Distant Relatives is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Nas and Jamaican reggae vocalist Damian Marley . It was released on May 18, 2010, by Universal Republic , Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records .
41-513: Distant Relatives was recorded between 2008 and 2010, being produced primarily by Damien and Stephen Marley , both sons of the most-known Jamaican musician Bob Marley . Fusing musical elements of hip hop and reggae, it features wide-ranging lyrical themes concerning colonialism , poverty , Pan-Africanism and the universality of the human condition. It features appearances from K'naan , Stephen Marley, Dennis Brown , Junior Reid , Joss Stone and Lil Wayne . The album debuted at number five on
82-654: A conceptional bull's eye that fully supports its title". Sputnikmusic's Ryan Flatley stated, "Nas and Damian Marley are a formidable pairing, seemingly on the same level throughout most of the album in thought and overall presence". Dave Simpson of The Guardian described its music as "thoughtful, sincere, weighty stuff, tackling subjects from African poverty to the diamond trade without sounding preachy or schmaltzy". Gervase de Wilde of The Daily Telegraph called it "predictably brilliant". Although he found its musical fusion "a little overblown", David Amidon of PopMatters felt that "the alchemy between Nas and Junior Gong’s voice
123-471: A database engineer, Vladimir Bogdanov , to design the All Music Guide framework, and recruited his nephew, writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine , to develop editorial content. In 1993, Chris Woodstra joined the staff as an engineer. A "record geek" who had written for alternative weeklies and fanzines, his main qualification was an "encyclopedic knowledge of music". 1,400 subgenres of music were created,
164-471: A feature that became central to the site's utility. In a 2016 article in Tedium , Ernie Smith wrote: "AllMusic may have been one of the most ambitious sites of the early-internet era—and it's one that is fundamental to our understanding of pop culture. Because, the thing is, it doesn't just track reviews or albums. It tracks styles, genres, and subgenres, along with the tone of the music and the platforms on which
205-513: A full album together. Nas and Marley began recording in 2008; recording sessions took place in Los Angeles, California, and Miami, Florida. Marley and his brother, Stephen , produced the majority of the album, using live instrumentation in the recording process. They collaborated with guest artists, including Stephen Marley , Joss Stone , Lil Wayne , and K'naan . On the album's production, Marley told Rolling Stone , "We're trying to have
246-482: A huge hit internationally, Marley modernising a song that had received little attention as a B side song in the 1977 Exodus album. In 1996, Stephen produced debut albums by younger brothers Julian and Damian Marley (Bob Marley's sons from relationships outside his marriage to Rita). Stephen was particularly successful in Damian's musical success, producing his brother's first three albums, Mr Marley (1996), as well as
287-584: A member of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers and the two other Grammy awards he earned for producing younger brother Damian's albums Halfway Tree and Welcome to Jamrock ." Mind Control , which featured the single "Hey Baby" featuring Mos Def peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Revelation Part I: The Root of Life reached position 92 and "Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life" peaked at position 129. All Marley's albums reached
328-427: A sound that's reminiscent of both of us, but not exactly like either... A lot of charity albums come off corny. We want this to be something you'd play in your car." Fusing hip hop and reggae musical elements, Marley and Nas also incorporated samples from African music into the album. The album's lyrical content heavily revolves around themes concerning Africa, from ancestry and poverty, with social commentary of
369-669: A variety of the musical instruments himself. On April 3, 2017, Marley and Pitbull performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , playing their single, "Options". Stephen Marley was born in Wilmington, Delaware , and raised in Kingston, Jamaica . He is the second eldest son of Reggae legend Bob Marley and Rita Marley . Stephen started singing professionally at 7 years old with his elder siblings Ziggy Marley , Sharon Marley and Cedella Marley in Ziggy Marley and
410-447: Is a Jamaican-American musician. The son of Bob Marley , Marley is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, three times as a solo artist, twice as a producer of his younger paternal half-brother Damian Marley 's Halfway Tree and Welcome to Jamrock albums, and a further three times as a member of his older brother Ziggy Marley 's group Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers . Marley's 2011 album Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root of Life won
