Marley can’t help but be himself on ‘Stony Hill’

As the youngest son of reggae icon Bob Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley has created a legacy of his own — advancing the sound and status of present-day reggae.

The multiple Grammy-winning artist, born Damian Robert Nesta Marley in Kingston, Jamaica, blazed a trail to global notoriety in 2005 with the single and album “Welcome to Jamrock.”

The gruff, hard-hitting, militant street anthem not only helped Marley win Grammy awards for Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance that year, it also served as his official introduction to the mainstream music industry.

Marley and his legendary father share a common thread: conscious, politically charged messages, which often touch on the injustices of the world with the intent to educate and create positive social change.

Damian Marley’s next-level blend of dancehall, hip-hop and reggae hits the Blaisdell Arena Friday as part of his Stony Hill World Tour.

MARLEY SAYS his music isn’t made for a specific audience; the intent is to speak to the masses. He also noted that being part of such a highly regarded musical family never came with extra pressure or expectations.

“I just do me,” Marley said.

“Of course I’m my father’s son. I’m a product of him so whatever I reflect is natural; it’s not something I consciously think about. I be myself.”

A collaborative album with rap legend Nas in 2010 (“Distant Relatives”); a brief run with Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, A.R. Rahman and Dave Stewart as the group SuperHeavy in 2011; numerous musical collaborations on tracks with the likes of Sean Paul, Cypress Hill, Gwen Stefani and Skrillex; and touring have kept him plenty busy during the time between the explosion of “Welcome to Jamrock” and his latest project “Stony Hill.”

Marley’s signature rude-boy cadence is featured on Jay-Z’s critically acclaimed album “4:44” (“Bam”). He also recently lent his ragga-bunctious flow to Ty Dolla $ign’s latest single “So Am I,” which also featured electronic-music whiz Skrillex.

Marley says his purpose in music and in life are synonymous.

“My life is music; that’s what I do with my life,” he said. “I am a musician. My purpose in life is to play music, and of course my music is an expression of how I view life, so the two of them are parallel.”

“STONY HILL,” Marley’s fourth solo studio album, is 18 tracks of cutting-edge reggae meshed firmly with traditional, uplifting roots feels. The album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Chart and currently stands firmly at No. 2, eight weeks after its release.

On the album, Marley addresses topics such as crooked law enforcement (“Slave Mill”), unfair stereotypes (“Nail Pon Cross”) and pride for his Kingston stomping grounds (“R.O.A.R”).

“It’s been 12 years since my last solo album, so as any human being would, you grow a lot in 12 years,” Marley said.

The project was released on Marley’s 39th birthday, July 21. It includes three songs with brother Stephen (“Medication,” “Grown & Sexy,” “Picture Perfect”), a track from famed dancehall producer Anju Blaxx (“Speak Life”) and a standout cameo by rising reggae star Major Myjah (“Upholstery”).

“Stony Hill and I have a strong connection because that’s the area I grew up in Jamaica. It is where I was raised,” Marley said. “A lot of my early memories are from that neighborhood.”

REGGAE FANS in the Aloha State get special recognition from Marley for supporting his music early. He notes that a handful of songs from his very first album, the 1996 release “Mr. Marley,” were popular jams in Hawaii at the time.

“It’s one of the first places that embraced my music,” he said. “I had two songs that were really big hits there, ‘Me Name Jr. Gong’ and ‘One More Cup of Coffee,’ so the first record I ever had in my career was in Hawaii,” Marley said. “That’s why Hawaii has always been special to me.

“We have that kind of relationship, because Hawaii was the first place to show me love, even before Jamaica.”

Speaking of his connection to the islands, Marley has also had a few special encounters with two of the most beloved Hawaii-born artists of today; Bruno Mars and Jack Johnson.

Jamaica’s music ambassador to the world teamed up with Mars on the song “Liquor Store Blues” on Mars’ 2010 debut album “Doo-Wops & Hooligans.” Mars “invited me to be a part of his project,” Marley said.

Three years after Marley and Mars recorded together, they shared the stage with Sting, Rihanna and brother Ziggy Marley at the 2013 Grammys, as part of a Bob Marley tribute performance.

In 2006, Marley did an impromptu performance of “Welcome to Jamrock” with Paula Fuga at Johnson’s Kokua Festival at the Waikiki Shell. The song was recorded and released as part of Johnson’s live album from the festival.

“I would run into Jack Johnson basically at different concerts over the years. He’s a cool bredren,” Marley said. “I like his music.”

OUTSIDE MUSIC, Marley recently joined with other investors to purchase marijuana-culture magazine “High Times” and opened a marijuana dispensary in Colorado last year, as president and CEO of Stony Hill Corp.

Marley also has his very own “Stony Hill” strain of marijuana, recently purchased a 77,000-square-foot California prison and turned the space into a medical marijuana farm.

A longtime proponent of the healing properties of marijuana, Marley said he plans to make Stony Hill Corp. into a global marijuana platform.

“Where I’m doing business, for example in California and Colorado, those areas are much further along with their legislation than Hawaii,” Marley said. “I would imagine it is quite the task to get through something of that nature. It’s just starting there, so give it some time.”