Skip Marley Exclusively Reveals How His Mom Inspired Him to Drop His New Track, "Close"
Stating the obvious: Music has always been in Skip Marley's bones. As the grandson of pop culture icon and pioneer of reggae, Bob Marley, Skip knows a thing about legacy. "The music knew that I would follow it and join it on its path," Skip tells Cosmopolitan. Coming from a lineage of legendary Grammy-winning musicians—we're talking Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Stephen Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Damian Marley, and more—Skip's mom encouraged his musical talent since he was a kid. Now 28, the artist is blazing a trail of his own by introducing reggae to a new generation. With every release, he fuses the genre made globally famous by his grandfather with hip-hop, R&B, rock, and afro beats.
His name might be Skip, but his discography has no skips. Earlier this year, he dropped a re-imagination of his granddad's track "Exodus" for Paramount's biopic, Bob Marley: One Love, and he brings his talents across genres in collaborations with Major Lazer, Ayra Starr, Rick Ross, and more. He ultimately landed a No. 1 single with H.E.R and a double-platinum collaboration with Katy Perry that made history as the first top 10 single from the Marley lineage on the Billboard Hot 100. Needless to say, he was definitely destined to follow the same path as his famous family members.
The legacy continues as the Kingston, Jamaica-born musician drops his latest track, "Close" (which has a spicy dreamscape of a music video to match, TYVM). Skip caught up with Cosmopolitan to chat all about the song, what being a Marley means to him, and how it feels to reimagine reggae across genres.
Your new song, “Close,” is a re-imagination of another reggae banger, Maxi Priest’s “Close to You.” What inspired you to put your spin on the track, and what was your creative process like?
To tell you the truth, it was really my mother because that was one of the songs she used to jam out to. She brought the idea to me one day, like, "You should make a 'Close to You' remake or something like that." I was like, "Eh, all right, lemme see where it goes." We ended up following that inspiration, got in touch with the producers, and then we just made it happen.
Did you hit Maxi up at all? Was there anything he did to support you during the process?
Yeah, we had to pay respect because we're honoring him. We hit him up and he was fully on board with it. He loved the vibe, and I even performed with him at the Reggae Land music festival in the U.K. Me and him got to touch the stage and it was a huge moment.
You come from an iconic lineage of musicians, so I imagine you’ve always been surrounded by different sounds. Did you always know you wanted to go down that path of pursuing music?
No—but the music knew that I would follow it and join it on its path. Growing up, I started piano when I was 6 or 7 years old. My mother always made sure that we stayed musically inclined so I learned piano for a while, then I picked up guitar. I was never vocal about singing, but I had a love for it. It was really thanks to my Uncle Stephen; When he brought me out onto the stage and gave me that first blessing, the music called me from that moment, when I was 13 or 14.
Your live covers of your granddad’s songs are also fantastic. How does it feel to carry that legacy for a new generation?
It's the best feeling, man. It's the spirit, but to me, it's my duty. It's my duty to spread the love and the messages of the king. It's a part of my life and I love doing it. It's a natural thing.
I love how you fuse reggae so seamlessly with pop and hip-hop influences for a modern feel. What’s something you think listeners should know about reggae as a genre in 2024?
Reggae music is the people's music—it's the voice of the people. It's the sufferers' voice. It spreads conscious messages of love, unity, and togetherness. Reggae music always has something for you, whether you're happy, whether you want to chill on the beach, or you want to think. The music is there for you. So it's up to everyone to go find and seek it out.
You’ve performed and collaborated with a ton of different artists across genres, from Katy Perry and H.E.R to Ayra Starr and Rick Ross. What is it like to bring other people into your musical orbit? How does it feel when these opportunities come about?
I love that music is about spreading the message and spreading the unity. If we can go up different avenues and different streets and still bring that same message, that's what it's really about for me: building a community. It's the unification of mankind. So if I can mix R&B and work with a hip-hop artist, a country artist, a rock artist, or an afro beats artist, it builds the world of music. Whatever we're going through, we can all share that space together.
In the span of your career, which collaboration do you look back on the most fondly? Are there any you look back on less fondly?
There's none that are less fondly. I'm gracious and grateful for the opportunities I've had. I mean, of course, my favorite is my Uncle Damian. I remember growing up, that man was my superhero, so to work with him is to be at the top. It doesn't really get any better for me.
What have you learned about your artistry while working on your next project? What’s next for Skip Marley?
There's always more I can do and more that I'm capable of. There's always something I can strive for and learn from—I'm not the best I can be yet. I can grow and get better. So in this upcoming project, you're going to hear the steps, the progress, and the evolution of the songs and their message. It still has the simplicity yet it's deep, like the music my grandfather made. I want it to go in one ear and stay, fester, and linger. I want to get to the subconscious and get people thinking.
Parts of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity.
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