Joshua Omaru "YG" Marley (born December 5, 2001) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the son of rapper and singer Lauryn Hill and former American football player Rohan Marley, and the grandson of reggae pioneer Bob Marley. He is best known for his 2023 debut single "Praise Jah in the Moonlight", which entered the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, and peaked within the top ten in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden. He also collaborated with Davido on the single "Awuke".
YG Marley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joshua Omaru Marley December 5, 2001 |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Bob Marley (grandfather) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Reggae |
| Instruments |
|
Early life and career
editJoshua Nesta Marley was born on December 5, 2001, in Beverly Hills, California. He is the son of American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill and Jamaican football player Rohan Marley.[1][2] His parents never legally married but had a long-term partnership for 15 years.[3] Marley is also the grandson of reggae musician Bob Marley.[4] Marley has numerous siblings and half-siblings between his parents, including sister model Selah Marley and half-brother former NFL player Nico Marley.[5]
He was raised in South Orange, New Jersey.[6] During his childhood, Marley often joined his mother on stage at her concerts. At the age of nine, he declared "I wanna rap" to an audience at Hill's concert.[7] In 2013, he began performing written original material during the shows.[8]
In 2017, he landed a modeling campaign for Urban Outfitters, and was featured alongside his sister Selah in Teen Vogue.[9] In February 2018, he joined his mother during her performance at Woolrich's New York Fashion Week party.[10] The following month, Marley previewed a then unreleased snippet of "Nice for What" by Drake on his Snapchat.[11][12][13] In 2020, Marley attended a pre-Grammy Awards brunch hosted by Universal Music Group, and told Billboard that he is "working on new music", and further stated that Hill would be featured on the project.[14] In 2021, Vibe reported that he was featured on a track called "Slick" by Selah Marley.[15]
In late 2023, he began performing an original song, "Praise Jah in the Moonlight", during Hill's concert tour commemorating the 25th anniversary of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.[16][17] Video clips from his performances went viral on social media, most notably on TikTok.[18] On December 27, 2023, Marley officially released "Praise Jah in the Moonlight", his first single.[19] The single quickly became a streaming hit, reaching number one in the United States, and Global Spotify Viral 50 charts.[20] In addition to gaining popularity on TikTok, the film Bob Marley: One Love based on Bob's life was released after the debut of YG's single "Praise Jah in the Moonlight".
In January 2024, it was announced that he would be a featured performer at the 2024 Coachella music festival.[21] The following month, "Praise Jah in the Moonlight" peaked at number one in New Zealand;[22] it entered the US Billboard Hot 100, with Marley becoming the sixth member of the Marley family to enter the chart.[23] It also reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and Norway.[24]
On March 31, 2024, he teased a remix of "Praise Jah in the Moonlight" featuring Lauryn Hill on Adin Ross' Kick stream.
Discography
editSingles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [25] |
AUS [26] |
BRA [27] |
CAN [28] |
IRE [29] |
NZ [30] |
NOR [31] |
SWI [32] |
UK [33] |
WW [34] | ||||
| "Praise Jah in the Moonlight" | 2023 | 34 | 19 | 27 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 11 | Non-album singles | |
| "Survival" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Awuke" (with Davido) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
Other appearances
edit| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Slick" | 2021 | Selah Marley | Star Power (EP) | [15] |
| "Never Let You Go" | 2024 | Chloe Bailey | Trouble In Paradise | [37] |
References
edit- ^ Wangethi, Isaac (December 11, 2023). "Who are Lauryn Hill's children? Meet all of her six kids". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "They Grow Up So Fast! Here's What Lauryn Hill's Children Are Up To Now". Essence. October 26, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Lauryn Hill's ex Rohan Marley responds to daughter Selah's "trauma" confession". Capital Xtra. June 21, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ E, Robin (November 29, 2023). "Lauyrn Hill's son YG Marley sounds like Bob Marley". Hip Hop Vibe. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Bob Marley's Kids: Everything To Know About The Rock Legend's 12 Kids & 20 Plus Grandkids". Hollywood Life. July 6, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Weinstock, Tish. "meet selah marley and her beautiful family", Vice, February 3, 2017. Accessed March 11, 2023. "As a kid, Selah's family moved around a lot. Born in Miami, it wasn't until she moved to South Orange, New Jersey, that she was finally able to put down roots."
- ^ Leon, Melissa (October 14, 2012). "Barbra Streisand & Jason Gould, Plus More Famous Family Duets (Video)". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Lauryn Hill's NYC Comeback Show Photos". Pitchfork. December 10, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Selah and Josh Marley Wore the Most '90s Outfits EVER". Teen Vogue. September 25, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Silver, Jocelyn. "Lauryn Hill Played a Perfect Set at NYFW Last Night". Paper.
- ^ "Drake Shows Love For Lauryn Hill On New Song Snippet". VIBE.com. March 16, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "A Drake and Lauryn Hill Snippet Surfaces Online". Hypebeast. March 14, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "How producer Murda Beatz made Drake's 'Nice for What'". EW.com. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Bob Marley's Kids Celebrate Late Reggae Icon's 75th Birthday". Billboard. January 25, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ a b "Selah Marley Reclaims Her Personal Identity With Debut EP, Star Power". Vibe. September 2, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ E, Robin (November 29, 2023). "Lauryn Hill's son YG Marley sounds like Bob Marley". Hip Hop Vibe. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Lauryn Hill and the Fugees Were on Fire (Even If They Weren't on Time) in Toronto". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "International News: Fans abuzz with Bob Marley's grandson YG Marley's debut song; performs at concert of his legendary mom Lauryn Hill". Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com. January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Turner-Williams, Jaelani. "YG Marley, Son of Lauryn Hill and Grandson of Bob Marley, Earns First Billboard Hot 100 Entry". Complex. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Kristin; Denis, Kyle; Unterberger, Andrew (January 18, 2024). "YG Marley Is Latest Marley Family Member to Score a Breakout Hit — With Help From His Legendary Mom". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Coachella 2024 Full Lineup Announced". Pitchfork. January 17, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Mallick, Dani (February 6, 2024). "YG Marley Brings Reggae Back To The Billboard Hot 100 Chart After 7 Years". DancehallMag. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Hot 100 First-Timers: YG Marley Shines With Debut Single 'Praise Jah in the Moonlight'". Billboard. February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Benson Boone and YG Marley secure debut UK Top 10 hits". Music-News.com. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "YG Marley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ "YG Marley Chart History (Brasil Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "YG Marley Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart on 23/2/2024". Official Charts. February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Singel 2024 uke 06". topplista.no. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "Discographie YG Marley" (in German). Swiss Hitparade. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 on 16/2/2024". Official Charts Company. February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "YG Marley Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ "British certifications – Yg Marley". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 19, 2024. Type Yg Marley in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "Chlöe Taps Sister Halle, Ty Dolla $ign, YG Marley & More for 'Trouble in Paradise': See the Tracklist". Billboard. August 6, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.