Grammy-winning artist and producer Stephen Marley has announced that he is launching a much anticipated tour this spring.

Stephen Marley embarks on a North American tour next month.

Kicking off on Friday, March 30, the tour is happening in association with the Ghetto Youths International Foundation and will feature special guest, brother Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley. The tour will run through May, hitting more than 40 cities with acclaimed artist K'naan also in tow.

Billed as the Mind Control North American tour, Ghetto Youths International will contribute one dollar from every ticket sold to the Marley's homegrown charity, The Ghetto Youth Foundation, which provides aid and programmes to children struggling in impoverished and war-ravaged conditions around the globe. Highlights of the 3-month tour of Canada and the US will also include performances at the World Ski & Snowboard Championships in Whistler, British Columbia on Sunday, April 15, Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California on Friday, April 27, and Jazzfest in New Orleans on Saturday, May 5.

Stephen is preparing the cross-country trek in support of the impending release of his solo debut album Mind Control (Tuff Gong/ Ghetto Youths/ Universal-Republic) released on Tuesday, March 20. The album has been receiving accolades in the press with early reviews calling the release "irresistible...an impressive offering" (Urb magazine) and "4 stars...heir to reggae's royal family honors dad's legacy....dance-hall-inflected reggae/ hip-hop jams, carefully balancing political fire and island-life vibe. His ease with both elements would make his father proud" (Spin magazine).

Stephen will be showcasing new songs from the release, which includes guest appearances from Mos Def and Ben Harper. Standout tracks include gems such as the mesmerizing Chase Dem, and the soulful serenade Hey Baby.

The album also features the hit track The Traffic Jam, which is currently exploding onto charts in Jamaica and England and showing early spins on several US Rhythmic/Crossover stations. Marley, along with Damian, debuted the track live this past month on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.

For Stephen, 2006 was a coming-out party of sorts. He scored his fifth Grammy award for his triumphant co-production work on brother Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley's acclaimed RIAA-certified Gold disc Welcome To Jamrock, to date garnering him the most Grammy awards of any Marley and more than any other Reggae artist in history. Stephen also embarked on two US concert tours last year, including the acclaimed Bob Marley Roots, Rock Reggae Festival, where brothers Stephen and Ziggy Marley joined together for the first time ever with reggae pioneer Bunny Wailer.

His work has been earning acclaim for several years, whether for collaborations with R&B stars like Erykah Badu or his part on the dancehall burner It Was Written, and especially after Chant Down Babylon, the platinum-selling star-studded Bob Marley tribute he produced.

A veteran of the family's fertile launching pad, Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, Stephen has emerged in recent years as a pivotal production and creative force, helping to oversee Marley enterprises like Tuff Gong Records and its umbrella imprint Ghetto Youths.

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