WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
The second son of Bob and Rita Marley, eight-time Grammy-winning musician and producer Stephen began his career as a precocious six-year old singing, dancing and playing percussion with his siblings in the group The Melody Makers. As a teenager he assisted in the production of The Melody Makers’ albums including three that would win the Grammy for Best Reggae Album.
In 1993, Stephen co-founded Ghetto Youths International with older brother Ziggy as a means of controlling their own music and helping upcoming artists. Stephen’s earliest solo production efforts include his late grandmother’s album My Altar, followed in 1995 by Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers single “Works To Do” and younger brother Damian’s “10,000 Chariots.” In 1996, Damian released his debut album, Mr. Marley, on the Ghetto Youths imprint. Stephen played several instruments and wrote most of the songs, in addition to producing the album.
The first project that brought Stephen’s production capabilities widespread attention was Chant Down Babylon, where he audaciously manipulated his father’s original vocal outtakes from the 1970s Island Records’ sessions, splicing them into duets with hip-hop and R&B artists, while updating the Wailers’ richly textured one-drop rhythms with an assortment of samples, loops and overdubs. Chant Down Babylon achieved its objective of bringing Bob’s music to a new generation of fans, earned a Grammy nomination, was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has sold more than one million copies worldwide.
Stephen’s first solo effort, Mind Control, won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2007. In 2008, Marley released an acoustic version of the hit album, which gained the artist another Grammy. In 2011, Stephen released his third solo album, The Revelation, Pt.1: The Root of Life, which reconfirmed Stephen’s expansive capabilities as an affecting vocalist, a versatile lyricist, and an accomplished instrumentalist, while furthering his renown as an ingenious producer.
Stephen continued to showcase his talent for navigating between genres by effortlessly blending reggae with soul, hip hop and electronic beats on his fourth solo album, Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life, released in 2016. A robust reflection of his work, the album features songs with notable artists including Rakim, Dead Prez, Wyclef Jean, Black Thought, Shaggy, Pitbull, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, and more.
His appearance at the BCT is part of the Acoustic Jams Tour and his daughter, Mystic Marley, will open the show. Doors will open for this GENERAL ADMISSION performance at 7:30pm. There will not be seats in the orchestra pit.
