Reggae, Hiplife & Highlife
Ghana’s music is deeply entrenched in the very fabric of the country. Highlife (Hiplife) was the popular sound of the 1960s, a musical style combining traditional folk music and stories backed by arpeggiated blues-style guitar playing, and polyrhythmic drumming (Osibisaba). Calypso was included in Highlife as Ghana has various major ports of new influences and new sounds incorporated into its’ […]
5 BEST JAMAICAN SINGERS NAMED BY ROLLING STONE
When Rolling Stone, the iconic five-decade pop music magazine, released its Top 200 Singers Of All Time on January 1, 2023, nobody would have been surprised to find at least a few prominent Jamaicans populating the list, which was topped by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Billie Holiday, and Sam Cooke. While the list predictably […]
New Music From Shaggy
Diamond-selling and 2x Grammy Award winning recording artist Shaggy returns with another infectious, joy-filled single “Gyal Dem Time” featuring Teejay. The song will be released by VP Records on February 3rd, 2023. “Gyal Dem Time” finds Shaggy once again embracing his Jamaican roots trading lines with Montego Bay vocalist Teejay (“From Rags to Riches,” and […]
BRITAIN’S NEGLECTED MUSIC HISTORY- Sound Systems
When it comes to the arts, fashion and music in British culture, there are long-neglected contributions from BAME communities. Sound systems are one of the most overlooked aspects of Black British music despite being a commercial success story of immense proportions. Sound systems originated in Kingston in the late 1940s, purpose-built to play records in dancehalls as an alternative […]
25 Years of Beenie Man’s “Who Am I” Sim Simma
Beenie Man’s worldwide Dancehall smash hit ‘Who Am I’ aka ’Sim Simma’ celebrates its 25th anniversary and is one of his most enduring and popular hits but it almost didn’t happen. In 1997 the biggest Riddim on the island was the ‘Playground’ Riddim which was composed by ace Dancehall producer Jeremy Harding. Tunes like Sean Paul’s […]
The Harder They Come 50th Anniversary Edition Vinyl
Celebrating five decades of his magnum opus, one of the most important reggae artists of all-time, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame® inductee, and GRAMMY® Award-winning icon Jimmy Cliff will unveil The Harder They Come 50th Anniversary Edition Vinyl on December 9, 2022 via UMe. This notably stands out as the record’s first commercial vinyl […]
‘One Day Soon’ for Raging Fyah and Josey Wales
Raging Fyah, one of Jamaica’s premiere roots reggae bands teams with Dancehall stalwart Josey Wales for the release of the group’s newest single “One Day Soon.” The song is an expressive love ballad of affection. Regarded as one of Jamaica’s most promising roots reggae acts, Raging Fyah makes music that is tethered to the island’s reggae […]
42 Years for Johnny Osbourne’s Fally Lover
Between 1980 and 1985, Johnny Osbourne had a prolific run in the recording studios. He had returned to Jamaica after a decade in Canada to record the iconic “Truth & Rights” for Studio One in late 1979, only to follow immediately with Folly Ranking for then Prince Jammy. In the fall of 1980, producer Junjo […]
Bobby Digital x Sizzla Kalonji 20th Anniversary of Da Real Thing
The year 2022 marks three significant album anniversaries for Reggae singjay Sizzla Kalonji. Born Miguel Collins in 1976, Sizzla’s recording career began in 1994, 2022 is the 20th anniversary of ‘Bobby Digital’ Dixon’s Da Real Thing, released October 16, 2002, and the respective 25th anniversaries of Bobby Digital’s Black Woman & Child and Fatis “Xterminator” […]
Reggae & Dancehall Mix Show – Reggae Boyz Sound
For Immediate Release VP Records and Mishigan from Reggae Boyz Sound have relaunched the Reggae & Dancehall Mix Show entitled Studio 17. The show is a premiere destination for music enthusiasts looking for the best selections from the culture. Hosted by Mishigan from Reggae Boyz Sound, the show is recorded at the VP Records […]