Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Nas are lighting up the US with a summer series of solo performances for their Distant Relatives tour, which also includes headliner performances with 2009 Rock the Bells. The tour supports their forthcoming reggae hip hop crossover album Distant Relatives. Distant Relatives blends Marley’s instrumentals and distinct vocals with the lyrical mastery and hip hop beats that fans have come to expect from Nas.
Production for Distant Relatives began in 2008, originally designed as a compilation of leftover tracks from the two artists previous albums, it was redesigned as a completely new, collaborative piece. Damian and Stephen Marley produced most of the tracks, with talk of additional production support being provided by Large Professor, The Alchemist, J. R. Rotem (who put pop dancehall star Sean Kingston on the radio and in everyone’s ear) and DJ Khalil.
The album’s themes focus on empowerment and African roots, as well as reminders of the daily struggle of many Africans with tracks like Count Your Blessings. Although the album was recorded with a live band, the final tracks include samples from African music as well. The proceeds from Distant Relatives will be donated to a project in Africa, with the possibility of building a school frequently mentioned. Additional tracks include Only The Strong and Africa Must Wake Up.
Although the tour begins on May 2, the city-to-city appearances will begin May 21, three days after the release of the original duo’s Universal Republic album. It will run from May 2nd in West Palm Beach, Florida and end in Bridgeport, Connecticut on August 1st.
