Welcome To Jamrock

Welcome to Jamrock" is the first single from Damian Marley's album of the same name. Lyrics Welcome to Jamrock covers issues such as crime, poverty and political corruption as part of the harsh reality of "Jamrock", Marley's personification of Jamaica, as opposed to the Jamaica advertised as a popular tourist destination. Marley laments Jamaica's high crime rate and unceasing violence, demanding that those in charge do something about it. In this sense he carries on the legacy of his father before him, in inspiring Jamaicans to stand together. Both the rhythm (known as World Jam) and the hook are sampled from the 1984 track "World-A-Music" by Ini Kamoze - the original rhythm from the Ini Kamoze album was provided by Sly and Robbie. The track also samples the bassline from Zap Pow's hit song "Reggae Music". An edited version of "Welcome to Jamrock" was featured on the popular video game franchise FIFA 06. The song was also on the playlist of the video game Midnight Club 3, but on the remix version. There are many remixes to this song. One features G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo in a diss towards the rap group D-Block. Another features The Notorious B.I.G. Finally, a remix called "Welcome to My Block" features 2Pac, Nas, and Scarface. The Game released a diss song towards Tony Yayo and 50 Cent called "Body Bags" which samples the chorus, while a remix featuring 2Pac, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre is also available on the mixtape circuit. The originally-released recording contains the lyrics Funnyman a get dropped like a bad habit. A 'funny man' has in Jamaican English the same meaning like 'batty bwoy' or 'chi chi man', both pejorative designations for homosexual men. Since the widely-spread homonegativity in Jamaica and its reflections in popular Jamaican music has been a subject of heavy criticisms and protests outside of Jamaica, the word "Funnyman" has been edited out on following releases and remixes of the song, and when performing the song live Marley uses the word 'Babylonians' instead.

[Intro] Out in the street, they call it murder [Verse 1] Welcome to Jamrock Camp whe' the thugs dem camp at Two pound a weed inna van back It inna yuh hand bag, yuh nap sack It inna yuh back pack The smell a give yah girlfriend contact Some bwoy nuh know dis Dem only come around like tourist On the beach with a few club sodas Bedtime stories, and pose like dem name Chuck Norris And don't know the real hardcore 'Cause Sandals ah no "Back-To" Di thugs dem wi' do whe' dem got to And won't think twice to shot you Don't mek dem spot you, unless you carry guns a lot too A bear tuff thing come at you When Trenchtown man stop laugh and block off traffic Den dem wheel and pop-off and dem start clap it With the pin file down and it a beat rapid Police come inna jeep an' dem can't stop it Some say dem ah playboy, a playboy rabbit Get drop like a bad habit So nuh bother pose tuff if you don't have it Rastafari stands alone [Chorus] Welcome to Jamrock Welcome to Jamrock Out in the street, they call it murder [Verse 2] Welcome to Jamdown Poor people a dead at random Political violence, can't done Bare ghost and Phantom The youth dem get blind by stardom Now the king of kings ah call Old man to pickney, so wave unno hand if you with me To see the sufferation sick me Dem suit nuh fit me To win election dem trick we Den dem don't do noting at all Come on, let's face it, a ghetto education's basic And most of the youths dem waste it And when dem waste it That's when dem tek the guns replace it Then dem don't stand a chance at all And that's why ah nuff little youth have up some fat 'matic With the extra magazine inna dem back pocket And a bleach a night time inna some black jacket All who nah lock Gloc, say dem a lock rocket Dem wi full you up a current like ah shock socket Dem wi run a road block which part the cops block it And from now till a morning nuh stop clock it If dem run outta rounds ah bruck-back ratchet [Chorus] Welcome to Jamrock (Southside, Northside) Welcome to Jamrock (East Coast, West Coast, huh, yo) Welcome to Jamrock (Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey, yah) Hey, welcome to Jamrock Out in the street, they call it murder [Outro] Jamaica, Jamaica Jamaica, Jamaica, now Jamaica, Jamaica, yo Jamaica, Jamaica Welcome to Jamrock Welcome to Jamrock Welcome to Jamrock Welcome to Jamrock Welcome to Jamrock