Ras Youths International

Ras Youths International/ RYI Recordings Biography
Keeping It Conscious and Cultural. With the Roots of Reggae and Dancehall music from Jamaica, the verbal flow of conscious rhyme and reason, and Nyahbinghi beats from the streets, they come chanting the message of Rastafari with indigenous flavor and the ancient essence of the Islands inna modern antique reverberation of the King David style. The material that Ras Youths International/ RYI Recordings releases is pure contemporary classics. Sure to receive forwards in the dance, rewinds in the car, and to keep blazing through your head all day! Keeping it Conscious and Cultural from California and Hawaii to the World… Roots Reggae, Dancehall, Dub, Hip Hop Music.
The small independent label and production company out of Honolulu, Hawaii had its beginnings in Costa Mesa, California. The name originally comes from the inspiration of a collective group of friends that began a production company in 1992 to throw Reggae parties in the Southern California area – most definitely a group of renegade Rasta Youts. Ras is an Amharic/ Ethiopian word meaning King or Head and Youths, of course, cause we’re all children of JAH RasTafari… all over the world – “Ras Youths International”. Seen!
Label head, Ras Mikey Gamboa, originally formed the company to release his own band ISOULJAHS’ recordings which began with their first demo cassette – Dread Inna Babylon and Christian Lady in 1994. An article by Hip Hop guru KRS ONE and the spirit of Rastafari independence and resistance is what truly sparked the idea. “I saw a need for us to have control of our own business. Cause no one is gonna care about your stuff more than YOU! True?,” says Ras Mikey. He then began taking part in recording, producing, mentoring, and helping to release other material by friends like Roots singer Selassie Son Sal, the West Coast/ Cali conscious Hip Hop of artists like Say What!?, Universal Translators, Youth Internationals, Natty Roots, Ras Ceylon, Lastman, Zaire Black and others. And now since relocating to the Islands, the Ras Youths International Family has grown to include Reggae artists Ryan Mystik, Mama T, Lion Fiyah, and Kaikua.
The I-fficial Independent Label of the Ras Youths International Family.
ROOTS, RASTAFARI, REGGAE, DUB, DANCEHALL, HIP HOP
Ancient Future - Forward Ever, Backward Never!!! JAH RASTAFARI. ALL for ONE, ONE for ALL. Operating in that manner – NO FAILURE! Selah.