Title: Stephen has private celebrations

source:jamaica gleaner

Excerpt: Marley won the award on Sunday, and on Wednesday night gathered with a few friends and family members at the Bob Marley Museum on Old Hope Rd in St Andrew.

Excerpt: Stephen, son of the legendary Bob Marley, received blessings and inspirations from Ethiopia's Queen Mother Blakely and mother Rita Marley as the three cut the cake in recognition of his achievement.

"What you achieved, Stephen, is a blessing bestowed upon you through your parents. I want to tell you that you not only represent yourself or your family, but the entire nation of Africans," remarked Queen Mother Blakely.

Excerpt: "We grateful for that (win). We give thanks and a just so it go. I want to tell my fans that I appreciate what they are doing for me," he said.

Title: Stephen Marley wins Grammy

source:jamaica observer

Excerpt: STEPHEN Marley, son of reggae icon Bob Marley, won the Grammy Award in Best Reggae Album category at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, yesterday.

Excerpt: Speaking with the Observer last week, Marley scoffed at the idea that once any member of his family was up for a nomination, they were an automatic shoe-in.
"Well, dem have a lot to talk 'bout this year. Is two of us this year," he said jokingly, referring to Ziggy's nomination for Wild and Free.

Excerpt: Revelation Part 1: Root of Life contains 14 tracks including singles The Chapel, No Cigarette Smoke, Jah Army, Pale Moonlight, Chapel and Now I Know.
The album is to be followed later this year by Revelation Part 2: Fruits of Life, which Marley said intends to pick up where part one left off.

Title: Who will it be?

source:jamaica observer

Excerpt: With Stephen and Ziggy Marleys in contention, many pundits are already speculating it is a foregone conclusion that one of them will take it from the rest of the field comprising Shaggy, Israel Vibration, and Monty Alexander.

Excerpt: Younger of the two Marleys, Stephen, appear poised for the reggae's highest award with Revelation Pt 1: The Root Of Life. Produced on the Tuff Gong/Universal Republic label, the entry is the stronger of the Marleys' offering.
A win for Stephen would give the artiste/producer his third lein on the award as a solo artiste having won in 2008 with Mind Control and in 2010 with the acoustic version of the same album.

Excerpt: Stephen's brother, Ziggy's album Wild and Free is his fourth solo effort and is on the Tuff Gong Worldwide label. It has been described as his most political to date.
The overall theme of the album is a powerful one, as it propels Marley to challenge social injustice along with the political weapons of ignorance and fear.
Among the tracks on the album are title track Wild and Free, Forward to Love, Changes, Personal Revolution and Reggae in My Head.
Ziggy previously won the Best Reggae category album in 2007 with Love Is My Religion.

Title: A chat with Stephen

source:jamaica observer

Excerpt: Grammy-Award-winning artiste Stephen Marley is preparing to reap the Fruits of Life -- The follow-up to his successful 2011 release Revelation Part 1: Root of Life.

Excerpt: Marley explains that this two-part musical journey came about as a result of a comment he heard on the state of reggae music, which noted that the music was on the decline.
"This kind a talk anger me, as I know what our artistes and musicians capable of, so I was determined to come up with something that represents the best of reggae music," he declared militantly.

Excerpt: So what can his fans look to in the follow-up? Marley is cautious not to let out too much, but hints that there will be more collaborations -- the first CD contains seven collaborations. However, he allows names like rapper Rakim, deejays Busy Signal and Spragga Benz as well as sibling Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley to slip from his lips.

Title: Two Marleys up for reggae Grammy

source:jamaica observer

Excerpt: THE name Marley continues to dominate the reggae scene and yesterday's announcement of the nominees for this year's Grammy awards continues the trend.

Excerpt: Two Marleys, Ziggy and Stephen — sons of reggae icon Bob Marley, are among five acts up for the golden gramophone in the category Best Reggae Album. Stephen is nominated for Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life, while for Ziggy it is his project Wild and Free.

In total, Stephen and Ziggy Marley have six Grammy awards.

Title: Marley dominates Billboard reggae chart

source:jamaica observer

Excerpt: Marley continues to dominate Billboard's reggae albums chart. The king of reggae Bob Marley and his offspring — Ziggy, Stephen and Damian -- account for four of the top 10 slots on this week's ranking.

