Yes, Damian “Junior Gong” Marley and Nas are still working on their epic Distant Relatives album. To whet your appitite, they’re headlining a special discussion panel on December 12, 2009 at National Geographic’s Grosvenor Auditorium in Washington, DC.

Distant Relatives is a concept album that traces the roots of hip hop and reggae music and culture to a single, unified whole. The December discussion will cover the Caribbean and African origins that link these musical forms, from the African continent to American and Caribbean diaspora and finally dancehall and hip hop house parties in Jamaica and The Bronx.

The Distant Relatives discussion will be moderated by Sway Calloway and panelists include DJ Kool Herc, Rakim, Daddy U-Roy, King Jammy, Jeff Chang, Moussa Lo and DJ Red Alert.

In addition to Nas and Damian Marley, Kool Herc‘s presence should add tremendous insight to the discussion: born in Jamaica, Herc is credited with bringing dancehall culture to The Bronx in the early ’70s, hosting house- and park-parties that kicked off the whole hip hop scene.

You can watch a live stream of the event on www.natgeomusic.net. The panel will be taped for use in a 2010 Distant Relatives documentary film, scheduled to coincide with the album’s release.

Tickets for the Distant Relatives panel are $25. You can purchase tickets for the event at www.nglive.org or by calling (202) 857-7700. The National Geographic auditorium ticket office is also open from 9 to 5 on weekdays.