Produced for T.I., GunPlay, Kevin Gates, Doe b,Rocko da Don, Spodee, Young Thug, Zuse,Young Dro, Fast & Furious7 Soundtrack And More

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Damian Robert Nesta Marley, also known around the world as “Junior Gong” and more recently as “Gongzilla” was born in 1978 to parents Bob Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976.  As a young adult, he developed a passion and a gift to speak for those who cannot always speak for themselves. A self-proclaimed ‘Spiritual Revolutionary’, Damian has worked assiduously to carve his own niche in music history and to add a new perspective to the Marley legacy for the 21st century. 

At the age of 13, Damian began performing in a group called “The Shepherds” which comprised of Shiah Coore (son of Third World guitarist Cat Coore) and currently a member of his band, and Yashema Beth McGreggor, daughter of reggae singers Freddie Mcgreggor and Judy Mowatt and then began touring with his brothers, Stephen, Ky-mani, Julian and Ziggy. 

By 1996, Damian had already made his stamp as a different kind of Marley when he released his first solo album “Mr. Marley”, a heavily dancehall-influenced album produced by his brother Stephen Marley.  His second album “Halfway Tree” was released in 2001 by a major record label and showcased Damian’s unique gift for blending dancehall, reggae and hip-hop styles.  This album won Damian much recognition and remained on the Billboard Top Reggae Album Charts for 158 weeks and earned him his first Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2002. 
While honored by this recognition by the global music fraternity, Damian continued to work in the studio, laying the groundwork for the tracks that would become his highly anticipated album, “Welcome To Jamrock”. The lyrics in this album presented Marley as a true spiritual revolutionary, as he used his talent to evoke a spiritual change while trying to enforce a better way of thinking.  He is described as “rhyming with the conviction of a street preacher with the intellect of a university economist”.  

Damian’s hit single “Welcome to Jamrock” was listed as one of the Top 100 Songs of the Decade by Rolling Stone, and at the 2006 Grammy Awards, he won Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Welcome to Jamrock. Damian is the only Jamaican reggae artist in history to win two Grammy Awards on the same night. He is also the only reggae artist to win in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category at the Grammy Awards. The New York Times called Welcome to Jamrock the “best reggae song of the decade.” 
Welcome to Jamrock led the pathway to Damian’s critically acclaimed collaboration with Nas for 2010’s much lauded album “Distant Relatives” – a project which explored the relationships between reggae, hip-hop and Africa. The album title refers not only to the bond between the artists, but the connection to their African ancestry, which inspired the album both musically and lyrically. USA Today referred to the album as a “potent and often provocative collaboration” and by Rolling Stone as “an Afrocentric winner.” The album debuted at Number 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and Number 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Rap Albums and Reggae Albums charts, with Billboard heralding the album as “a dynamic hybrid.”    

The Distant Relatives Tour kicked off in 2011 and saw Damian traveling and performing for thousands of fans all over the world, including South America, Europe, The United Kingdom, The Caribbean and North America.  

Damian continued to cross musical boundaries in 2012, as he went on to partner with Skrillex for their groundbreaking track “Make It Bun Dem”, which Rolling Stone called “a monster mash up of dubstep and dancehall” and has led to several remixes of the original version.  Damian recently released two other singles; “Set Up Shop” and  “Affairs of the Heart” which both received widespread airplay. 

Damian continues to tour with his band all over the world as a way of entertaining and healing as he continues to spread the message for those whose voices cannot be heard. He is working with his brothers Stephen and Julian under their Ghetto Youths International Label, to discover, develop and sign gifted artistes by applying their musical talent and vast experience to create new and different styles of music.  

Damian is currently in the studio working on his upcoming solo album.

Ambitious and determined, focused and dedicated. Every piece of work is made with love. I enjoy the connection that music has with the listener, its the greatest feeling in the world!

This Page is now Dedicated to production for party music. Enjoy. So this will be for DJ'n.... CoolBeanz is the name.

Biography

John Derek Yancey better known as “Illa J” (born October 13, 1986 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American rapper/singer & songwriter. He is a solo artist but also is currently an active member of Detroit based groups Slum Village and Yancey Boys. He also has another alias “John Regal”. He taught himself how to play the piano, had bass lessons and continuously has vocal training. 

As an independent artist, he has released three albums, 2008’s solo album Yancey Boys, 2013’s Evolution (as Slum Village along with rapper T3 and Producer Young RJ) and 2013’s Sunset Blvd. (as Yancey Boys along with Frank Nitt and Illa J’s big brother, James Dewitt Yancey (1974-2006) aka J Dilla, on the production). Illa J also has two EP’s, 2007’s Illa J, 2010’s 4 Past Midnite and two mixtapes 2012’s Dirty Slums and 2013’s Dirty Slums 2 (both as Slum Village). He magically has released all this work without being signed. He has done interviews and specials for Sway in the Morning with Sway Calloway, Mass Appeal Magazine, HipHopDX, URB Magazine, XXL magazine, etc. He also performs every year at DillaDayDetroit held at The Fillmore in Detroit which is a tribute event to celebrate the life of his big brother J Dilla. The 2013 event was headlined by Royce da 5’9 and Talib Kweli.

Since 2007, Illa J has toured in Japan, Europe and has had shows in Chile and Canada. As Slum Village, Illa J has also toured many times in Europe, the USA, Canada and have had shows in Greece, Chile and Brazil. However, 2013 has been the busiest year for Illa J in the studio and on the road.
With almost 100 booked shows with Slum Village for 2012-2013 he has recorded and released Sunset Blvd and Evolution. He also took part in the Welcome to DillaVille - A tribute to J Dilla Tour along with SlimKid3 from Pharcyde, Guilty Simpson, Frank N Dank and Slum Village. Illa J has been in a relationship for little less than two years with his Venezuelan but Montreal based girlfriend Maya. Montreal is where they spend most of their free time.

Illa J wrote and recorded his first rap at the age of 13 with his big brother J Dilla at Studio A in Detroit, Michigan. Later on, in his teenage years, he wanted to undertake a basketball career but music had always been part of his life. He joined the church choir at the age of six and he grew up seeing his entire family involved in music. His mother, Maureen Yancey, studied opera singing and was in the church choir, and his father, Beverly Dewitt Yancey (1932-2012), was offered a deal by Motown Music that he turned down but kept on doing music independently, Mr. and Ms. Yancey also had their own acapella group. His big brother James Dewitt Yancey better known as “J Dilla” was a record producer who was a great influence to the hip-hop scene by working with groups such as; A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, De La Soul, and artists such as; Busta Rhymes, Common, Erykah Badu and MF Doom. 

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