Excerpt: The Marley name also appears at the number three slot on the chart with Stephen Marley's Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life, which has spent 17 weeks on this chart and advanced one position from its number four spot last week. This week's number four is another Marley, as Ziggy's album Wild and Free takes that spot, having been on this chart for the past 14 weeks. The Marley brand is rounded out at No 9. The original Marley, Bob, continues to chart 30 years after his death with Live Forever taken from a show at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, USA, on September 23, 1980, mere months prior to the death of the reggae icon. This album has spent 34 weeks on the Billboard reggae album chart.

Title: Stephen Marley Talks New Album

source:vibe

Excerpt: VIBE: Just by the title alone, you can tell this album is going to be though-provoking.
Stephen Marley: Yes. Original reggae music in its original form, not commercialized or anything like that – that was really the inspiration behind the name. I was reading an article about the state of reggae music, and it was saying that reggae music was on the decline and I was inspired to defend reggae music and do my part. Revelation Part 1: The Roots of Life is really in homage of the roots of reggae music and preserving that sound of the music and to let everyone know that this music is still being made today. It's still around.

Excerpt: What topics are you touching on?
Well, the first song on the album is called "Made in Africa," which really enlightens one about civilization as a whole--not just the black man. It started in Africa. Everything in mankind was started in Africa. That song is an enlightenment to everyone, no racial boundaries. Every mankind. We have songs like those, love songs on the album, spiritual songs on the album, we speak about slavery on the album. Various topics.

Excerpt: What's your passion outside of music?
Humanity. Music is the platform that has been given to me and I've been blessed with that talent. Music is what I know, that's my weapon. Why I play music is really [for an] effect on mankind. Help us in which way it does, influences you spiritually, influences you morally. That's why I play music. I love my fellow brothers and sisters.

Title: Interview with Stephen Marley

source:trinidad express newspapers

Excerpt: Stephen Robert Nesta Marley is the second son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife, Rita and was born on April 20, 1972. He is a five-time Grammy Award winner and a vibrant artiste, producer and musician. This past week, he released his second album on Universal Records entitled, The Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life and just completed a video for the first US single, "No Smoking (In My Room)" featuring Melanie Fiona.

Excerpt: SM: Greetings to you and the people of Trinidad and whoever reads this... The feeling is great once we are able to do Jah works ya know!

Excerpt: SM: I definitely enjoy recording and producing a bit more than performing, but how you say it there it sounds like it's just one lickle thing in ah box. Ah music we ah make, scene? And that is a very exciting process: from when you get the inspiration, or the first idea for a song, to when you play the music and then put lyrics to it and so forth... And then when you're performing it for and with the people, that's another fulfilling part of it, so how them just come and say this one part here – that is producing a song, it's not really correct cause its ah process and each song has its own vibration that we have to find and create in order to bring it to life..

Title: Stephen Marley, in conversation

source:eaxminer

Excerpt: Examiner: What is The Roots of Life to you? For you, is that music? What do you define as the roots of life?

SM: Well, I mean, everyone has their roots. I am a musician, ya know, music is my world. So coming off that perspective of music being my tool… my weapon of choice… that’s how the root of life really comes in – pertaining to music and the root of reggae music, where it all began, and paying homage to that. So that how the name kind of affiliates with the music and the whole concept of it being a roots album.

Excerpt: Examiner: You grew up in a very musical environment… your entire family has very strong musical traditions. It makes me wonder… what does music mean to you?

SM: Music is my world. Music is a talent given to me by God. A medium and a platform and a way to spread a message of righteousness… a message of love a message of unity. Ya know, so that is what music is to me. Music bears a great responsibility because it is so influential. Everybody listens to music. It is a very influential tool. To me, it is very important to the world… music is… to being… to life.

Excerpt: Examiner: Are you currently working on any projects with any of your siblings? I know you’ve done a lot of work with Damian and he appears on your new album… are you guys currently collaborating or working on anything new?

SM: Yes… yes… always… always working on stuff. Right now I still have Part II – Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life. Which is now a more open record like you said I’ve been known to do. The second record is going to be more what you have known me for… more eclectic… incorporating hip hop or anything… anything goes.

Title: Stephen Marley stays true to roots

source:tap milwaukee

Excerpt: "My father's music was influential," he said during a recent phone interview in advance of his Summerfest show at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse. "My place is my place. I must be myself and who I am."

Excerpt: However, Stephen was just as interested in what he could do behind the boards, as a producer, as in what he could do in front of the mic as a performer. He threw ideas into albums by siblings Damian and Julian, and in 1996 remixed the Fugees. All this was part of his education.

"I'm always questing for knowledge and implementing those things in my life," he said. "It's been experience, just learning as we go along, and that's the biggest thing."

