Black Man Land

Released in the early 1990s as part of a reissue project from Virgin Records’ Front Line subsidiary label, this is actually sort of a compilation — it brings together most of the material from each of two Prince Far I albums that were released in 1978 and 1981 and had long been unavailable: Livity and Message from the King. This is among the heaviest and dreadest music Prince Far I ever recorded — and seriousness was always the defining characteristic of his performances. Songs like “Marble Stone,” “Commandment of Drugs,” and “Moses, Moses” make his intentions clear, even if “Reggae Music Moving” is something of a throwaway.