Inner Circle

Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle earned their first hit in 1971, backing singer-songwriter Eric Donaldson on “Cherry, Oh Baby,” which was later covered by The Rolling Stones. ∙ Guitarist Stephen “Cat” Coore, keyboardist Michael “Ibo” Cooper, and vocalist Milton “Prilly” Hamilton left early in the band’s career to form the reggae fusion outfit Third World. ∙ Late frontman Jacob Miller introduced social commentary to their music in such songs as “Tenement Yard,” which they performed in the 1978 cult-classic reggae film, Rockers. ∙ They earned a Grammy Award for the 1993 album Bad Boys, thanks to the success of its title track—the theme song for COPS and the Bad Boys film franchise. ∙ The 1992 smash “Sweat (A La La La La Long),” which hit No. 1 in 10 different countries, found new life almost 30 years later when Shakira sampled it for her own chart-topper, “Me Gusta.” ∙ The Jamaican government awarded Miller, along with cofounders Ian and Roger Lewis, its prestigious Order of Distinction in 2019, honoring their five-decade career.