music

Dub Inc (originally Dub Incorporation) started in Saint-Étienne in 1997 as a group of friends obsessed with reggae and sound-system culture, then steadily grew into one of France’s biggest crossover reggae acts. What makes them stand out is the two-front-man setup - Hakim “Bouchkour” Meridja and Aurélien “Komlan” Zohou - who write music in French, English and Kabyle.

Musically, they’re not purists: they fuse roots reggae and dub weight with dancehall, ska and rap, plus strong African/North African sounds. Their discography maps that evolution: early albums Diversité (2003) and Dans le décor (2005) established their style; Afrikya (2008) pushed the global influences; then, under the shortened name Dub Inc, they hit a bigger stride with Hors contrôle (2010) and Paradise (2013), followed by So What (2016) and Millions (2019) - all reinforcing their reputation as a band equally at home in festivals and sweaty clubs.