Common Kings

Common Kings are a reggae, rock, and pop band formed in Orange County, California, in 2011. The four members are of Pacific Islander descent, with roots in Hawaiʻi, Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga: lead vocalist Sasualei "Jr. King" Maliga (Samoan-born, Hawaiian), guitarist Taumata "Mata" Grey (raised in Hawaiʻi), bassist Ivan "Uncle Lui" Kirimaua (Fiji-born), and drummer Jerome "Big Rome" Taito (Los Angeles-born, Tongan). The members met in Southern California in 2002 and formed the band while at Orange Coast College.

Their sound blends reggae with rock, pop, and R&B. Early EPs, including 2013's Summer Anthems (home to the single "Wade in Your Water"), built the group a following in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific Islander diaspora. The band has toured as a support act with artists such as Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars, and appeared on the Slightly Stoopid Summer Tour.

The band's debut studio album, Lost in Paradise, was released on February 3, 2017, and was nominated for Best Reggae Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018 (the award went to Damian Marley's Stony Hill). Their second studio album, Celebration, followed on August 25, 2023, via Mensch House Records, with guest appearances by Kabaka Pyramid and J Boog and production by Poo Bear.