Conscious lyrics, heavy bass — the artists that define roots
Roots reggae is the conscience of the genre. These are the artists that built it and the ones carrying it now.
Bob Marley & The Wailers — The global voice of roots. Exodus, Rastaman Vibration, Catch a Fire — start anywhere.
Peter Tosh — Militant and uncompromising. Legalize It and Equal Rights.
Bunny Wailer — The third Wailer, keeper of the flame. Blackheart Man is a masterpiece.
Burning Spear — Marcus Garvey, deep and meditative.
Culture — Two Sevens Clash.
Black Uhuru — Red, with Sly & Robbie at their peak.
Israel Vibration — Harmony-group roots at its finest.
Cultura Profética — Puerto Rico's own. El fruto de la tierra is essential.
Laguna Pai — Peru's mestizo reggae. "Canales" is a modern classic.
Stephen Marley — Carrying the family legacy forward.