| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Halfway Tree is the second album by Jamaican reggae musician Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley. It was released on September 11, 2001 via Motown Records. Recording sessions took place at Marley Music Studios, Tuff Gong Recording Studios and Sonic Sound Studios in Kingston, Quad Studios in New York and The Hit Factory in Miami. Production was handled by Stephen Marley, Kid Nyce, Swizz Beatz and Jr. Gong himself, with Roland Lyfook, David Cole and Diavallan Fearon serving as co-producers. It features guest appearances from Yami Bolo, Stephen Marley, Treach, Bounty Killer, Bunny Wailer, Capleton, Daddigan, Drag-On, Eve, Jimmy Cozier, Mr. Cheeks and Sabor.
In the United States, the album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, selling 2,000 units in its first week. At the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony held in 2002, the album won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. As of September 21, 2005, it has sold 91,000 recognized copies in the US.[2]
The name "Halfway Tree" comes from his mother, Cindy Breakspeare, being from the rich part of town, and his father, Bob Marley, coming from the poor part of town, thus him being "a tree halfway in between the 'rich' world and 'poor' world".[3] Additionally, Halfway Tree is a well-known landmark that marks the cultural center of Half-Way-Tree, the clock tower that stands where the historical eponymous cotton tree once stood is featured prominently behind Marley on the cover of the album.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Educated Fools" (featuring Treach, Bunny Wailer and Bounty Killer) |
| 5:17 | |
| 2. | "More Justice" |
|
| 3:34 |
| 3. | "It Was Written" (featuring Stephen Marley, Capleton and Drag-On) |
| Stephen Marley | 6:01 |
| 4. | "Catch a Fire" |
| Stephen Marley | 4:51 |
| 5. | "Still Searchin'" (featuring Stephen Marley and Yami Bolo) |
|
| 5:04 |
| 6. | "She Needs My Love" (featuring Yami Bolo and Sabor) |
| Stephen Marley | 4:16 |
| 7. | "Mi Blenda" |
| Stephen Marley | 4:41 |
| 8. | "Where Is the Love" (featuring Eve) |
|
| 5:07 |
| 9. | "Harder (Interlude)" | 0:42 | ||
| 10. | "Born to Be Wild" |
|
| 4:00 |
| 11. | "Give Dem Some Way" (featuring Daddigan) |
| Stephen Marley | 4:01 |
| 12. | "Half Way Tree (Interlude)" |
| Stephen Marley | 1:44 |
| 13. | "Paradise Child" (featuring Mr. Cheeks and Jimmy Cozier) |
|
| 4:01 |
| 14. | "Stuck in Between" |
|
| 3:43 |
| 15. | "Half Way Tree" |
|
| 5:25 |
| 16. | "Stand a Chance/And You Be Loved" (featuring Treach and Yami Bolo) |
|
| 9:31 |
| Total length: | 1:11:58 | |||
- Notes
- Track 16 contains a hidden track "And You Be Loved", which starts at 5:08 mark.
- Sample credits
- Track 3 contains excerpts from "No Morira Jamas" written by Orlando Toledano and Hugo González and performed by Los Ángeles Negros.
- Track 9 contains a dialogue from the film The Harder They Come.[4]
- Track 13 contains excerpts from "Lagos Jump" written by William Clarke, Michael Cooper, Stephen Coore, Richard Daley, Irvin Jarrett, Dennis Schloss, Stephen Stewart and Willie Stewart and performed by Third World.
- Track 16 contains excerpts from "Soul Shadows" written by Will Jennings and Joseph Sample and performed by Bill Withers.
- Hidden track contains a portion of "Could You Be Loved" written and performed by Bob Marley.
Charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Reggae Albums (Billboard)[5] | 2 |
References
- ^ Azpiri, Jon. "Halfway Tree - Damian Marley | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ "Wall Emerges As Billboard 200 'Champ'". Billboard. September 21, 2005. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ "Damian Jr. Gong Marley the Afiwi Interview". Afiwi.com. 2002-02-10. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
- ^ MacNeil, Jason (May 22, 2002). "Damian Marley: Halfway Tree | PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
- ^ "Reggae Albums". Billboard. September 29, 2001. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
External links
- Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley – Halfway Tree at Discogs (list of releases)
