Damian Marley Puts in a Full Shift on “Hard Work”

The grind doesn’t stop, even on an island of endless summer.

September 19, 2014

When Damian Marley's "Hard Work" first unrolls, you almost hear the tip-toeing Rhodes keys of Wendy Rene via Wu-Tang Clan, but before you know it, the track bursts from a stroll to a full-on sprint. The most famous Marley offspring drops a pulsing blueprint for flipping funds: "Hard Work" celebrates everyone who clocks in a full shift, from ganja farmers to night nurses. It's a timely single: Gleaner columnist Kelly McIntosh recently mused on Jamaican productivity, or the apparent lack thereof, and how the "don't worry, be happy" stigma that flanks the island has affected work incentives across industries. Influence di youtes dem fi build dem worth, let dem know say dem blessed from birth, Damian states--the children are the future, after all. "Hard Work" will appear on Set Up Shop Vol. 2 via Damian's Ghetto Youth's label, and he'll be setting out on a five-day "Welcome to Jamrock" cruise this fall.

Damian Marley Puts in a Full Shift on “Hard Work”