Cypress Hill, G-Love, Roots join prodigious reggae-rock lineup of SOJA, Steel Pulse and more.

Where do you go after becoming the world’s largest reggae-rock festival? In its sixth year, The California Roots Festival is going outside the reggae-rock box.

This year the granite-solid roster of Rasta notables includes SOJA, Steel Pulse, Dirty Heads, Iration and Slightly Stoopid. Plus Philly hip-hop collective The Roots, jammy roots-rockers John Butler Trio, L.A.’s Latin-tinged rap outfit Cypress Hill and hip-hop blues mash-upG-Love & Special Sauce all make their Cali Roots debut.

One of the headliners, Fishbone, is one of the most complex genre mashups (they play 7pm Sunday on The Original Stage) on the planet. It’s tough to fit much more into its suitcase of punk, funk, ska, metal, soul and reggae. And theirs is a hell of a live show, a multi-sensory barrage of neon colors, dreadlocks, mohawks, keytars and saxophones, a cyclone of Sly & the Family Stone, Parliament, The Toasters and Black Flag. Songs like “Party at Ground Zero,” “When Problems Arise” and “Everyday Sunshine” sweep listeners into a world that’s part literal, part imagination, part social commentary, all fun.

Bassist/co-founder John Norwood Fisher says their recent shows throughout the East Coast and New England has been an opportunity to prepare.

“It’s all just warm-up for Cali Roots in Monterey,” he says.

The South Los Angeles group, who’ve been on the scene since 1979, have been experiencing a resurgence of interest since the documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone was released in February 2010. Ice-T, Gwen Stefani, Les Claypool, Perry Farrell, Flea and other cultural luminaries riff on the mad genius and influence of Fishbone.

“It had great reviews, won a lot of awards in the indie film scene and had an all around great response, but there’s quite a heaviness to it,” Fisher says.

Sunshine also reveals the band’s recent turmoil and painful drama, namely Fisher getting charged – and eventually cleared – with kidnapping former bandmate-turned-religious zealot Kendall Jones.

“The story is as real as it could get; it’s our life under a magnifying glass,” Fisher says. “The stuff with Kendall is painful, but I began to understand the nature of perception and reality. I found a space and I don’t need to blame him or anybody.”

Following the documentary, Fisher thought one of the ways to lighten the intensity of the film was to release a pilot mockumentary-style reality show on YouTube, The Fishbone Reality, which the band plans to release as a five-part series.

“I felt like our next step should be to have a little fun, and maybe make a little fun of ourselves,” he says.

They’re currently in the process of figuring out how they’re going to fund the project, whether they’re going to crowdsource or try to generate the money through their promotion of their 2014 EP Intrinsically Intertwined. The five-track record’s first single, “Unstuck,” delivers a whirlwind of funky grooves, multiple time signatures, reggae rhythms and even a touch of jazz, while Angelo “Dr. Madd Vibe” Moore’s soulful vocals flow along smoothly. Ultimately, it shows Fishbone is bringing the same goodness as they were bringing years ago. And that’s great news.

More good news: hip-hop outfit Dilated Peoples (4:10pm Friday, Cali Roots Stage) picked up where they left off following a seven-year hiatus. As a group that rose out of the Los Angeles underground scene, DP has always managed to stay true to their humble, DIY beginnings while experiencing the fruits of mainstream success. The trio’s 2004 hit “This Way” featuring Kanye, Xzibit and John Legend is considered a hip-hop classic.

2014’s Directors of Photography is a rich tapestry of prose – mostly void of the violence and misogyny often found in rap lyrics – with a musically eclectic backdrop reminiscent of Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders.

The MC says DP returned because they missed it. (No one owed the IRS or anything.) He says the record turned out well because they didn’t have a deadline.

“There was no rush and we were able to take all the time we needed to make sure we made it right,” Rakaa says. “There were no A&R people telling us what to do; it’s a true representation.”

Directors of Photography marks DP’s first on indie label Rhymesayers; their previous four records were on Capitol.

Rakaa says there’s enormous differences between a solid independent label and the big guys.

“We’re not just a product on a shelf,” he says. “Rhymesayers appreciates the culture, the music and they are good people who have our best interests at heart. Capitol wasn’t into our culture, they were into selling records. The checks were bigger, there were more resources, but there was more bureaucracy and double talk. We want a partner, not a label.”

As far as DP’s position in the underground, Rakaa believes underground means something different to everyone.

“Some people say underground is based on record sales or whether or not you’re on a major label, but all movements begin underground. Without roots, a tree dies.”

Which also works as a perfect motto for this unforgettable festival.

CALIFORNIA ROOTS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL starts at 10am Friday, May 22, 11am Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Road, Monterey. $190/three-day pass; $450/VIP; $75/single-day pass.