Ethiopian Kings Riddim – Freedom Sounds

Freedom Sounds usually shows up with deeper roots and conscious reggae, and “Ethiopian Kings” fits that corner of the catalogue rather than chasing anything slick or modern. Rod Taylor’s title cut carries the militant edge the era was built on, while Michael Prophet’s “Poverty” leans into the same hard-living mood with a sharper vocal bite, and the Roots Radics version keeps the rhythm stripped and purposeful, all bass weight and tight drum pressure. Taylor had already linked up with Bertram Brown’s Freedom Sounds circle around 1978, so this one sits right inside that first-wave roots period. The set is short and direct: Michael Prophet’s “Poverty, ” Rod Taylor’s “Ethiopian Kings, ” and the Roots Radics version.