Bob Marley

• But as a music industry scholar, I wonder if the film is yet another extension of the Marley marketing machine.
• This image, however, is fundamentally at odds with what has happened to Marley’s name and likeness since his death.
• Now you can buy Bob Marley backpacks, Bob Marley jigsaw puzzles – even Bob Marley flip-flops.

On and off the record

• According to the publication, Marley earned US$16 million – or rather, his estate did.
• The commercial power of Bob Marley’s name generates the royalties earned by the estate, though precise percentages are not publicly available.
• One posthumous musical release, in particular, has been a gold mine: Marley’s “Legend” compilation album.
• But the material absent from that record speaks volumes.

• These tracks don’t appear on “Legend.” In fact, none of the tracks from “Survival” do.
• And so four decades after his death, Bob Marley remains the world’s top reggae artist.

Merchandising a mystic

• In an era of minuscule music royalties, a large portion of that $16 million in earnings also comes from merchandising, which has further watered down Marley’s revolutionary politics and spiritualism.
• Thanks to what two writers called “the Disneyfication of all matters Marley,” you can now buy Bob Marley-themed coffee, ice cream and body wash. There’s sustainably sourced, Bob Marley-branded audio equipment, in addition to a line of Bob Marley skateboard decks.

• It’s funded by the American private equity company Privateer Holdings, which the Marley family had approached to gauge their interest in collaboration for the product’s release.
• The creators of the Starbucks logo were hired to design the logo for Marley Natural, further underlining the venture’s commercial ties.
• In 2001, his daughter Cedella, who runs parts of the estate, released a fashion line called Catch a Fire.
• On it, tracks like “Slave Driver,” “Concrete Jungle” and “400 Years” connect the poverty of the present to the injustices of the past.

The reel situation of ‘One Love’

• The estate has long portrayed the rampant commercialization of the Marley name and image as an important way to sustain and spread the artist’s ideals.
• However, I think it’s important to ensure that the artistic and cultural values embedded in his music do not become clouded in a haze of rampant commercialization.
• And his anti-imperialist messages, as warmongers threaten basic human rights around the world, are perhaps needed now more than ever.

Mike Alleyne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- One World Products, Inc., a fully-licensed hemp and cannabis producer in Colombia and ascendant international hemp and cannabis company, today announced a strategic reorganization plan for its principal subsidiary, One World Products Pharma SAS ("OWP-Colombia").
• This reorganization under Colombian Law 1116 of 2006 represents a step forward in the Company’s strategy to optimize its operations and position itself for significant growth through recently established key partnerships with market leaders in the cannabis and organic cosmetics sectors.
• OWP will continue its extraction operations in Colombia without interruption, as the reorganization proceedings streamline operations and direct resources toward the most promising areas for growth.
• "This reorganization is a strategic recalibration, allowing us to honor our past commitments while paving a clear path for future growth,” says Isiah Thomas, Chairman and CEO for One World Products.

• DALLAS, Texas, Nov. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Mattamy Homes, North America's largest privately owned homebuilder, is excited to announce the opening of four new model homes available for touring, in four distinctly unique communities throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
• Learn more about this community by joining the interest list and visiting the  Bowie model.
• "These new thoughtfully designed and decorated models enhance Mattamy's existing line-up of strategically located communities available for sale throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
• Since launching its Dallas Division in 2020, Mattamy Homes has been actively building places people are proud to call home across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

• The Marley family and Docklight Brands are proud to announce the Marley Natural® cannabis store is open and welcoming visitors in Kingston, Jamaica.
• The reggae legend’s former home and recording studio at 56 Hope Road, now known as the Bob Marley Museum , is also host to the new flagship Marley Natural Dispensary and smoking lounge.
• View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230210005327/en/
  The Marley Natural® cannabis store is now open and welcoming visitors in Kingston, Jamaica at Bob Marley's former home and recording studio.
• The outlet will exclusively offer Marley Natural cannabis grown locally in St. Ann, Jamaica, the parish where Bob Marley was born.