“Anything that sounds good is good,” says Stephen Marley, paraphrasing Duke Ellington. Don’t be surprised to hear the King of Reggae’s son referencing Harlem’s master of the jazz orchestra. Never one to limit his musical horizons, Stephen has always listened without prejudice, letting his inspiration set him free as a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer—whether collaborating with his illustrious musical family, or with Lauryn Hill, Nas, or Erykah Badu.
Beginning his lifelong musical journey at the age of six, Stephen shared historic stages with his legendary father and toured the world with his brother Ziggy and sisters Cedella and Sharon, The Melody Makers. The Tuff Gong instilled in all of his children a strict work ethic and an awareness that “music is way more than just music.”
Over the past 45 years, Stephen has won no fewer than eight Grammy Awards—three with The Melody Makers, twice as a producer of his younger brother Damian Marley, and three times as a solo artist. Every one of his solo projects to date has topped the Billboard Reggae charts. Stephen Marley’s place in music history is already secure. He does not really need to push the envelope, to defy expectations, to let the whole world into his world. And yet that is just what he’s decided to do.
Stephen Marley’s highly anticipated new single Old Soul just dropped on his birthday April 20, 2023; the first work off his new studio project in 5 years which is set to release later this year --and comes as a complete revelation and many new surprises.