Excerpt: "Music is like a conversation," he said. "One person says one thing that speaks with a harmonica, with a bass, with a drum. They're all conversating, and we're just trying to find a way to make conversation rather than blah, blah, blah. But it's not really so hard a thing to do if you know the way to approach it."

Title: Stephen Marley's Revelation

source:trinidad express

Excerpt: Stephen Robert Nesta Marley is the second son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife, Rita and was born on April 20, 1972. He is a five-time Grammy Award winner and a vibrant artiste, producer and musician. This past week, he released his second album on Universal Records entitled, The Revelation Pt. 1: The Root of Life and just completed a video for the first US single,

Excerpt: NT: Indeed, tell us about the new album, why you called it Revelation and why it's coming in two parts?
SM: This album is water for the root and designed to preserve the root which is really the real reggae music and concept-wise: one is called the root because it contains strictly the roots of reggae, while the other is the fruit which is more a mixture of different styles.

Excerpt: NT: I understand... Now you've been surrounded by and involved in music your whole life. Can you tell us which part of the business you enjoy the most: recording, producing or performing?
SM: I definitely enjoy recording and producing a bit more than performing, but how you say it there it sounds like it's just one lickle thing in ah box. Ah music we ah make, scene? And that is a very exciting process: from when you get the inspiration, or the first idea for a song, to when you play the music and then put lyrics to it and so forth... And then when you're performing it for and with the people, that's another fulfilling part of it, so how them just come and say this one part here – that is producing a song, it's not really correct cause its ah process and each song has its own vibration that we have to find and create in order to bring it to life..

Title: On the record: The Marley legacy continues

source:halesowen news

Excerpt: The spirit of Bob Marley & The Wailers has little chance of waning as the legend's legacy lives on in the sentiments and musical direction of his sons Ziggy, Damian 'Jr Gong' and 39-year-old artist and producer Stephen Marley. Following on from his last album, Mind Control - the contemporary, slick release of 2007, Stephen's latest release is a return to a classic roots, rock and reggae sound and a celebration of Rastafarianism. Keeping it in the family, guest vocalist Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley along with Spragga Benz and Buju Banton add ragga and dancehall elements, while Ziggy Marley, Wale and the cast of the African stage show FELA! provide more soulful support. Stephen demonstrates the romantic side of reggae on love songs She Knows How and Pale Moonlight. With a rasping wail reminiscent of his father, political expression and real roots, Stephen revives the original reggae sound with this solid album.

Title: Made In Africa by Stephen Marley

source:soundcloud

Excerpt: Made In Africa (Feat. Wale & The Cast of Fela) - Stephen Marley Revelation Pt. 1: The Roots of Life

Title: Stephen Marley wants to start a 'revelation revolution'

Excerpt: Stephen Marley was reading an article about the state of reggae that didn’t have much good to say about where the Jamaican form of music was today. He set about writing new songs that became a two-album reggae opus. He’ll release the first one in May; it’s titled Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life.

Excerpt: “The whole concept behind this one is really going back to the traditional sounds of reggae music,” Marley says. “Old-school reggae music. The whole rich sounding thing with organs and clavinets and acoustic pianos. The whole integrity of that sound.

Excerpt: “It was a different perspective than the band,” Marley says.
He’ll never veer too far from roots reggae. He believes, as has been suggested by some, that reggae is the music that most resembles a human heartbeat. “I do believe it really is the sound of the womb and it becomes your pulse,” he says. “That boomp boomp, boomp boomp.”

Excerpt: “It’s where the music originated,” he says. “There were influences from all over, but it happened in Jamaica. And I think it’s lost some of that sense of purpose of the old reggae music. Some of that integrity. People from all walks of live from all sorts of culture do God’s work. No boundaries. So maybe other people playing great reggae will be a sign and a wake-up call to Jamaica. Like, listen, reggae music belongs to the world. But remember where its roots are.”

Title: Stephen Marley: Reggae, Guitars and His Father's Legacy

Excerpt: “There’s a simple explanation,” says Stephen Marley, with a laugh. “It’s called DNA.”

Excerpt: Is it different working with members of your family, as opposed to working with people with whom you aren't related?

"It is different. There's more of a bond in the conception, with family. Everyone kind of thinks on the same wavelength. Working with people outside the family involves communication that has to be sort of broken down."

Excerpt: Your father had an incredibly strong work ethic, which is something you seem to have inherited.

"We inherited the lessons from that, in the sense of knowing what a strong work ethic brings. After that, it’s up to you, whether you want to work hard or not. Seeing the results of my father's hard work — what that hard work brought — is the best lesson we learned. If we want similar results, then we too have to work hard too."

