The huge success of "Welcome to Jamrock," released as a single early in the summer of 2005, raised expectations for Damian Marley`s same-titled full-length. Fortunately, everything--from the progressive blend of reggae, hip-hop, trip-hop, pop, and roots within, to the crisp production from brother Stephen Marley--lives up to the hype. While it would be an easy commercial move for Damian to replicate the positive roots vibe of his father`s reggae, he instead builds on the consciousness of that music and updates the sound for the 21st century. Tinged with overtones of dancehall ("Khaki Suit") and urban contemporary R&B (the silky smooth "Beautiful," which features a cameo from Bobby Brown), WELCOME TO JAMROCK is a melting pot of an album, one as well suited to the streets of Brooklyn as the neighborhoods of Kingston. The cover image--which depicts Marley in militaristic garb surrounded by corrugated metal fences--indicates that Marley means business, a fact confirmed by this fresh, edgy music.

"perfectly hazy blend of king-size bass lines, echo-chamber drums, air-horn blasts and a dope Ini Kamoze sample..." Spin (p.61) - The title track, a classic tribal-war lament, is the inescapable one, excoriating murderers with a groove calculated to kill.