451-583: Is an exceptionally melodic reggae album that's intensified by rapping devoid of dancehall patois and a hard edge unknown to roots revivalism. The result is also an exceptionally political hip-hop album that's most convincing when it doesn't multiply Afrocentric distortion by Rastafarian reasoning". In a mixed review, J. Gabriel Boylan of Spin felt that its "revelatory message blunted by digressions". Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice found it to be "rudimentary" and "a tasteful affair full of uninteresting revelations and self-serious proclamations". Jeff Weiss of
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#1732784033894492-451: Is obvious and engenders a strong sense of unity". Mojo commented that the album "finds a glorious similitude between the two disciplines." Slant Magazine ' s M.T. Richards called the album "a bright, richly cultured work" and praised its themes of humanity and humility, writing that it "shines with passion and zeal, both in its content and production, which oozes earthy warmth". In MSN Music , Robert Christgau stated, "The result
533-654: The Los Angeles Times commented that the album "vacillates between the dreary and dynamic", and criticized its "didacticism": "[L]eadened by reductive philosophies and crippling self-seriousness, the record often feels overly ponderous". Pitchfork Media 's Tom Breihan viewed the lyrics as trite and stated, "Nas and Marley fall into a sort of middlebrow funk, kicking overripe platitudes over sunny session-musician lopes and letting their self-importance suffocate their personalities". Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club called it "an Afrocentric manifesto sometimes loaded down by
574-790: The UK Singles Chart . "Strong Will Continue" is featured as soundtrack in EA Sports game, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa . "My Generation" was released in the United Kingdom on August 30, 2010. Distant Relatives received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 73, based on 23 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic 's David Jeffries complimented its themes concerning Africa, calling it "one purposeful monster and
615-511: The 'John P Kelly' album, 2001) . He also produced music for dancehall artists such as Capleton , ("Sunshine Girl" from the "Reign of Fire" album, 2004) and reggae legends Inner Circle , ("Smoke Gets in My Eyes" from the 'State of Da World' album, 2009). In 2022 he produced an EP in tribute to Nina Simone , Celebrating Nina: A Reggae Tribute to Nina Simone , featuring Queen Ifrica , Cedella Marley , and Etana . After spending many years in
656-498: The 1990s included Jahmekya , Free Like We Want to B , Joy and Blues , Fallen is Babylon and Spirit of Music . Stephen played a mostly background role, as an instrumentalist, songwriter, and co-producer; but performed the lead vocals on some songs such as "Keep On", "Postman", and "One Good Spliff". Stephen shared the lead with Ziggy on songs such as "Works to Do", a track produced by Stephen himself, and "Water and Oil" adding ragga toasting to Ziggy's singing. Another Ziggy Marley and
697-470: The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2012. His follow-up, Revelation Pt. 2 – The Fruit of Life , was released on July 22, 2016. In several of his self-produced solo albums Mind Control (2007), Mind Control Acoustic (2008), Revelation Part I: The Root of Life (2011) and Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life (2016) he has composed and produced all the songs on his album, and he has played
738-856: The Grammy Award-winning Halfway Tree (2001) and Welcome to Jamrock (2005). Stephen contributed production of three songs to Damian's collaboration album with Nas, "Distant Relatives" (2010). On that album, Stephen produced the songs "Patience", "Leaders" and "In His Own Words", lending vocals to the latter two tracks. Marley also worked with the Fugees in their mid 1990s remake of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry", and produced music for popular hip-hop artists such as Krayzie Bone ("Revolution" from 'Thug Mentality' album 1999), Erykah Badu ("In Love with You" from 'Mama's Gun' album 2000), Eve ("No, no, no" from her 'Scorpion' album, 2001), and Mr Cheeks ("Mama Say" and "Till We Meet Again" from
779-663: The Melody Makers In 1979, a seven-year-old Marley started his musical career as part of the child band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers alongside older siblings Ziggy , Sharon and Cedella – the children of Bob Marley and wife, Rita. The Melody Makers recorded the song "Children Playing in the Streets" written by their father Bob Marley . Proceeds of the sale of the song went to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). In 1980, Stephen performed
