Not to be confused with YG (rapper).
YG Marley
Birth nameJoshua Omaru Marley
Birth dateDecember 5, 2001 (age 24)
Birth placeBeverly Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationSinger · rapper · songwriter
Years active2013–present
FatherRohan Marley
MotherLauryn Hill
RelativesBob Marley (grandfather)
Selah Marley (sister)
Nico Marley (half-brother)
Ziggy Marley (uncle)
Stephen Marley (uncle)
Skip Marley (cousin)
Isaiah Hill (cousin)
Donisha Prendergast (cousin)
YG Marley
Backgroundsolo_singer
GenreReggae
InstrumentVocals · guitar · percussion · piano

Joshua Omaru "YG" Marley (born December 5, 2001) is an American singer and rapper. He is the son of singer Lauryn Hill and former football player Rohan Marley, and the grandson of reggae pioneer Bob Marley. He rose to prominence with his 2023 debut single "Praise Jah in the Moonlight", which became an international hit, peaking within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and earning platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He has since collaborated with Busta Rhymes, Coco Jones, and Davido, appearing on the latter's 2024 single "Awuke".

Early life and career

Joshua Omaru Marley was born on December 5, 2001, in Beverly Hills, California. He is the son of American singer Lauryn Hill and Jamaican football player Rohan Marley.[1][2] His parents never legally married but had a long-term partnership for 15 years.[3] Marley is also the grandson of reggae musician Bob Marley.[4] Marley has numerous siblings and half-siblings between his parents, including sister model Selah Marley and half-brother former NFL player Nico Marley.[5]

He was raised in South Orange, New Jersey.[6] During his childhood, Marley often joined his mother on stage at her concerts. At the age of nine, he declared "I wanna rap" to an audience at Hill's concert.[7] In 2013, he began performing written original material during the shows.[8]

In 2017, he landed a modeling campaign for Urban Outfitters, and was featured alongside his sister Selah in Teen Vogue.[9] In February 2018, he joined his mother during her performance at Woolrich's New York Fashion Week party.[10] The following month, Marley previewed a then unreleased snippet of "Nice for What" by Drake on his Snapchat.[11][12][13] In 2020, Marley attended a pre-Grammy Awards brunch hosted by Universal Music Group, and told Billboard that he is "working on new music", and further stated that Hill would be featured on the project.[14] In 2021, Vibe reported that he was featured on a track called "Slick" by Selah Marley.[15]

In late 2023, he began performing an original song, "Praise Jah in the Moonlight", during Hill's concert tour commemorating the 25th anniversary of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.[16][17] Video clips from his performances went viral on social media, most notably on TikTok.[18] On December 27, 2023, Marley officially released "Praise Jah in the Moonlight", his first single.[19] The single quickly became a streaming hit, reaching number one on the United States and Global Spotify Viral 50 charts.[20] In addition to gaining popularity on TikTok, the film Bob Marley: One Love based on Bob's life was released after the debut of YG's single "Praise Jah in the Moonlight".

In January 2024, it was announced that he would be a featured performer at the 2024 Coachella music festival.[21] The following month, "Praise Jah in the Moonlight" peaked at number one in New Zealand;[22] it entered the US Billboard Hot 100, with Marley becoming the sixth member of the Marley family to enter the chart.[23] It also reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and Norway.[24]

In March 2024, Marley appeared on Adin Ross' Kick stream.[25] In May 2024, He released his single "Survival", which sampled his grandfather's song "Ambush In the Night" from his 1979 album of the same name.[26] That same month, he performed the song alongside his mother on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[27] On July 19, 2024, he released the version featuring Hill entitled "Survival (Version)".[28] The following month, Marley appeared on the song "Never Let You Go" from the album, Trouble in Paradise by singer Chloe Bailey.[29] In October 2024, he collaborated with Nigerian singer Davido on the single "Awuke".[30]

Discography

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
[31]		AUS
[32]		BRA
[33]		CAN
[34]		IRE
[35]		NZ
[36]		NOR
[37]
SWI
[38]		UK
[39]		WW
[40]
"Praise Jah in the Moonlight"20233419272013185511rowspan="3"
"Survival"2024——————————
"Awuke"
(with Davido)		——————————
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
TitleYearOther artist(s)AlbumRef.
"Slick"2021Selah MarleyStar Power (EP)[15]
"Never Let You Go"2024Chloe BaileyTrouble In Paradise[46]
"Treasure & Gold"2025Busta RhymesDragon Season... The Awakening (EP)[47]
"Why Not More?"2025Coco JonesWhy Not More?

