* En anglais uniquement
Vocalists
Laza, Shy-Poo, and
Miriam are the sons and daughter of reggae luminary
Denroy Morgan, a roots rock journeyman and founding father of the successful reggae group
Morgan Heritage. For the many offspring of
Denroy (29 all tolled), the music industry is a family business as the vast majority of his foal followed in their father's footsteps. After performing with their older sibs in
Morgan Heritage throughout the '90s,
Laza and Shy-Poo broke off from the pack and became a duo (the Dredz) and signed with
MCA. After a falling out with the label, the duo brought in kid sister
Miriam and continued the Morgan family affair as the incarnation,
LMS. The group brought a youthful and cross-genre format to the Morgan musical pedigree, espousing the spirit of both modern rap and R&B under the umbrella of the reggae/dancehall style. The siblings were born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts but were brought up in accordance with Rastafarian ethics so their music is reflective of a bi-cultural upbringing.
Laza took on the DJ'ing role within the group, taking cues from a host of hip-hoppers (
Rakim,
LL Cool J ,and
Run-DMC among them) as well as the hardcore dancehall toasters of the early '90s (
Super Cat,
Buju Banton). The singing duties were assumed by Shy-Poo and
Miriam, who looked to R&B (
Michael Jackson,
Al Green,
Whitney Houston) and gospel (
Bebe & CeCe Winans,
Kirk Franklin) for their inspiration. The group produced their first album in 1999,
Reality Check, with a sophomore follow-up in 2001,
Zion's Gates. A third release, Straight from Da Root followed in 2003. The Rasta-conscious albums are invariably backed by the strong production presence of such reggae studio stalwarts as
Donovan Germain,
Phillip "Fatis" Burrell and their very own paternal overseer,
Denroy Morgan. ~ M.F. DiBella