Formed by
Corrin Haskell
and
Andrew Bain
, the
Lustre Kings
imprint is a reggae label that claims three cities -- Oakland, California, Brooklyn, New York, and Kingston, Jamaica -- as home. A series of roots and conscious reggae 7" singles is how they got their start with the original
Culture Dem
being their first full-length release and first compilation. This follow-up features the same mix of veterans (
Yami Bolo
,
Capleton
, and
Anthony B
are all back from the first volume) and important newcomers (
Lutan Fyah
Turbulence
Jah Mason
all return as well) while the backing-track riddims come from the in-house
Lustre Kings Productions
team, so expect plenty of exclusives. While the quality control is still high, the unfamiliar should start with the first volume which beats this one by a nose. ~ David Jeffries