Excerpt: His legacy has never seemed burdensome to you. Instead, you've always seemed to cherish the responsibility that goes along with that.

"That’s true. That responsibility makes you a better person. It keeps you in line, and helps you in life. It helps you in life because his example is so positive."

Title: Marley takes Control

Excerpt: STEPHEN MARLEY'S Mind Control: Acoustic has debuted at number one on Billboard Magazine's Reggae Chart

Title: Marley son carries on legacy

Excerpt: So what's it like when you get together for Thanksgiving?

``We get together every day. God has blessed us, we're very thankful. When we was growing up we never get to spend a lot of time with our father. So we always use that to spend as much time as we can as a family. We stick together.''

Are any of the next Marley generation making music?

``My eldest son plays music and Ziggy's eldest son plays music, and they play together. They have a little room at the studio where they go in and create them thing. I don't say nothing to him yet cause he has one more year of school. But between you and me, it's good.''

Title: Reggae and World Music Awards

Excerpt: Ky-Mani Marley then collected his Producer's Respect Award, setting the stage for soca artiste Jaydene to open up the performances of the night. It came as little surprise when Dean Fraser and Mutabaruka took home the IRAWMA trophies for Best Instrumentalist and Best Poet next.

Excerpt: Ky-Mani wasn't the only Marley who had a good night. His brothers Stephen and Ziggy Marley also took home trophies. Stephen won the awards for Best CD - Mind Control, as well as Songwriter of the Year, and Ziggy with the Marcus Garvey Humanitarian Award, "for charitable efforts through his URGE organisation". They were however not present at the event.

Title: For Stephen Marley, reggae is still a family affair

Excerpt: "I don't want to be just another artist." Those were words of Stephen Marley.

Excerpt: "My joy and my pain," he said, "this is me.

"It's a page from my book: every page tells a story, but at the same time is a continuation of the page before it or the page to come.

"This is just one page," he continued.

Excerpt: It's been quite a career for someone who has never seemed to take his family lineage for granted.

And, more importantly, wanted nothing more than to be part of "good music, good message, good vibe."

"I want to make a statement," Stephen said, "and continue this legacy, this musical legacy, with my family."

Title: Stephen wins best reggae album

Excerpt: Best Reggae Album
Mind Control
Stephen Marley
[Tuff Gong/Ghetto Youths/Universal Republic]

Title: Stephen Marley Scores 2008 Grammy Nomination

Excerpt: Multiple-Grammy winning artist/producer, Stephen Marley (he holds
the Reggae record with five Grammy wins) was nominated, for Best
Reggae Album for his 2007 masterpiece Mind Control.

Excerpt: "Every Grammy I have ever received has been an honor and I'm
grateful to be nominated this year," stated Marley.

Excerpt: Stephen is the third consecutive Marley (hailing from the great
Marley musical dynasty) to be nominated in the Best Reggae Album
category, with Ziggy Marley taking home the award at the 49th Annual
Grammy Awards for Love Is My Religion, and brother Damian "Jr. Gong"
Marley winning at the 48th Grammys for Welcome To Jamrock.

Title: Marley legacy still jammin'

Excerpt: The success of Jamrock led Stephen, 35, to postpone his first solo album until this spring. The wait has been worth it: Mind Control has spent eight weeks atop Billboard's reggae charts; it peaked at No. 35 on the general album chart.

Excerpt: "Maybe it's God's plan," Stephen says. "We just hope to enlighten the people in many different ways — socially, spiritually, physically."

Excerpt: Their father opened the door," Fox says, "but here's one family that has not taken that pass for granted."

Title: Stephen Marley Is in 'Control'

Excerpt: So, 28 years between debut recording and debut album: Is that a career deferred, or what?

"What can I say?" Stephen says with a laugh from San Diego, a stop on his first headlining tour, one that brings him to the 9:30 club Tuesday, with Damian and possibly other Marleys in tow.

"We are a team and I am the midfielder," Stephen says. "I am the one that sends through the passes so that my teammates can score the goals. That was just the position that was comfortable for me, the position we all flourished best at, when I was in the middle.

"Now it's time for me to go up front."

Excerpt: The gentler side of the Wailers legacy is evoked on Stephen's reading of Ray Charles's "Lonely Avenue," the album's only cover.

