King Django – Roots Tonic (LP)

Description

A seminal force in the East Coast ska scene, KING DJANGO has made his name as a songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and label owner (Stubborn Records). His versatility within genres of punk, rhythm & blues, and Jamaican grooves is unmatched, starting early as the singer / trombonist of legendary NYC ska band The Boilers (1986-1988), evolving through reggae/soul/punk/jazz experimentalists Skinnerbox (1989-1998), and achieving mainstream recognition with traditional ska supergroup Stubborn All-Stars (1994-1998). After the ska revival died down, King Django was able to devote his full energy on solo material: “Roots and Culture” (Triple Crown Records, 1998) combined ska, reggae and traditional klezmer music; while “Reason” (Hellcat / Epitaph, 2001) was an adventurous, eclectic self-produced album of rock deeply grounded in roots-reggae, dancehall, hip-hip, and drum and bass. In late 2003, King Django returned to Europe to record “King Django Meets The Scrucialists,” unleashing twelve brilliant slices of political roots reggae, rockers, dub, lovers rock, ska and dancehall, including two dueling sides with German microphone superstar DR RING DING.

On “Roots Tonic”, Django has enlisted an all-star cast of NYC’s finest ska/reggae veterans.

twelve crucial roots reggae cuts utilizing tuff original riddims, complex lyrical structures, and “battles” with Rocker T and Dr Ring Ding. Musically, “Roots Tonic” harkens back to the positive political reggae of the late 70’s / early 80’s spearheaded by legendary imprints Island, Frontline, Trojan, Heartbeat, On-U Sound and Greensleeves. That was a time where songwriting was key, conscious lyrics reigned supreme, reggae music was live and full of soul. “Dancehall” was in its infancy and still resembled reggae, unlike it’s mostly American hip-hop and R&B influences today. So sit back, take a heavy drink – its 100% organic — soak up Jamaica’s energy, strength, and soul with our cure-all: KING DJANGO’s “Roots Tonic” on JUMP UP / Stubborn Records!

red vinyl