Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Ky-Mani Marley's latest album is 'Radio', released in late September.- Contributed

Making a name for yourself among a family of greats can only be done through strength and talent. For Ky-Mani Marley, it has taken years to step out of the shadow of his iconic father, Robert Nesta Marley and famous siblings.

Ky-Mani is the 11th of Bob Marley's 13 children, who include Grammy award winners Damian, Ziggy and Stephen. An actor, singer and now a

designer and reality television star, Ky-Mani is doing his best to discover what it means to be a Marley and create a niche for himself in the field of entertainment.

Quiet, well-mannered and jovial, Ky-Mani exudes a confidence that has landed him leading roles in the films Third World Cop and One Love. However, when it came to the realm of music, this Marley has not been as successful as some of this family members - until now.

own reality show

The first blessing for Ky-Mani came when he was approached by the BET (Black Entertainment Television) to film his own reality show called Living the Life of Marley, which will allow fans to see how he and his siblings are carrying on the legacy of their father. "The show touches a little bit on how I was raised in the inner-city ghetto (Liberty City, Miami). I was growing up in a two-bedroom place with nine people. It explains a bit of why I am the way I am, the way I am musically. I have a lot to talk about. It exposed being a Marley, that we are normal as everyone else. We have a great legacy to carry on and a loving family," he said.

The show will be aired on BET at the end of October.

Marley testifies that doing the show was not a bother. He was in his element as the show came at the 'perfect time' when he was working on his fourth and latest CD Radio, which was released on September 28. "The radio is the one place you can find all the genres of music. A little soul, R&B, hip hop, which is like my album," he said. Radio features guest appearances by a number of artistes, including Young Buck, Mya and Gail Gotti.

The light continues to shine for Ky-Mani, who scored the support slot on the American superstars Van Halen/David Lee Roth reunion tour that kicked off in North Carolina. Ky-Mani told The Sunday Gleaner in a telephone interview while he was on tour that it came about through his management team Vox Music Group and Purfek Storm Productions. So far, they have performed in North Carolina and Philadelphia in the U.S. and will be appearing in Virginia soon.

"A mean, I have really been enjoying it. As a platform, it has given me the opportunity to play songs that are not on the album. I've been playing music that was not previously recorded as yet. The music is very acoustic, very soft. So far, the fans are loving it. Up to last night, Roth was at my dressing room telling me how good it was," Ky-Mani said.

life is good

So far life is good for this Marley, as he reaches for the limits while trying to make time for his family, which is of prime significance for him. Yet, despite his already busy schedule, Ky-Mani is also ready to launch his own clothing line called Confrontation, which he describes as being military themed. As if that wasn't enough on any one person's plate, next year Ky-Mani will start the production on his latest feature film The Return.

"The Return is an action movie. We have a lot of prominent figures in it in the form of director and otherwise, but I can't speak too much on it as yet. One of my dreams is to shoot a movie in Jamaica with an all-Jamaican cast. I'm getting the funding for it and looking forward to that," Ky-Mani said.

It seems that in many ways Ky-Mani is truly living the life of a Marley.