Stephen Marley's 'Mind Control' Debuts No 1 On Billboard Top Reggae Album Chart

Bloomington, IN. (Top40 Charts/ Republic Records) - Stephen Marley, GRAMMY winning artist and producer notched a No 1 debut with his acclaimed solo debut album Mind Control (Tuff Gong/ Ghetto Youths/ Universal-Republic) this week, landing atop the coveted Billboard Reggae Chart, and - the Billboard Top 40 Album Chart as well. Stephen launches his much anticipated Mind Control Tour, March 29, in Bloomington, IN. The spring trek, which features special guest Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley and Somalian hip hop star K'Naan, is scheduled to hit more than 40 cities including the upcoming World Ski & Snowboard Championships in Whister, British Columbia on April 15, the 2007 Coachella Festival in Indio, CA on April 27, and the New Orleans Jazzfest on May 5. The tour winds up on May 20 in Orlando, FLA. Stephen will also be making an appearance on the Late Night With Conan O' Brien show on May 11.

The release of Mind Control represents a new stage in Stephen's evolution, one that brings together the genius of his production and his wise and soulful voice with hip-hop beats, smoky bass and winding keyboard runs. This is the sound of a man coming into full realization of his powers-and his legacy. His debut, which includes guest appearances from Mos Def and Ben Harper, showcases the diverse range of the studio-savvy Stephen, with songs such as the mesmerizing "Chase Dem," and the soulful serenade "Hey Baby." The album also includes the hit track "The Traffic Jam," which features Damian "Jr Gong" Marley. The song soared to the upper regions of the charts in Jamaica and England, as well as becoming a fan favorite at such key U.S. Rhythmic/Crossover stations such as WQHT/ New York, WLLD/ Tampa and WZMX/ Hartford.

Critics have heaped high praise on the new disk, with People Magazine calling it a "masterful fusion of reggae and hip hop,'" Entertainment Weekly raving that Mind Control is "the best Marley album in a generation" and Spin Magazine giving the album "4 stars" proclaiming that the "heir to reggae's royal family honors dad's legacy."