Stephen Marley - Revelation Pt. II: “The Fruit of Life”
These are heady days for reggae music as Stephen Marley continues with the next chapter in his music career.
Following his traditional roots reggae album Revelation Pt. 1: “The Root of Life” some five years ago, he has now expanded his repertoire. The new album is about expressing the impact that Jamaican culture has worldwide. Revelation Pt. II: “The Fruit of Life” looks like a who’s who of the current hip-hop world, with the eighteen track album featuring a collaboration on almost every track.
These feature, right from the start with the lead off track ‘Babylon’, a great hook up with Dead Prez and Junior Reid. This is clearly a demonstration of the far reaching arm of Rasta culture. The legend of hip-hop pays homage with Rakim and Busta Rhymes influencing the album. There is always a danger that too much collaboration can dilute or upset the overall balance of any album. However, as Marley has produced this himself there is a clear and defined flow that is sure to make this another multi-award winning venture.
It is not just the old legends of hip-hop that feature. The Marley family are embraced and show off their obvious talents, with the most celebrated offering coming from Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley on the track ‘Picture Perfect’.
Some of the strongest tracks on the album come from the rising stars of hip-hop and beyond. ‘Rock Stone’ which features the Kings of Dancehall Capleton and Sizzla is a wonderful illustration of the power of collaboration and is sure to be huge this summer - a straight up dancehall track which is infectious and embodies the talents on show.
The same can be said of ‘Ghetto Boy’ which features Bounty Killer and Cobra. However, some tracks that have huge names attached to them are not as strong. ‘Father of the Man’ featuring Wyclef Jean and ‘So Strong’ featuring Shaggy feel like they are offerings from Marley to simply join him on the album, and a way of offering a hand in recognition of previous services to music.
However the album ends well with a sure fire summer hit from the bald headed wonder of hip-hop. ‘When She Dances’ features Pitbull and is a lazy summer anthem which incorporates all things Jamaican along with a sprinkling of hip-hop vibes and house rhythms.
All in all this album displays a wonderful array of talent which in the most part has been excellently produced. Some tracks are easily describes as fillers and maybe Marley would have been better to simply go it alone rather than hire in a name to enhance the track. However for the most part this album is a continuation of his ability to expand and dominate the world of reggae and beyond.
Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life is available from iTunes and Amazon.
