Welcome to Jamrock (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Welcome to Jamrock


Artist = Damian Marley
from Album = Welcome to Jamrock
Released = Summer 2005
Format = 12" single
Recorded = 2005
Genre = Reggae
Length = 3:33
Label = Tuff Gong/Universal/Ghetto Youths
Writer = Damian Marley
Producer = Stephen Marley
Last single = "And You Be Loved"
(2001)
This single = "Welcome to Jamrock"
(2005)
Next single = "The Master Has Come Back"
(2005)

"Welcome to Jamrock" is the first single from Damian Marley's album of the same name.

In a highly charged performance, Marley covers issues such as crime, poverty and political corruption as part of the harsh reality of "Jamrock", Marley's personification of Jamaica, as opposed to the Jamaica advertised as a popular tourist destination. Marley laments Jamaica's high crime rate and unceasing violence, demanding that those in charge do something about it. In this sense he carries on the legacy of his father before him, in inspiring Jamaicans to stand together.

Both the rhythm (known as "World Jam") and the hook are sampled from the 1984 track "World-A-Music" by Ini Kamoze - the original rhythm from the Ini Kamoze album was provided by Sly and Robbie.

The track also samples the bassline from Zap Pow's hit song "Reggae Music". An edited version of "Welcome to Jamrock" was featured on the popular video game franchise "FIFA 06".

The song was also on the playlist of the video game "Midnight Club 3", but on the remix version.

There are many remixes to this song. One features G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo in a diss towards the rap group D-Block. Another features The Notorious B.I.G. Finally, a remix called "Welcome to My Block" features 2Pac, Nas, and Scarface. The Game released a diss song towards Tony Yayo and 50 Cent called "they call it murda" which samples the chorus, while a remix featuring 2Pac, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre is also available on the mixtape circuit.

The originally-released recording contains the lyrics "Funnyman a get dropped like a bad habit". A "funny man" has in Jamaican English the same meaning like "batty bwoy" or "chi chi man", both pejorative designations for homosexual men. Since the widely-spread homophobia in Jamaica and its reflections in popular Jamaican music has been a subject of heavy criticisms and protests outside of Jamaica, the word "Funnyman" has been edited out on following releases and remixes of the song, and when performing the song live Marley uses the word "Babylonians" instead.

Track listing

UK - CD: 1
# "Roshien"
# "Welcome to Jamrock"
# "Jr. Gong the Dreadful"

UK - CD: 2

# "Welcome to Jamrock"
# "Jr. Gong the Dreadful"
# "Lyrical .44"
# "Welcome to Jamrock" [Video]

Chart success

The single made the summer rotation in 2005 and became a top 15 hit in the rap/hip hop charts. The song reached the Top 20 in the UK, peaking at #13 and made #55 on the Billboard Hot 100.