Roots Reggae Essentials

While the forceful, take-no-prisoners protest songs of Bob Marley and the longing, romantic pleas of Gregory Isaac seek truth through different means, these ear-catching roots-reggae classics all speak to the day-to-day personal and social issues of the African diaspora. Politics, pleasure and spirituality mingle throughout this decades-spanning survey of songs that celebrate stripped-down aggression and mind-clearing hedonism in equal measure. Follow the evolution of roots music into the present day through the lens of modern torchbearers like Chronixx, whose reggae yields sharp pop hooks with conscious lyrics.