Following the death of Sublime frontman Brad Nowell, remaining members of the group splintered off and built a few different side projects. Their music is an amalgam of reggae, hip-hop, soul and punk rhythms featuring a bit of DJ scratching, sampled drum beats, enticing horn riffs and harmonized vocal impressions. Equipped with a slew of analog and digital equipment, as well as a Roland RE-201 Space Echo and S-50 Sampler, Shortbus are an audio army bringing on an assault of fat grooves and wicked progressions.

Members include Eric Wilson (Sublime/LBDAS), RAS-1 (LBDAS), Trey Pangborne (LBDAS, Falling Idols, Bargain Music) and Kelly Vargas (Interim drummer for Sublime, Beat to Death). This is a must see for Sublime/Long Beach Dub Allstars fans!

Toward the close of the '90s, Rawkus Records initiated a golden-age hip-hop revival with a roster of righteous rappers led by Talib Kweli, who maintained close ties with Mos Def and Hi-Tek, two of the label's other leading artists. Kweli's thoughtful and heartfelt rhymes provided a welcome alternative to mainstream East Coast rap of the time (Jay-Z, Nas, Puff Daddy, Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang), and a large audience of golden-age revivalists embraced his music, as did the alt-rap scene and most critics. Though Kweli didn't top the charts like many of his New York contemporaries, he did enjoy widespread respect and also loyal support from Rawkus, who supported his many endeavors.

Born in Brooklyn to a literate family with a proud taste for African culture, Kweli's first name, Talib, is an Arabian name meaning "the seeker or student" while his last name is a Ghanaian name meaning "of truth or knowledge."