Hundreds of artists have covered Bob Marley songs over the years, with varying degrees of success.

But with apologies to Ziggy, there's only one artist who really has the goods--talent, bloodlines, charisma, and most of all, voice--to pull it off.

Stephen Marley, Bob's middle son, is probably the most talented of his 13 children, and in front of a packed house full of devotees at the Fillmore last night, he, his brother Damian, and opening act K'Naan played the kind of sets that foreshadow a bright future for a music that is so steeped in its past.

That hope comes from a simple yet woefully uncommon trait: songwriting. All three artists have written a number of fantastic songs over the past few years on their respective albums, Mind Control, Welcome to Jamrock, and The Dustyfoot Philosopher, and they were on full display last night.

Sure, the songs are grounded in the rhythms and philosophy proffered by the legendary father of the Marley children. But they have injected them with hip-hop beats, modern soul, and a knack for catchy hooks, bringing a pop sensibility that feels both accessible and artistically interesting.

The best example of the lot was the final song of last night's 90-minute set. "Move," the Damian Marley track that puts his father's "Exodus" on steroids, complete with rapid-fire verses and a rumbling bass line, proved the perfect capper to the night. The mashed-up medley mixed "Move" with original pieces of "Exodus," and both Marley sons and K'Naan added new verses and a slice of spontaneity to the song.

The track closed out a night that started strong, as K'Naan, an MC that comes from Somalia by way of Toronto, delivered a set that was driven by the written word. Riveting wordplay is K'Naan's calling card, set to a simple sonic backdrop of African percussion and guitar. Although he's been touring almost nonstop in support of his 2005 debut album, K'Naan has been working on new material and debuted a fantastic new track last night that was set to programmed Mulatu Astatqe-style horn riffs.

Backed by an extremely tight band, Stephen Marley was up next. His new album is full of songs that take reggae to the next episode, from the dubby funk of "Mind Control" to the hip-hop soul of "Hey Baby." On the latter last night, Marley himself performed the verse of guest rapper Mos Def, a move that is sadly rare from most live performances missing a guest that appeared on a track.

Not surprisingly, there were plenty of Bob Marley covers too, from "Buffalo Soldier" and "No Woman, No Cry" to "Jammin" and "Could You Be Loved." But nostalgia was nowhere to be found on the beatbox-driven "Traffic Jam." The track arrived 30 minutes into the set and marked the arrival on stage of Damian Marley, whose emergence was greeted by an explosion from the crowd.

The wafting clouds per capita in the venue seemed to pick up at that point, as did the energy in the already-surging building. The highlight of Damian's miniset was "All Night," in which the divergent styles of Stephen and Damian were at their best, with Damian's charged toasting adding an exclamation point to Stephen's soulful crooning.

Dad would have been one proud papa.