820-613: The Melody Makers song written and fronted (lead vocals) by Stephen was "Tipsy Dazy" featured in the soundtrack of the 1997 Hollywood film Anaconda. Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers won a total of three Grammy awards for Best Reggae Album. In 1999, Marley produced Chant Down Babylon a remix album of Bob Marley's music, modernised to appeal to a modern audience, featuring hip-hop, R&B and rock stars including Lauryn Hill , Erykah Badu , Guru , Busta Rhymes , MC Lyte , Steven Tyler , Joe Perry , Chuck D , and The Roots . The single "Turn Your Lights Down Low" featuring Lauryn Hill became
861-568: The Netherlands, the album debuted at number 72 and peaked at number 65 on the Mega Album Top 100 . All tracks were produced by Damian Marley, except tracks 4, 9, and 11, which were produced by Stephen Marley. Credits for Distant Relatives adapted from Allmusic . Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Stephen Marley (musician) Stephen Robert Nesta Marley (born April 20, 1972)
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#1732784033894902-587: The US Billboard 200 chart, selling 57,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, Distant Relatives received positive reviews from most music critics. News of the album first came at the 2009 Grammy Awards , when Nas told MTV reporters "Right now, I'll tell you first, I'm working on an album with Damian Marley. We tryin' to build some schools in Africa with this one, and trying to build empowerment. We're tryin' to show love and stuff with this album. So,
943-618: The United States and Africa. The track "Count Your Blessings" reflects on the plight of Africa. The album was released May 18, 2010 on Universal Republic and Def Jam Recordings . Its proceeds will go to a project in Africa, with the possibility of building a school in Congo . At a sold-out panel discussion on the African diaspora and its relation to music, sponsored by National Geographic , Damian and Stephen Marley and Nas were among
984-712: The United States. Internationally, Distant Relatives attained some chart success. It entered at number 33 on the European Top 100 Albums chart. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 30 on the UK Albums Chart and at number four on the R&;B Albums Chart . In Canada, the album entered at number 9 on the Top 100 Albums chart. In Germany, it debuted at number 38 on the Media Control Charts , and in
1025-566: The Wailers and the I Threes , at their father's funeral on May 21, 1981. After Bob Marley's death, the Melody Makers continued with Ziggy taking over as the group's leader, composing songs such as "What a Plot" in 1982, as well as "Lying in Bed" and "I Met Her on a Rainy Day" in 1984. In 1985, the group released their first album, Play the Game Right . With their third album, Conscious Party ,
1066-415: The background as a producer, and backing big brother Ziggy as a Melody Maker, Marley finally became a solo artist, releasing the albums Mind Control (2007), Mind Control Acoustic (2008), Revelation Part I: The Root of Life (2011), and Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life (2016). His first three solo albums won Grammy awards for Best Reggae Album, adding to the three Grammy awards he had already won as
1107-476: The database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne . AllMusic was launched as All-Music Guide by Michael Erlewine , a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as CDs replaced LPs as
1148-508: The dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard . After buying it, he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he researched using metadata to create a music guide. In 1990, in Big Rapids, Michigan , he founded All Music Guide with a goal to create an open-access database that included every recording "since Enrico Caruso gave
1189-533: The group was now called "Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers" with Ziggy performing the lead vocals, and Stephen playing instruments, the group gained fame with hits such as "Tomorrow People", "Tumblin' Down", "Lee and Molly" and "Conscious Party". The album went platinum in the United States, and the Melody Makers would become the youngest recipients of the Grammy for Best Reggae album for Conscious Party. Their follow up album One Bright Day released in 1989 featured
1230-408: The hit "Look Who's Dancing" written by Ziggy and Stephen. Just 17 at the time, Stephen shared the lead vocals with his big brother and performed dancehall toasting on the song, which also featured energetic backing female vocals by Sharon, Cedella and Erica. Stephen earned the nickname "Raggamuffin" or "Ragga" as he was the first Marley to engage in dancehall rap/deejaying. Other albums released in
