Stephen Marley in 'Control' of solo debut, tour
Marley, the second son of late reggae icon Bob Marley, got his start as part of older brother Ziggy's backup band, The Melody Makers, but has been making his mark mostly as a producer lately, overseeing the family's Tuff Gong record label and collaborating with R&B stars such as Erykah Badu.
The 34-year-old Marley will kick off the outing March 30 in Cleveland, with the tour hitting more than 40 cities and extending well into May. Marley's younger brother Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and political rapper K'naan will offer opening support on the trek.
The tour is being produced in association with Ghetto Youths International Foundation, who will contribute one dollar from every ticket sold to providing "aid and programs to children struggling in impoverished and war-ravaged conditions around the globe," according to a press release.
Marley began work on "Mind Control" in 2002, enduring several false starts along the road to its release, which officially will come on March 20. The set features cameos from roots-rocker Ben Harper and rapper/actor Mos Def, along with contributions from Jr. Gong.
"My joy and my pain, this is me," Marley said in a press release. "It's a page from my book: Every page tells a story, but at the same time is a continuation of the page before it or the page to come. This is just one page.
"I don't want to be just another artist. I want to make a statement, and to continue this legacy, this musical legacy, with my family. Just like my brothers ... I aspire to be a reckoning force, when you hear my name, you know quality comes with that: good music, good message, good vibe."
Several tracks from "Mind Control" are currently streaming at Marley's MySpace site.
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