"My Roots".stephenmarleymusic.RetrievedJanuary 5,2023.
- ^Wild, Stephi."Reggae Royalty Stephen Marley Will Perform At Indian Ranch in July".BroadwayWorld.RetrievedApril 23,2023.
- ^Perry, Kediesha (2022) "Stephen Marley hails Nina Simone",Jamaica Observer,February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022
- ^"Stephen Marley & Pitbull set to perform 'Options' on Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon".bobmarley.April 4, 2017. Archived fromthe originalon August 28, 2018.RetrievedApril 29,2017.
- ^"Pitbull ft. Stephen Marley: Options".The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.April 4, 2017.RetrievedApril 29,2017– via YouTube.
- ^Abrams, Ken (April 20, 2023)."Stephen Marley bringing 'Babylon By Bus' tour to Indian Ranch July 27".What's Up Newp.RetrievedApril 23,2023.
- ^Jackson, Kevin (2014) "Jo Mersa: comfortable in his own skin",Jamaica Observer,June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014
- ^"Yohan Marley debutes on Jo Mersa's single" Burn it Down "".Youtube.June 6, 2018.RetrievedJune 6,2018.
- ^"Yohan Marley debuts" Goodbyes "".BobMarley.November 24, 2023.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"Stephen Marley's daughter Mystic Marley releases debut single" Beatdown "".Bob Marley.June 6, 2018.RetrievedJune 6,2018.
- ^Blistein, Jon (December 27, 2022)."Jo Mersa Marley, Grandson of Bob Marley and Son of Stephen, Dead at 31".Rolling Stone.RetrievedFebruary 8,2023.
- ^"Stephen Marley > Chart History > Billboard 200".Billboard.
- ^"Stephen Marley > Chart History > Reggae Albums".Billboard.
- ^"Stephen Marley > Chart History > Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums".Billboard.
- ^"Stephen Marley > Chart History > Independent Albums".Billboard.
- ^"Suche: Stephen Marley".Hitparade.ch.
- ^"Upcoming Releases".Hits Daily Double.HITS Digital Ventures. Archived fromthe originalon June 2, 2016.
- ^Mallick, Dani (September 26, 2023)."Stephen Marley's 'Old Soul' Breaks His No. 1 Streak On Billboard Reggae Albums Chart".DancehallMag.RetrievedSeptember 26,2023.
- ^"Stephen Marley – Chart history: Reggae Digital Songs".Billboard.Archived fromthe originalon May 23, 2018.