“Herb is the healing of the nation,” Derajah sings at the start of “Herb for Me”. Released on 6 March, the single pairs The Quasi Kings from Columbus, Ohio with the Jamaican vocalist and Ted Bowne of Passafire, riding a one-drop beat, echo-soaked snares and deep bass. The track also turns on people who wear cannabis culture as image: “Beware of the perpetrator / He’ll bring you down / When the message isn’t genuine / You look like a clown.”

The Quasi Kings formed in Columbus in 2016. Alongside brothers Zach Coleman, on vocals, saxophone and percussion, and Benny Coleman, on vocals and bass, recent live and profile listings identify Dave Freeman on drums and vocals, Mike Miller on lead guitar, and Nate Yingling on keyboards. Their releases include the 2018 EP Throwaway Culture and the album Eye of the Storm. Mastering was handled by New York engineer Dave Kutch, whose credits include Billie Eilish, Jay-Z, Damian Marley and Ozzy Osbourne.

Benny Coleman has described “Herb for Me” in relation to Ohio’s opioid crisis, presenting cannabis as a natural alternative and the song as a critique of pharmaceutical dependency.

Listen to the song HERE