Common Kings

Born in the South Pacific and raised in Orange County, California the members of Common Kings which consists of 'Jr. King' (Sasualei Maliga) on lead vocals, 'Mata' (Taumata Grey) on guitar, 'Uncle Lui' (Ivan Kirimaua) on bass, and 'Big Rome' (Jerome Taito) on drums, formed after forging a bond from a jam session at Ivan's house.[1]

Originally from Hawaii with Samoan roots, Sasualei Maliga, who has a three-octave range voice, met drummer Jerome Taito (from Tonga), bassist Ivan Kirimaua (from Fiji/Kirimaua) and guitarist Taumata Grey (from Samoa) when they were growing up in the Orange County towns of Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, and Irvine, all through a close-knit O.C. Pacific-Islander community. The four met in 2002 during a barbecue at Kirimaua's beachfront house in Newport Beach, California.

They formed the band while studying at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, and began recording songs in 2011.

The band name pays tribute to their proud heritage and the love for their home lands of Fiji, Hawaii, Samoa, and Tonga where their ancestry comes from royalty. So all members have ruling-class bloodlines.[2] But they remind us that they're just "everyday guys" from Orange County, California living out their humble dreams. Common Kings developed a style of reggae with hints of rock and an island sound. Their songs feature an array of "head-rocking beats, feel good vibes, and emotional fever."[3]

After releasing two EPs in 2013; #Weontour Soundtrack on July 20 and Summer Anthems on August 13 (both of which were top ten hits on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart),[1][4][5] Singles, "Alcoholic" and "Wade in Your Water" from Summer Anthems were the first to hit Hawaiian radio.

Common Kings toured Australia and New Zealand as a support act on Justin Timberlake's 'The 20/20 Experience World Tour' in 2014.[2]

The band signed to Island Empire Records, who issued the EP Hits & Mrs. on October 9, 2015 peaked at #2 on the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart.[1][4]

Their debut album Lost in Paradise, released on February 3, 2017, received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Reggae Album category,[6] and topped the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart.

The band's fourth EP, One Day, which was released on August 10, 2018 on Mensch House Records reached #2 on the Billboard charts for Top Reggae Albums.[4]

Common Kings was featured as one of many reggae bands on Collie Buddz riddim album, Cali Roots Riddim 2020 with their single, "There I Go", which was produced by Buddz and mixed by Stick Figure's touring guitarist, producer Johnny Cosmic.

In 2021, Common Kings was one of several reggae and punk bands on The House That Bradley Built, a charity compilation honoring Sublime's lead singer Bradley Nowell, helping musicians with substance abuse. They covered Sublime's song "Garden Grove", the first track on the album.

Common Kings performing at the Leader Bank Pavillion in Boston, MA on July 28, 2022.

• Jr. King (Sasualei Maliga) – Vocals
• Mata (Taumata Grey) – Guitar
• Uncle Lui (Ivan Kirimaua) – Bass
• Big Rome (Jerome Taito) – Drums