[8][9][10] Falling Into Place by Rebelution and A Matter Of Time by Protoje, released via Easy Star Records, each received Grammy Award nominations for Best Reggae Album in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

[11][12] The label also manages bands such as the Easy Star All-Stars, a touring and recording musical collective, and has worked with artists outside the reggae genre such as Citizen Cope, Corey Harris, Janelle Monáe, Jason Mraz, Kelly Clarkson, and Yoko Ono.

[1] Easy Star Records was founded in 1996 by friends; Michael Goldwasser, Eric Smith, Lem Oppenheimer and Remy Gerstein, in New York City.

[15] At the time, Goldwasser was working as a musician, while Oppenheimer,[17] a DJ, had recently moved to New York after graduating from Oberlin College in Ohio.

[17] Eric Smith, a native New Yorker, studied political science and sociology at SUNY Albany, while maintaining his interest in live reggae and vinyl.

We focused on the challenges at hand, rather than becoming overwhelmed by the scope of starting a business.” [15] In 1997 Lem Oppenheimer moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, but stayed connected with the label, serving as an executive from a distance.

[14] Early on, the Easy Star All-Stars would play around New York City backing up Jamaican artists, including Sugar Minott and Johnny Osbourne.

[19] Michael Goldwasser serves as the group's original composer and "unofficial creative director," playing various instruments on their releases and writing the adaptations before the band goes on tour.

Dellimore, a roots reggae singer based in Brooklyn, performed locally for several years before recording with the Easy Star All-Stars.

"[22] On February 9, 1999, Easy Star Records came out with Ghetto Knowledge by The Meditations, a reggae vocal harmony group from Jamaica and the second release on the label.

[21] AllMusic describes Ghetto Knowledge as "a match made in heaven: the Meditations, a roots harmony trio that has maintained the same style and lineup since the early 1970s, and Easy Star Records, a label devoted to releasing modern roots reggae that partakes of the spirit and flavor of reggae's classical period while taking advantage of 21st century recording technology.

[21] In 2000, the label started releasing 7" vinyl again, with over ten singles alone in that year by artists including singer Luciano, Jamaican deejays Anthony B and Triston Palma, and The Meditations.

It was received positively by critics such as Stephen Cook of AllMusic, who called it "successful look back at the music before the digital hegemony of dancehall and ragga.

[28] AllMusic gave 'Dub Side of the Moon a positive review, stating "dub's psychedelic mysticism is a perfectly good match for Pink Floyd's mannered weirdness.

"[28] Despite the frequent pop song covers, Easy Star co-founder and executive producer Eric Smith has stated "There is a lot of suffering and pain in reggae.

This album featured remixes by artists from around the world including; Dubmatix (Toronto), WrongTom (London) and Disashi Lumumba Kasongo from Gym Class Heroes (US).

[21] John Brown's Body released Kings & Queens in early 2013, followed by Cas Haley's La Si Dah [21] and The Green's Hawai'i '13.

[44] Easy Star Records also signed Passafire, from Savannah, Georgia, known for infusing rock with reggae, dub, and progressive elements in their music.

[50] The band Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad released Steady on September 30, 2014, with the album receiving a near perfect 4.5/5 score from The Pier.

[52] Later that year Easy Star Records put out Live at Red Rocks by Rebelution, which also debuted #1 on Billboard's Top Reggae Albums chart.

[47] In 2016, Easy Star Records also released Backbeat Soundystem's Into The Light EP, and The Big Smoke Remixed by Gentleman's Dub Club.

In 2018, Easy Star Records released Free Rein by Rebelution and A Matter Of Time by Protoje, both of which reached #1 on the Billboard's Top Reggae Albums Chart.

[56] In 2019, Easy Star Records released new albums from Gentleman's Dub Club, The Green, The Skints, Spragga Benz, Bedouin Soundclash.

[65][66] The label also released several other singles from artists such as The Expanders, The Steppas, Backbeat Soundsystem, Indubious, Bedouin Soundclash, Gentleman's Dub Club, The Skints, The Black Seeds and Fyah Roiall.

Between 2021 and 2023, Easy Star has released albums from Gentleman's Dub Club, Indubious, Rebelution, The Late Ones, Marcus Gad and Tamal, Groundation, JonQuan and Associates, Kirsty Rock, The Black Seeds, and Sundub.

In 2023, Easy Star Records' "Starman" cover with Maxi Priest, a reggae interpretation of the popular David Bowie tune, earned an article and feature in Rolling Stone magazine.