Culture Riddem – Honest Music

Culture Riddem – Honest Music arrived in 2022 as a Joseph Hill tribute from Christos DC’s Honest Music imprint, and it plays like a roots session with purpose. The label name fits the mood: conscious, patient, and built for message music rather than flash. Christos DC, the Greek-American singer, producer and label head behind Honest Music, has been shaping roots and dub releases since 2008, and this riddim sits neatly inside that catalogue of spiritually minded reggae with a clear old-school pulse.

The version is mid-tempo and warm, with a rolling one-drop feel, crisp guitar skank, steady bass pressure and just enough space in the arrangement for the voices to breathe. It is less about modern studio trickery than about keeping the groove open for lyrics about uplift, resistance, gratitude and roots identity. That makes the title feel earned: this is honest music in the plainest sense.

The strongest cuts come from the names that have long carried conscious reggae’s weight. Anthony B’s “Look How Long” brings urgency and a fighter’s edge. Luciano’s “Cool It Off” adds that polished, spiritual tenor that has made him one of reggae’s most dependable messengers. Perfect Giddimani’s “Back To My Roots” sharpens the tribute feel, while Kenyatta Hill’s “More Vacancy” naturally connects the project to the Culture legacy that inspired it in the first place. The international spread also matters, with Nestor of Nonpalidece, Tomawok, Dada Yute, Nick Sefakis, General Zooz, and Scotty P with Lenny Kurlou giving the riddim extra texture without breaking its roots core.