Mystic Marley, Nailah Blackman Honor Their Grandfathers Bob Marley, Lord Shorty On New Song ‘Jump’

An amalgamation of sounds honoring the rich legacy of Reggae music, Dancehall, and Soca underpin the energetic new song, Jump, by Mystic Marley, Trinidadian singer Nailah Blackman, and DJ/producer Walshy Fire.

The fusion collaboration, released on October 6, is a modern take on Rainbow Country, a 1971 song by Mystic’s grandfather, Bob Marley, and Endless Vibration, a 1974 song by Nailah’s grandfather, Lord Shorty.  Marley and Lord Shorty, whose real name was Garfield Blackman, are among those credited on the track that would get almost any carnival crowd moving. 

Even as the song calls for energy in its catchy hook, there is plenty to be found in its up-tempo use of horns, drums, and guitar. With lyrics that invite fun, partying and dancing, Jump manages to find balance as it completely kills its pace, at points, to make room for some old school Reggae strumming of the strings.

It was produced by ClickNPress and executive produced by Mystic’s father, Stephen Marley, Kertia Marley, and Reg Reg Askew for Ghetto Youth International, GasLife District, Small Axe, and EP Entertainment.

“ClickNPress did a beautiful job in fusing our worlds together. You know Nailah is from Trinidad, she is making soca music, and her grandfather is Lord Shorty, who is a staple in soca music. And on my end, my grandfather is Bob Marley, who is the legend of Reggae music. So, the familiarity on the track really made things flow in an effortless way,” Mystic said.

Nailah added: “Working with Mystic on this track was lovely. I think we have a similar energy and vibe, when it comes to how we interpret music and how we express ourselves while recording. So it was just a really fun experience creating.”

Lord Shorty is considered the Father of Soca and “The Love Man.”  He rose to fame with hits like Cloak and Dagger, Indrani, Shanti Om, and Endless Vibrations, before he found religion and took the name Ras Shorty I. 

He passed away from bone cancer at age 58 in 2000, while Marley died of cancer in 1981 at age 36.

Press play on Jump above.