Watch Bunji Garlin and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley’s Inspirational New Video, “The Message”

Screenshot via YouTube

“Every question gunshot is the answer” Bunji Garlin laments on “The Message,” his new joint track with Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, searching for an answer of his own to this problem. “Must something in the island breeze / make violence spread like disease” Marley adds on his verse. But if “The Message” has some grim thoughts about violence, it also offers hope: “There’s music in your soul… children full of beauty” Marley sings on the hook.

A smooth blend of the artists’ respective styles that falls comfortably at a midpoint among soca, reggae, and hip-hop—with a trippy, pitched-down outro for good measure—the song aims to inspire and heal via the international language of catchiness. Filmed in Garlin’s native Trinidad, the video features a great pairing of a hoverboard rolling in just as the beat drops, Marley’s calf-length dreads shaking dramatically, and cameos from the likes of Popcaan, Sizzla, and Fay-Ann Lyons.

The song is out now and is also featured on VP Records’ summer compilation Reggae Gold 2016, out in July. The pair will both be performing on the Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise 2016 this November as well. Check out the video below and get some hope for the future.

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