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2025MOBO AwardsBest Caribbean music actHimself[48]
IHeartRadio Music AwardsWorld Artist of the Year[49]
International Reggae and World Music AwardsBest New Entertainer[50][51]
Best Male Vocalist
Best Crossover Song"Awuke"
Best Song"Praise Jah in the Moonlight"
Best Music Video

References

  1. ^ Wangethi, Isaac (2023-12-11). "Who are Lauryn Hill's children? Meet all of her six kids". Legit.ng. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  2. ^ "They Grow Up So Fast! Here's What Lauryn Hill's Children Are Up To Now". Essence. 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  3. ^ "Lauryn Hill's ex Rohan Marley responds to daughter Selah's "trauma" confession". Capital Xtra. 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  4. ^ E, Robin (2023-11-29). "Lauyrn Hill's son YG Marley sounds like Bob Marley". Hip Hop Vibe. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  5. ^ "Bob Marley's Kids: Everything To Know About The Rock Legend's 12 Kids & 20 Plus Grandkids". Hollywood Life. 2023-07-06. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  6. ^ Weinstock, Tish. "meet selah marley and her beautiful family", Vice, February 3, 2017. Accessed March 11, 2023. "As a kid, Selah's family moved around a lot. Born in Miami, it wasn't until she moved to South Orange, New Jersey, that she was finally able to put down roots."
  7. ^ Leon, Melissa (2012-10-14). "Barbra Streisand & Jason Gould, Plus More Famous Family Duets (Video)". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  8. ^ "Lauryn Hill's NYC Comeback Show Photos". Pitchfork. 2013-12-10. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  9. ^ "Selah and Josh Marley Wore the Most '90s Outfits EVER". Teen Vogue. 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  10. ^ Silver, Jocelyn. "Lauryn Hill Played a Perfect Set at NYFW Last Night". Paper
  11. ^ "Drake Shows Love For Lauryn Hill On New Song Snippet". VIBE.com. 2018-03-16. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  12. ^ "A Drake and Lauryn Hill Snippet Surfaces Online". Hypebeast. 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  13. ^ "How producer Murda Beatz made Drake's 'Nice for What'". EW.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
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  15. ^ "Selah Marley Reclaims Her Personal Identity With Debut EP, Star Power". Vibe. 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
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  17. ^ "Lauryn Hill and the Fugees Were on Fire (Even If They Weren't on Time) in Toronto". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
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  20. ^ Robinson, Kristin; Denis, Kyle; Unterberger, Andrew (2024-01-18). "YG Marley Is Latest Marley Family Member to Score a Breakout Hit — With Help From His Legendary Mom". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  21. ^ "Coachella 2024 Full Lineup Announced". Pitchfork. 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  22. ^ Mallick, Dani (2024-02-06). "YG Marley Brings Reggae Back To The Billboard Hot 100 Chart After 7 Years". DancehallMag. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  23. ^ "Hot 100 First-Timers: YG Marley Shines With Debut Single 'Praise Jah in the Moonlight'". Billboard. 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  24. ^ "Benson Boone and YG Marley secure debut UK Top 10 hits". Music-News.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  25. ^ Mukherjee, Shreyan (2024-04-01). ""I am 25% Jamaican" - Adin Ross makes remarks about Jamaica's food during collaboration with Bob Marley's grandson". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  26. ^ Perry, Kediesha (2024-05-14). "YG Marley Samples Grandfather In New Song 'Survival,' To Perform On 'Jimmy Fallon' With Mom Lauryn Hill". DancehallMag. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  27. ^ "Ms. Lauryn Hill & YG Marley Perform on Fallon: Watch". 2024-05-15. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  28. ^ "ONE LOVE: MARLEY & HILL DROP "SURVIVAL (VERSION)"". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  29. ^ Mamo, Heran (2024-08-06). "Chlöe Taps Sister Halle, Ty Dolla $ign, YG Marley & More for 'Trouble in Paradise': See the Tracklist". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  30. ^ "Davido Drops His First Single of the Year, "Awuke"". okayafricasite. October 31, 2024. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  31. ^ "YG Marley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  32. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  33. ^ "YG Marley Chart History (Brasil Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  34. ^ "YG Marley Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  35. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart on 23/2/2024". Official Charts. 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  36. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 2024-02-11. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  37. ^ "Singel 2024 uke 06". topplista.no. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  38. ^ "Discographie YG Marley" (in German). Swiss Hitparade. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  39. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 on 16/2/2024". Official Charts Company. 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  40. ^ "YG Marley Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  41. ^ Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  42. ^ "Introducing the #RIAAClassOf 2024". Recording Industry Association of America. December 16, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  43. ^ Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  44. ^ Retrieved November 30, 2024.
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  46. ^ "Chlöe Taps Sister Halle, Ty Dolla $ign, YG Marley & More for 'Trouble in Paradise': See the Tracklist". Billboard. 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  47. ^ Powell, Jon. "Busta Rhymes brings the fire on 'Dragon Season... The Awakening' EP". REVOLT. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  48. ^ Williams, Sophie (2024-12-04). "Central Cee, Jorja Smith & Sampha Among Nominees for 2025 MOBO Awards: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  49. ^ France, Lisa Respers (2025-01-22). "iHeartRadio Music Awards nominations led by Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen". CNN. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  50. ^ Clayton, Christine (2025-03-31). "42nd IRAWMA Winners - IRAWMA". Retrieved 2025-04-03.
  51. ^ Caribbean, South Florida (2025-01-19). "International Reggae and World Music Awards 2025 Nominees". South Florida Caribbean News. Retrieved 2025-01-20.