YG Marley made quite the impression for his debut on the main stage at Coachella over the weekend, despite having only one released song to...
YG Marley made quite the impression for his debut on the main stage at Coachella over the weekend, despite having only one released song to his name.
To fill out his 50-minute set on Sunday afternoon, the 22-year-old enlisted his superstar mom Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Busta Rhymes. He also showcased his musical heritage, performing covers of his grandfather Bob Marley's songs and some unreleased originals of his own.
The Marley heir didn't just rely on impressive connections but also conveyed the essence of his culture with his Rastafarian-inspired blazer and tasseled pant outfit, stage props, smoke effects, and an ever-evolving digital backdrop, which showcased icons like Bob Marley, Haile Sellassie, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Marcus Garvey, and others.
His set kicked off with a taste of things to come, featuring unreleased tracks like Marching to Freedom, Control, and his self-proclaimed "favorite song," Running.
Lauryn Hill then took the stage, electrifying the crowd with her classic hits Ex-Factor, Lost Ones, and a stunning rendition of Killing Me Softly. This surprise appearance opened the door for a mini-Fugees reunion (minus Pras) as Wyclef Jean joined in, performing fan favorites Fu-Ge-La and Ready Or Not.
The energy remained high with the arrival of Brooklyn rapper Busta Rhymes, along with Spliff Star. They delivered crowd-pleasing performances of Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See and Busta's verse from Chris Brown's Look At Me Now.
The artists then united to pay homage to Bob Marley, performing beloved classics One Love, Is This Love, and Exodus. Wyclef led the crowd in a powerful call for peace, urging them to raise their hands if they wanted "no more war in the world" as the iconic song War echoed through the sound system.
YG Marley then returned to the stage after greeting the crowd to deliver his critically acclaimed single, Praise Jah In The Moonlight, twice. "I wanna know how many people know this song," he cheekily asked eager fans.
Praise Jah In The Moonlight, which features credits for both Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill, has taken the world by storm. Following its independent release on December 27, the song reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the UK Singles chart. It was certified Silver in the UK in March.
It has received several boosts on social media from the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's daughter, North West, and more recently TikTok influencer Leah Halton, who shared her make-up 'look' while lip-syncing to the track. The Australian model's clip has attracted over 620 million views and over 44 million likes, the most for a video on the platform.
On TikTok, the song has soundtracked over 2.3 million clips to date.
Marley, the son of Rohan Marley, will perform again during Weekend 2 (April 19-21) of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, which will be held at California's Empire Polo Club.
