Ova-Mars: Bruno Mars x Damian Marley’s “Liquor Store Blues” Video

Words by DJ Gravy

One of pop’s biggest new stars, Bruno Mars, has a serious reggae jones. First there was “Billionaire,” the 2010 ubiqu-hit he co-wrote, co-produced and co-starred on with former Gym Class Hero Travie McCoy. Fresh off of his Grammy win two weeks ago for co-writing and co-producing Cee-Lo’s “Forget You,” Mars (whose other behind-the- scenes work includes writing for Flo-Rida, Brandy and Sean Kingston), just dropped a curiously smoky video for “Liquor Store Blues,” a collabo with Jr. Gong from his Doo-Wops & Hooligans album.  While “Billionaire” revived the good-time, pop-rock-reggae vibes of ’90s staple Sublime, “Liquor Store Blues” has a more authentic yard vibe, thanks to Black Chiney’s Supa Dups, who co-produced the track with Mars’ own Smeezingtons camp. Check the video below, and look out for more Jamaican vibes from this rising Hawaiian/Filipino/Puerto Rican star in the future—it’s coming.