Tag: Reggae
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Lily Allen ‘Alright, Still’ (2006)
I’ve long been a sucker for British hip hop (here’s me waxing poetic about Mike Skinner of The Streets) and while Lily Allen isn’t exactly hip hop, her brand of pop certainly has a lot of nods towards the genre whether it be the musical instrumentation or the bounce of the beat. Allen has got…
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Bad Brains ‘Bad Brains’ (1982)
Bad Brains stood out from their early 80’s hardcore punk peers in nearly every single– here was four Rastafarian black men playing fusing punk rock and reggae while staying grounded with their “Positive Mental Attitude” in their native Washington DC, drawing a stark contrast to the primarily white male bands with angry screeds against the…
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Lauryn Hill ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ (1998)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill redefined hip-hop and soul music almost immediately after it was released. At the time Lauryn Hill was already a respected member of the Fugees, but following a somewhat tumultuous breakup of the group. she was determined to create something entirely her own. Drawing inspiration from her new experience with motherhood,…
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311 ‘311’ (1995)
When I was in elementary school I had a friend whose house I would spend a ton at. He was a little rough around the edges despite growing up in a really affluent family, and had an older brother who always had a collection of CD’s that were super interesting and (most importantly) had the…
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The Police ‘Synchronicity’ (1983)
By the time The Police released their fifth (and what would turn out to be their final) album Synchronicity in 1983, the band was arguably the most popular and well-regarded band in the entire world. The trio of Sting (vocals/bass), Andy Summers (guitar/keys), and Stewart Copeland (drums) were fresh off recording 1981’s Ghost in the…
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Roots Manuva ‘Brand New Second Hand’ (1997)
Brand New Second Hand is a great listen to anyone who is dipping their toes into the British hip hop scene. The album title is in reference to Manuva’s childhood growing up poor where he would receive second hand gifts for Christmas (hence the phrase “brand new second hand”). The album’s general aesthetic is one…
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Stick Figure ‘Wisdom’ (2022)
Scott Woodruff is the frontman and creative center behind Stick Figure, a reggae-based outfit who has risen to prominence over the last two decades since releasing his 2007 debut The Sound of My Addiction. I’m an absolute sucker for any self-taught (and self-produced) musician, and Woodruff’s DIY approach instantly appealed to me considering the parallels…
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Bob Marley & The Wailers ‘Exodus’ (1977)
Exodus was recorded following an assassination attempt on Bob Marley’s life in 1976 at his home in Jamaica. The country was in the midst of significant societal upheaval, and Marley’s massive profile as a cultural icon at the time had drawn the attention of the conservative Jamaican Labour Party (backed by the CIA) and the…
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