Ky-mani Marley and Stinging Ray

Born the only child of reggae legend Bob Marley and Jamaican table tennis champion Anital Belnavis, Ky-mani moved to Miami, U.S. at the age of nine. Initially focused on his sporting endeavours in soccer and American football, the Jamaican, under his mother’s direction soon learned to play the guitar and piano. He subsequently played the trumpet in his high school band and begun rapping and Djing, ultimately releasing his debut single “Unnecessary Badness” whilst still in his teens.

Following an experimental period of studio time, often with his brothers Stephen, Julian, and Damian, Ky-mani signed with Shang Records, who issued his debut album “Life Father Like Son” in 1996. The record proved popular in reggae circles, spawning the singles “Judge Not” with Patra, “The Cap Fit (remix), “Sensimelia”, and the No. 1 British Reggae Chart single “Dear Dad”. A year later Marley collaborated with Praswell of Fugees fame on a cover of Eddy Grant’s single “Electric Avenue”, cementing the musician’s reputation as a staple of the new era of reggae artists.

After signing with Gee Street/V2 Records in 1997 fans would have to wait until 2000 for the release of his sophomore album “The Journey”. Unlike his debut which featured a number of Bob Marley songs, “The Journey” was comprised entirely of Ky-mani penned songs, as was his third full-length “Many More Roads” in 2001. The latter album subsequently earned a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album, however lost out to his brother Damian Marley and his album “Halfway Tree”.

Following an extensive period of touring and testing out new material, Ky-mani returned in 2004 to release his fourth studio album “Milestone”. The singer-songwriter’s fifth full-length “Radio” topped the Billboard Reggae Charts upon release in October 2007 earning widespread critical acclaim. Later in 2007 Ky-mani collaborated with Young Buck on his track “Puff Puff Pass”, after which he contributed to releases by Alborosie and The Dirty Heads.