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Born as Damian Marley, he was nicknamed "Jr. Gong" in honour of his legendary father, Bob "Tuff Gong" Marley. Damian was only two years old when his father died, killed by the spread of melanoma to his lungs and brain, at 36 years of age. He has been in the music business since he was a child. He began performing as the vocalist for a group called The Shepherds. They performed at several shows in Jamaica including the Reggae Sunsplash music festival in 1992. After The Shepherds' demise, Damian turned his vocal talents to deejaying. In 1993 Damian's debut single "Deejay Degree" was released on Tuff Gong Records (the label founded by Bob Marley) and the following year he released "Sexy Girls On My Mind" for the Main Street label.

His 1996 debut "Mr. Marley," awed critics and fans. His sophomore release, "Halfway Tree" was released in 2001 and received the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. His third album, "Welcome to Jamrock" was released in September of 2005. This album propelled Jr. Gong to the forefront of today's reggae scene. "Welcome to Jamrock" centers on poverty and politics in Jamaica. Damian stated that "Welcome to Jamrock" is about hope and he wants to continue to spread that throughout his music." At the 2006 Grammy Awards, he won Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Welcome to Jamrock." He is the first and only Jamaican reggae artist in history to win two Grammy Awards on the same night. He is also the only reggae artist to win in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category at the Grammy Awards. "Welcome to Jamrock" was considered the best reggae song of the decade by the New York Times. He is currently in the studios with Nas working on a collaborative album entitled "Distance Relatives," which is slated to release late June 2009. The album title is inspired by Nas and Damian’s relationship, but also their shared African ancestry, which is a common thread throughout the album.