Shabba and ShaggyIn the early 1990s dancehall and reggae were new-found love for major United States (US) record companies.
The courtship began when Shabba Ranks took dancehall music to the US audience. The result was an 'Epic' deal for the man who described himself as 'big ugly stinking Shabba'.
"What was happening was that record companies saw potential in local acts after Shabba and Maxi Priest had got through to the US audience. They (the record company) thought that it was a good investment at the time," said disc jockey Richie B.
The wooing of the genre by the labels continued when Maxi Priest's I Just Wanna Get Close To You hit the Billboard hot 100 singles charts.
Several artistes at that time were courted and eventually signed to big labels.
Among them were deejay Super Cat, Diana King, Tony Rebel, Tiger, Cobra and Worl-A Girls, who were all attached to Columbia Records.
Barrington Levy and Morgans Heritage were signed to MCA for a short time, while Ini Kamoze, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers and Beres Hammond had a stint with Electra. Terror Fabulous and Nadine Sutherland were with East West and Inner Circle and Dawn Penn were signed to Big Beat.
Virgin signed Shaggy and Maxi Priest. Patra was attached to Epic, Stitchie was with Atlantic, Capleton was signed to Def Jam while US-based Jamaican artistes Shinehead and Red Foxx were also on major labels.
However, the love was lost when the cash needed by the record companies to 'care' for the genre failed to come through.
According a story carried in The Sunday Gleaner of January 15, 1995, weak record sales was the main reason the labels turned their backs on local acts.
The story said; 'against the background of weak record sales and a cut-back in overseas tours, a number of big record labels are dropping reggae acts like hot potatoes. According to a highly placed source in the industry, a major shake-up, the likes of which have not been seen before has taken place,' the article said.
Now, a decade later, 'the love affair' might be returning as industry experts believe the major US record companies may soon start wooing local acts again.
"I think it's quite possible. I remember years ago people from a major label in the States were telling me that it (US label signing dancehall acts) is coming back. They are trying to find a way to package the music when the time comes," said producer Jeremy Harding.
Harding, who is also the manager of Sean Paul, is responsible for the production of Beenie Man's Who Am I (Sim Simmer) as well as Tanto Metro and Devonte's Give It To Her, both of which enjoyed success on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts.
Harding points out that a strong indicator that the days of old might be returning is due to the fact that all the dancehall songs that have made it to the Billboard in recent times have been on dancehall rhythms.
Among these songs are Sean Paul's Gimme The Light, which is now number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. In addition, Beenie Man's collaboration with Janet Jackson, Feel It Boy, peaked at number 28. No Doubt and Bounty Killer's effort Hey Baby peaked in the top ten, while Lady Saw and No Doubt's effort, Underneath It All, has been climbing steadily. Additionally, Tanto Metro and Devonte's Give It To Her also made it to the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts.
In the early 1990s, the situation was quite similar, only with a slight twist. Most of the dancehall artistes who hit the Billboard chart did so on R&B flavoured rhythms. Among them were Flex by Mad Cobra and Maxi Priest's Close To You.
At present, only a few reggae artistes are still signed to major labels. Among the artistes on major labels are Shaggy (MCA) and Beenie Man (Virgin) while artistes such as Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers and Maxi Priest's last projects being marketed by major labels.
Since the success of Sean Paul's Gimme The Light, it is also said that there are discussions with Atlantic records surrounding a distribution deal for the artiste's upcoming album.
However, while the love affair between dancehall/reggae and the US labels is still far from what it once was, indications are it will be back.
This time, however, industry experts believe that based on what is taking place, the artistes will not be under pressure to 'dilute' the music.
"All these tunes are popular locally before they took off over there. Not only that several hip hop artistes have tunes on dancehall rhythms," said local producer Snowcone.
Snow Cone who is responsible for the 'Rice and Peas' rhythm, cites No Doubt's last album as having a heavy dancehall influence. He points to Hey Baby featuring Bounty Killer and Underneath It All featuring Lady Saw, both of which were produced by the 'Rhythm Twins' Sly and Robbie.
It is against this background that Snow Cone, who also helped to produce the platinum, selling remix of I Get So High by Tony Braxton featuring Mad Cobra, also believes that the big labels may soon start knocking on dancehall's door again.
"It can come back around and the door is there wide open for us to enter. We need more original productions to do it though," said the producer.
Harding says that several companies abroad have often asked about local acts and several hip-hop acts are now borrowing dancehall rhythms. He adds however that there is one problem.
"Where a hip-hop act is on the beat it is considered a hip-hop and not a dancehall beat by the American public. They don't see it as dancehall. When you look at it Bubba Sparx, Tweet, No Doubt are on dancehall rhythms but the American music industry don't see it that way," he said.
The songs Harding refer to are Tweet's Oops...Oh My and Bubba Sparx's Ugly. No Doubt's Hey Baby and Underneath It All are also on dancehall rhythms.
Manager of local singer Luciano, Copeland Forbes, agrees with Harding. Yet, he puts a new spin on the issue.
"Our music has become entwined with rap and so Americans won't know the difference. However, our music has the potential to attract major record labels," he said.
Forbes adds that a reason why more US recording companies are not attracted to dancehall is due to the colloquial nature of the lyrics. He says that the artistes write the lyrics to suit mainly a Jamaican audience and not necessarily the wider market.
"A lot of people can't understand us because the lyrics are too colloquial. It is just for us as Jamaicans and even some of us as Jamaicans still have problems understanding it," Forbes said.
Despite pointing to other glitches in dancehall music that needed to be repaired, Forbes says the music has the potential to go a far way. For the time being however, he says the artistes will have to promote themselves.
Harding, on the other hand, believes that another thing that needs to be done is for artistes to have proper management structures in place.
He also says the artistes have to do more promotional tours since record companies want to make a return on their investment.
"Dancehall artistes charge too much. You can't go to a college radio station that is playing your music and charge $US15,000 when their audience is mainly students. You have to charge a smaller amount to get your name known among that market that is going to buy your music," he opined.
In the long run, if and when the rush by major US companies for the local entertainers once more begins, the big question is whether or not the artistes be able to maintain their presence with these labels.
Snow Cone says; "Getting a deal is one thing but it is what we do with it when we get it, will be the important thing as record companies want to know they are making back their money."