"First of all, I'm a big fan of Ray Charles's music," he explains. "And that song, it kind of has a double meaning to me, reminds me of 'Concrete Jungle.' 'My room has got two windows, but the sunlight never comes through' reminds me of 'No sun will shine in my day today.' A lot of people see that kind of situation in their own lives -- they have windows in their lives, but the sun doesn't shine for them. It had a double meaning to me, more than just singing about a woman, it had a life meaning."

Title: Stephen Marley Talks Mind Control, Family, Jail

Excerpt: Pitchfork: Or being in jail? You have those three songs on the album that are inspired by your experience of being put in a Tallahassee jail for marijuana possession. What was that like?

SM: Well, it was an experience still. I mean, it wasn't a great bad experience. It was an inconvenience. It wasn't justified, where they put us for this plant that we had. It wasn't justified, because I was behind bars with people that cut people's throats. And at the same time, I can go out to any bar on any given day and have as many shots of Jack Daniels and be as drunk as I want to be. So it didn't feel right, and it made me very curious as to why, really, do they fight this plant so much when it has so many different uses, you know?

Excerpt: Pitchfork: How do you avoid them? It seems like every family has problems.

SM: We're spiritual. Our father is our greatest mentor, and what he stands for-- it would be a total dishonor for us to be a squabbling family. To be a family that can enhance the lessons, the things that my father stood for, the things that he taught well, and we as his seeds-- it's a good pressure. It's good standards. So that is how we approach life. We don't really have the time. We grow up without a father. I have no time for quarrelling with my brothers. I love them. I appreciate everything.

Title: Stephen Marley comes from reggae royalty

Excerpt: What's something people would be surprised to learn about your father? I don't know really. My dad loved ice cream. I don't know if that matters.

Excerpt: If you could control people's minds, would you? Um, yes! Because I would put positive things in their thoughts and in their minds. Such as? Just love, first of all. Love for mankind, you know. That would be the biggest thing. If we cannot find love, we can't find nothing.

Title: Bob Marley's Sons to Hold Concert

Excerpt: KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - Four sons of Bob Marley will hold a concert promoting peace to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the musician's birth, a family spokesman said Tuesday.

Excerpt: The concert shares the name of a 1976 show staged by the government of former socialist Prime Minister Michael Manley to promote harmony between politically aligned gangs, and it will feature Stephen Marley and his brothers Ky-Mani, Damian and Julian, Hamilton said.

Excerpt: Hamilton said Ziggy Marley, the most famous of the legendary musician's children, was not able to attend and rarely visits Jamaica.

Title: Stephen Marley

Excerpt: Mind Control "has more magic than 'great songs,'" says Stephen mischievously. "But it has a little magic in it, still." And perhaps more than anything that's the secret to this Marley's auspicious solo debut: the magic created when diverse roots combine in an artist's singular musical vision--when a blistering electric guitar solo slides into a bluesy harmonica riff and Stephen's wails let me out, let me out/I'm an angry lion on "Iron Bars", a collaboration with brother Julian and longtime friend the rapper Mr Cheeks--the only guest artists on the album. With the release of Got Music? that lion is out--and he's roaring.

Title: Stephen Marley in spotlight with debut album

Excerpt: But with the March 20 release of his long-awaited debut album "Mind Control" (Tuff Gong/Universal Republic), the spotlight will shine on Stephen's talents as an emotive singer, diversified songwriter and accomplished instrumentalist while solidifying his reputation as an innovative, genre-blurring producer.

Stephen handily navigates through the album's myriad moods. He is the forlorn romantic on the haunting ballad "You're Gonna Leave," the anguished bluesman on "Iron Bars" and the consummate roots reggae revolutionary decrying political corruption on "Chase Dem."

Title: Stephen Marley Ready for the Spotlight

Excerpt: Every step towards Damian's new manner of fame, Stephen was there. Stephen, the second son of Bob and Rita Marley, produced that song and much of Damian's work over the past decade. Stephen saw how people were coming to Damian's concerts, not at the chance of hearing a Bob Marley cover song performed by his son, but to hear Damian's work.

"We don't want to separate ourselves from our father," Stephen says, "but I saw that."

And it soon may be Stephen's turn to experience it. The 34-year-old will release his debut solo album, "Mind Control," on March 20.

Excerpt: "It's mental slavery," Stephen says. "The system cannot put chains on us anymore because we will rebel. We came a long way since chains and shackles so they can't do that anymore but they will try to control us mental; how to think and how to live and how to speak."

"Mind Control" is the first chapter in Stephen's book, he says. "It’s the beginning. It's not the whole story because I have much more things to say." The eclectic album features appearances by Mos Def, Ben Harper and Damian.