The Fourth Quarter The Late Ones
Released in October 2021 via Easy Star Records, THE FOURTH QUARTER serves as the official full-length debut album from the reggae and hip-hop hybrid trio The Late Ones. Comprised of brothers Tui and Tau Avei alongside their cousin Josh Brunson, the group draws upon their shared heritage to craft a distinct fusion of classic roots reggae and golden-era hip-hop. The 14-track collection seamlessly merges the intricate three-part vocal harmonies of foundational Jamaican acts like The Mighty Diamonds and Culture with the rhythmic cadences and boom-bap flow of 1990s hip-hop collectives such as A Tribe Called Quest and the Native Tongues.
Thematically, the album balances stark reflections on systemic injustice with overarching messages of spiritual resilience and community empowerment. Developed over a five-year period of deliberate songwriting, the project captures the trio's focus on conscious social commentary and protest music. Tracks like the upbeat “Feeling Myself” explore themes of confidence and uplift, while the roots-heavy "Jah Is" reinforces the band's spiritual foundation with prominent horn lines and precise vocal interplay. The album also features the sharp lead single “Fake Reggae”," which functions as a direct call to action, challenging contemporary artists within the genre to use their platforms to affect genuine social change.
THE FOURTH QUARTER acts as a comprehensive culmination of The Late Ones' growing catalog with Easy Star Records. To bridge their thematic narrative, the album incorporates four pivotal tracks from the band's introductory 2020 release, the LATELY EP—including “Babylon Exists” and “Troubled Streets”—alongside their 2019 label single "Tell Me Not." By pairing these established explorations of racial equality and mutual support with early band staples like "Thrive" and "Thunder & Sun," as well as a robust selection of new material, the record presents a cohesive overview of the trio's evolving sound and solidifies their distinct place within the modern conscious reggae landscape.
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