Drummer John Asher explains, "Our first album was a collection of music from good friends making a record together. Our second album was a great covers album, but Hustling Culture is the band coming into its own with our songwriting and musicianship." Guitarist/Vocalist Devin Morrison adds, "For this album we spent more time prepping and rehearsing, giving us more confidence in the recording studio. The result made the process more fun and enjoyable as we approached the song-writing in a more organized way and explored a wider range of topics than on the first album. Our combined efforts really shine through and all the musicians really stepped up and gave an inspired effort on the whole record."

Hustling Culture was recorded entirely on analogue tape at Killion Sound in North Hollywood, CA, from 2012-2014. The studio is a favorite recording place for the band because it's run by Sergio Rios (Orgone), a friend who understands their unique aesthetic and has the gear to capture it, giving the album a warm and colorful palette.

The album title comes from the album's opening line: "One dollar gone but the next soon come, we never stop from hustling culture." Morrison explains, "Everyone has a hustle, and ours is roots & culture music. It's a way of reminding ourselves that outside of just entertaining and financial gain, there is a bigger picture and larger purpose for writing about the topics and playing the style of roots reggae that we do." The Expanders' music is a reminder that reggae music wasn't born in a tropical beach paradise, but in the impoverished and underprivileged areas of Jamaica, resulting in a passionate expression for human rights, social justice and freedom from oppression.

There is a subtle, yet powerful conscious thread woven throughout Hustling Culture. "Uptown Set," for example, is about the hidden effects of our country's party lifestyle, which brings suffering and misery to innocent poor people caught along the routes where party drugs come across the border. "Thanks For Life" is a dedication to women, the struggle they face every day, and the debt of life that we all owe to them. "Top Shelf" is a tribute to the ganja farmers and the reflection of the changing cultural views on marijuana.