Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's landmark single Welcome To Jamrock has officially been certified Platinum in the United Kingdom, nearly two decades after its release.
According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the track was awarded a BRIT Certified Platinum plaque on Friday, October 3, signifying over 600,000 units (sales and streaming equivalents) in the UK, as measured by the Official Charts Company.
Released in 2005 as the title track from Marley's third studio album, Welcome To Jamrock became an international anthem, blending hard-hitting social commentary with a hypnotic riddim. Produced by Damian and his brother Stephen Marley, the track famously samples the hook and riddim from Ini Kamoze's 1984 classic World-A-Music, which was produced by Sly & Robbie.
"Welcome to Jamrock's inspiration was really to highlight a side of Jamaica that the world doesn't see, and the media doesn't really show: the day to day attitudes of Jamaicans and our life living there," Jr. Gong told IndependentPhilly.
"There had been a song that came out in hip-hop called, 'Welcome to Atlanta', that was kind of talking about the streets of Atlanta to a certain degree. I kind of wanted to showcase a little bit of what it's like in a third world country. Of course, there are ghettos everywhere, and rough spaces everywhere, and people going through a hard time everywhere, but it's a little bit different in the nature of a third world country than a first world country."
The song peaked at No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually earning Marley two Grammy Awards in 2006—Best Reggae Album for the Welcome To Jamrock album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the single itself.
The song has been featured in the video game soundtracks of FIFA 06, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix, and The Sims 2: Bon Voyage.
In filmmaking, it has made appearances in Mythic Quest (2021), The Perfect Guy (2015), and Illegal Tender (2007).
The Welcome To Jamrock album, released under Ghetto Youths Intl/Tuff Gong and Universal Records, had also featured the songs, The Master Has Come Back, Road To Zion with Nas, and Khaki Suit with Bounty Killer and Eek-A-Mouse.
The album peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart and at No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. It is certified Gold in the United States, for sales exceeding 500,000 units, Gold in the UK, for sales exceeding 100,000 units, and Gold in the Canada, for sales exceeding 50,000 units.
The milestone Platinum certification arrives just weeks before the 10th anniversary edition of the Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise, co-founded by Marley and Dan Dalton.
This year's sold-out voyage (October 27 – November 1, 2025) aboard the Norwegian Joy will feature an all-star lineup including Shabba Ranks, Super Cat, Sizzla, Capleton, Shenseea, and performances from the third generation of Marleys, including YG Marley and Skip Marley.
The organizers have also confirmed the cruise will return for its 11th year in 2026.
