Kevin Bronson on November 2nd, 2020

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The Late Ones are the Hawaii-bred, Gardena-based trio of brothers Tui and Tau Avei and their cousin Josh Brunson, who’ve been spreading good vibes with their blend of reggae and hip-hop since 2015.

Their new single “Babylon Exists,” from their forthcoming “Lately” EP (out Dec. 4), exemplifies their approach: The music is very reverential to the old-school; the subject matter is on-point.

“Babylon Exists” arrives as another in 2020’s long line of protest songs; it addresses social injustice, a topic the trio has visited and revisited since they got their start. The video, directed by Kat Faith, culls footage from the George Floyd protests earlier this year.

“‘Babylon Exists’ is a straight shot at the evil and brutality that we feel from the government and police,” Tau Avei says, noting that the song was actually written six years ago. “This song is an anthem stating that evil is real — and until we all can unite and figure out how to truly put an end to it, it’s gonna live on forever. …. 2020 has been a crazy year, and the song is so relevant to what’s going on. That what makes this release so special.”

||| Watch: The video for “Babylon Exists”