1271-640: The industry its first big boost". The first All Music Guide , published in 1992, was a 1,200-page reference book, packaged with a CD-ROM, titled All Music Guide: The Best CDs, Albums & Tapes: The Expert's Guide to the Best Releases from Thousands of Artists in All Types of Music . Its first online version, in 1994, was a text-based Gopher site. It moved to the World Wide Web as web browsers became more user-friendly. Erlewine hired
Distant Relatives - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-625: The lead on the Melody Makers' single "Sugar Pie". Stephen and older brother Ziggy – Bob Marley's two eldest sons – were directly mentored into music by their father and performed alongside Bob Marley and the Wailers at the 1978 One Love Peace Concert in Kingston, Jamaica, 1979 Reggae Sunsplash in Montego Bay and at Zimbabwe's independence celebrations in Salisbury, Rhodesia ( Harare , Zimbabwe) in 1980. The brothers performed, alongside
1353-566: The music is sold. It then connects that data together, in a way that can intelligently tell you about an entire type of music, whether a massive genre like classical, or a tiny one like sadcore ." In 1996, seeking to further develop its web-based businesses, Alliance Entertainment Corp. bought All Music from Erlewine for a reported $ 3.5 million. He left the company after its sale. Alliance filed for bankruptcy in 1999, and its assets were acquired by Ron Burkle 's Yucaipa Equity Fund. In 1999, All Music relocated from Big Rapids to Ann Arbor , where
1394-618: The number 1 position on the Billboard reggae charts. In its Mind Control album review published on April 13, 2007, the Austin Chronicle wrote: In reviewing Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life , Jon Pareless, writing in The New York Times on July 20, 2016, noted that: In June 2023 Marley released the single "Old Soul". On August 18, 2023, he announced his fourth studio album, also titled Old Soul , which
1435-420: The record's … all about really the 'hood and Africa also as well." The album title derives from Nas and Marley's relationship, their shared African ancestry, and the shared ancestry of the entire human race; which musically and lyrically inspired each recording. Leftover tracks from Nas and Marley's previous albums were originally planned for an EP based on Africa. After working together, the duo decided to record
1476-532: The sale, and as Rovi from 2009 until 2016). In 2012, AllMusic removed all of Bryan Adams ' info from the site per a request from the artist. In 2015, AllMusic was purchased by BlinkX, later known as RhythmOne . The AllMusic database is powered by a combination of MySQL and MongoDB . The All Media Network produced the All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide (at first released as The Experts' Guide ), which includes
1517-478: The several hip hop and reggae musicians voicing their solidarity. The discussion focused on the collaborations between artists of the two genres, and highlighted the Distant Relatives project. The first single, " As We Enter ", was released on iTunes on February 23, 2010. It has so far peaked at #10 on the iTunes Hip Hop/Rap charts and #41 on the iTunes Music charts. The single debuted at number 39 on
1558-407: The staff expanded from 12 to 100 people. By February of that year, 350,000 albums and two million tracks had been cataloged. All Music had published biographies of 30,000 artists, 120,000 record reviews and 300 essays written by "a hybrid of historians, critics and passionate collectors". In late 2007, AllMusic was purchased for $ 72 million by TiVo Corporation (known as Macrovision at the time of
1599-468: The weight of its noble ambitions". Distant Relatives debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 57,000 copies. It serves as Nas's tenth top-ten album and Marley's second top-ten album in the United States. The album also entered at number four on Billboard ' s Digital Albums , and at number one on its R&B/Hip-Hop Albums , Rap Albums , and Reggae Albums charts. As of June 2010, it has sold 134,000 copies in
1640-492: Was found in Miami-Dade County, Florida , unconscious inside his vehicle after reportedly suffering an asthma attack. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG ) is an American online music database . It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands . Initiated in 1991,
1681-680: Was released on September 15, 2023. Marley lives in Miami Beach, Florida , where he has a home and a private recording studio. His eldest son, Jo Mersa Marley , was a musician who released his EP Comfortable , and died on December 27, 2022. His son Yohan Marley who greatly resembles in looks and voice also began his venture into music with brother Joseph’s song “Burn it Down”, releasing his biggest single to date “Goodbyes” on November 24, 2020. His daughter, Mystic Marley, released "Beatdown", her debut single and music video on June 6, 2018. On 27th December 2022, his eldest son Jo Mersa Marley