ZIG ZAG

Lauryn Hill was a recent visitor to the Los Angeles-area studios where Ziggy Marley is working on a new album--after all, her companion, Rohan Marley, is Ziggy’s half-brother, with both being sons of the late reggae king Bob Marley. What she heard at the sessions, though, wasn’t much reggae.

Working with producer Don Was, the young Marley, now 30, is taking a side-trip into more singer-songwriter rock territory. His manager, Ron Stone, describes it as a very “personal” record. Taj Mahal has done a guest session playing harmonica on one track.

Meanwhile, in the studio next door, Ziggy’s brothers Stephen, Julian and Damian are working on their own record, which also is not exactly in the reggae pocket. Instead, they are playing off the urban, hip-hop influences Julian and Damian have experimented with under the name Ghetto Youth.

Both albums are expected to be released later this year.