State of Da World [Digipak]

Performer: Inner Circle (Reggae)
Artist: Jr. Reid; Stephen Marley; Kyle McDonald; Slightly Stoopid; David Hines; Bushman; Screw Driver
Engineer: Ian Lewis
Distributor: n/a

Notes: Personnel: Al Larouche, Chris Bradzich, Gramps Heritage, Kevin Smith, Stephen Marley, Lutan Fyah (vocals); Stephen Coore (cello); Troy Wilson, David Simons (drums). DJ: Lutan Fyah. Audio Mixer: Ian Lewis. Recording information: Circle House Studios, Miami Beach, FL. Photographers: Peter Langone; Lourdes Hersh. While Inner Circle may still market themselves as a band, by the 2009 release of State of da World the name was really a front for brothers and formative members Ian and Roger Lewis and their Sly & Robbie-like cottage industry. Thinking of it that way makes Inner Circle's history all the easier to understand, since going from crucial cuts with Jacob Miller to pop-reggae hits ("Bad Boys,""Sweat [A La La La La Long]") before opening a recording studio in Miami and hanging with California punks Slightly Stoopid makes for a wild 40 years. The point is, the brothers Lewis have created a surprisingly good reggae revue on State of da World, with top-notch singers like Damien Marley, Luciano, Junior Reid, and the Circle's own official vocalist, Junior Jazz, fronting cuts from all over the reggae spectrum. While the brothers can play it like Sublime when the Slightly Stoopid crew show up for smoking session, their Miller sound comes out for the very Jamaican "Gun Ting," featuring guest DJ Lutan Fyah. The lyrics throughout the album focus mostly on social change and run from admirable to inspirational. When you add an intro from Rasta poet Mutabaruka you've got all the roots credibility you need. This Inner Circle won't remind you of the Miller band or the boys who gave Cops its theme song, but that doesn't make State of da World any less enjoyable. ~ David Jeffries

The Beat (Magazine) (pp.50-51) - "[A] powerful cd for many reasons, but the first thing that stands out is Inner Circle's arsenal of guest reggae A-listers..."

Reggae-pop outfit Inner Circle formed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Although best known for their tune "Bad Boys," which ran as the theme song for the immensely popular Fox Network series COPS, Inner Circle have enjoyed a long, prolific career playing roots reggae augmented with touches of pop and R&B. From their 1974 Trojan Records debut ROCK THE BOAT, through their 1979 breakthrough EVERYTHING IS GREAT, and on to later works like 1996's DA BOMB and 2001's BAREFOOT IN NEGRIL, Inner Circle have, despite line-up changes, kept the reggae flame alive for an international audience for decades

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