Halfway Tree
Covering everything from roots reggae to dancehall, culture to (mild)  slackness, and hip-hop to R&B;, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's sophomore offering,Halfway Tree, bridges the gap between several disparate Jamaican sounds.  "Where Is The Love?"--set to a slinky American R&B; rhythm--juxtaposes the  youngest Marley's roughneck toasting against Ruff Ryder Eve's assertive feminist  rap. His posh uptown pedigree can be observed in the smooth grooves and  salsa-infected vibes of the Sly & Robbie-produced "She Needs My Love," which also  showcases graceful vocalization byYami Bolo. "Catch a  Fire," featuring brother Stephen's raw silk harmonies, drops some  straightforward African diaspora history in a classic roots reggae style,  deconstructing and updating their fatherBob's classic "Slave  Driver." Overall,Halfway Treeis above average, and "Give Dem Some Way"  is the album's most outstanding selection. After opening with a truly funny  spoken-word intro, a funky bass-drum-and-flute "wild apache" beat kicks in, and  then Jr. Gong and talented newcomer Izzy set it off for the educated rude-bwoy  youth.--Rebecca Levine