Marley mulls Concept album

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

DAMIAN 'Junior Gong' Marley has hinted that there may be a follow-up to Distant Relatives, the 2010 concept album he recorded with American hip-hop star Nas.

In a recent interview with the Longhorn Hip Hop radio station, Marley said he felt great satisfaction doing the set which was jointly distributed by Universal Republic and Def Jam Recordings, and that a similar project with Nas is possible.

"This will be the last we're doing in America for a while," he said, before commenting on the potential follow-up: "That would be nice. Hopefully."

Marley said a tour of Africa to promote the album could also be on the cards. He and Nas toured the United States and Europe but never ventured to Africa where Distant Relatives was reportedly well-received.

"One of the things that's left to do with this project is go to Africa and perform. But most of the people we've spoken to so far, yes, I embrace it as a great idea. I think it helps to strengthen the bridge between the western hemisphere and Africa."

A fusion of reggae and hip-hop, Distant Relatives also featured diverse acts like Marley's brother Stephen, British singer Joss Stone and American rap sensation Lil Wayne. Though it debuted at number five on the Billboard magazine Top 200 album chart and topped that publication's R&B/Hip hop chart, it sold modestly.

Distant Relatives was a minor hit in Europe where it entered several charts. Its lead single, As We Enter, peaked at number 30 on the United Kingdom Singles chart.