Rating:
Genre:
Reggae
Release Date: 09/11/2001
In Kingston, Jamaica, the neighborhood of Halfway Tree is seen as a meeting place, a junction between the rich and poor parts of town.
Damian Marley, the youngest son of
reggae icon
Bob Marley, wants his music to do the same thing, to be a bridge between the rich and the poor, the new and the old. For the most part, he succeeds as his North American debut offers enough social consciousness to keep his father's fans happy while still dabbling in newer forms of
dancehall and
hip-hop. North Americans may be familiar with
Marley's work from his cameo appearance on
Eve's album
Scorpion. On
Halfway Tree,
Eve returns the favor as she appears on
"Where Is the Love?," one of the funkiest tracks on the album. Another highlight is
"Stand a Chance," which features some funky harmonica as well as the rhymes of
Treach of
Naughty By Nature as well as the sweet vocals of
dancehall legend
Yami Bolo. Tracks like
"More Justice" and
"Give Dem Some Way" feature the kind of social commentary you'd expect from a member of the
Marley clan. The family influence is also felt throughout the album -- his brother
Stephen Marley, produced much of the album and they even sample their father's classic
"Could You Be Loved" on their track
"And Be Loved." But
Marley also strays away slightly from family tradition, dealing with love and sex in a raw, direct way on tracks like
"Mi Blenda" and
"Cool and Dandy." For the most part,
Marley does an excellent balancing act. He handles his legacy and his future flawlessly and what's more surprising is that he makes it look easy.
~Jon Azpiri, All Music Guide
;)
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