VP Records
Encyclopedia
VP Records is an independent reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

 record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 singers.

The foundation

The VP Records label was founded in 1979
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...

 by the late Vincent "Randy" Chin
Vincent "Randy" Chin
Vincent "Randy" Chin was a Jamaican record producer and label owner who ran the Randy's shop, recording studio, and record label, later moving to New York City and setting up the VP Records empire, now the world's largest independent label and distributor of Caribbean music in the...

 and his wife Patricia Chin, Chinese Jamaicans who owned the Randy's Records in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

 (as seen in the 1978 film Rockers) as well as the Studio 17 recording studios. In the mid-1970s, the Chins moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, setting up a record store in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

 called VP Records in 1975, from which they sold and distributed records. In 1979 they relocated the store to Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...

. In 1993, the record label was formed after the success of the retail store. The name of the label is a product of the first letters in the founders' names, hence the title "VP".

The music

The label established itself as one of the first and largest independent record labels for reggae and dancehall, and with the popularity of the riddim
Riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...

 sound of the early 2000s, the label achieved worldwide success for artists such as Sean Paul
Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...

 through the label's deals with Warner Music's Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...

 and Virgin Music
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...

 Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The label is often also accredited with having increased the popularity of the now globally recognized Elephant Man, also known as the 'Energy God' or 'Ele', through a deal with Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...

. VP Records has acquired the slogan "Miles Ahead in Reggae Music" to signify that they could be considered to be the future of music that derives from the Caribbean. Besides reggae, VP is also known for dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...

 and soca
Soca music
Soca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....

 music. VP also releases a series of Riddim Driven
Riddim Driven
Riddim Driven is a series of various artists compilation albums released by VP Records. Each volume of the series features tracks from multiple artists recorded over one or two reggae or dancehall riddims produced by various producers. The series began in January 2001 with the release of the...

albums, which feature various artists.

VP Records has been awarded Billboard's "Best Independent Label" for two consecutive years and has received the award for "Best Reggae Imprint Label" for three consecutive years. VP was also nominated for Best Independent Reggae Label at the 2003 Billboard Hip-Hop and R&B awards, and had been mentioned and featured in publications such as Vibe magazine, New York Times, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

, and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...

magazine.

The label is now run by Mr. Chin's sons Randy and Christopher, while Ms. Patricia Chin continues to assist with the maintenance of her late husband's company as well. In 2007, VP Records began re-issuing classic albums from the 1970s and 1980s on the 17 North Parade label, the address of Randy's Studio, where it all began.
The Biggest Reggae One-Drop Anthems is a series of CD reggae compilations that began in 2005 distributed under Greensleeves Records. Greensleevs specializes in dancehall and reggae music. The name of the records describe the collection as the most popular reggae songs in the market.

Artists

  • Alaine
  • Alborosie
    Alborosie
    Alberto D'Ascola , better known by his stage name Alborosie, is an Italian reggae artist. Born and raised in Marsala, Sicily, Italy, but now residing in Kingston, Jamaica. He is a multi-instrumentalist, being proficient in guitar, bass, drums and keyboard...

  • Althea Hewitt
  • Assassin
  • Baby Stoosh
  • Beenie Man
    Beenie Man
    Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...

  • Beres Hammond
    Beres Hammond
    Beres Hammond is a reggae singer known in particular for his romantic lovers rock and soulful voice...

  • Bounty Killer
    Bounty Killer
    Bounty Killer is a Grammy nominated Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. He is the founder of a dancehall collective known as The Alliance.-Early life and career:...

  • Buju Banton
    Buju Banton
    Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....

  • Bunji Garlin
    Bunji Garlin
    Bunji Garlin July 14, 1978 is a Reggae Soca artist from Trinidad and Tobago. His real name is Ian Alvarez. He is of saint Lucian and Venezuelan descent. He married fellow Soca artist Fay-Ann Lyons on December 23, 2006, daughter of legendary Soca singer Superblue...

  • Busy Signal
    Busy signal
    A busy signal in telephony is an audible or visual signal to the calling party that indicates failure to complete the requested connection of that particular telephone call....

  • Capleton
    Capleton
    Capleton is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist. He is also referred to as King Shango, King David, The Fireman and The Prophet. His record label is called David House Productions...

  • Cocoa Tea
    Cocoa Tea
    Cocoa Tea is a Jamaican reggae/dancehall singer, songwriter, and DJ.- Biography :Cocoa Tea was popular in Jamaica from 1985, but has become successful worldwide only since the 1990s...

  • Elephant Man
  • Etana
    Etana (musician)
    Shauna McKenzie known commonly as Etana is a reggae singer from Jamaica. Her debut album "The Strong One" was released in June 2008.-Biography:...

  • Freddie McGregor
    Freddie McGregor
    Freddie McGregor has been variously a singer, musician and producer. According to Allmusic he is one of reggae's most durable and soulful singers, with a steady career that started in the 1960s, when he was just seven years old.-Biography:In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to...

  • Gyptian
    Gyptian
    Gyptian Born on 25 October 1983, Jamaican reggae singer. He often appears with roots reggae songs within the reggae subgenre dancehall....

  • I Wayne
    I Wayne
    I Wayne , is a roots reggae singer. He is known for his hit singles "Living In Love" and "Can't Satisfy Her" from his debut album, Lava Ground.-Biography:...

  • Jah Cure
    Jah Cure
    Jah Cure, or Iyah Cure is a Jamaican reggae musician, who was raised in Kingston. He was given the name Jah Cure by Capleton whom he met while growing up in Kingston.-Career:...

  • Jamelody
  • K-Salaam
    K-Salaam
    K-Salaam, born Kayvon Sarfehjooy in 1977, is a DJ from Minneapolis of Iranian-American heritage. His first album, The World Is Ours, was released on August 25, 2006. Featuring on this release are a number of prolific underground hip hop artists, such as Mos Def, Dead Prez, Papoose, Saigon, Emicida...

  • Lady Saw
    Lady Saw
    Lady Saw is a Jamaican reggae singer, known as the queen of dancehall.-Biography:...

  • Luciano
    Luciano (singer)
    Luciano is a Jamaican second generation roots reggae artist and poet....

  • Mad Cobra
    Mad Cobra
    Ewart Everton Brown , better known by his stage name of Mad Cobra or simply Cobra is a Jamaican reggae musician.-Biography:...

  • Marcia Griffiths
    Marcia Griffiths
    Marcia Llyneth Griffiths is a successful female singer, also called the "Queen of Reggae". One reviewer described her noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances".Griffiths started her career in 1964...

  • Mavado
    Mavado (singer)
    David Constantine Brooks , better known by his stage name Mavado, is a Jamaican musician, actor, DJ and music producer.- Biography :...

  • Mikey Spice
    Mikey Spice
    -Biography:Spice sang in his father's church from age seven, and learned to play guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, piano, saxophone, flute, and harp as a youngster. Spice began a career as a reggae musician in 1985...

  • Morgan Heritage
    Morgan Heritage
    Morgan Heritage is a reggae band formed in 1994 by five children of reggae artist Denroy Morgan, namely Peter Morgan, Una Morgan, Roy "Gramps" Morgan, Nakhamyah "Lukes" Morgan and Memmalatel "Mr. Mojo" Morgan. In two decades, they have had a number of successful reggae albums.-Career:Morgan...

  • Mr. Vegas
    Mr. Vegas
    Mr. Vegas is a Jamaican dancehall star.-Biography:Smith was born in Kingston in 1974. The moniker "Mr. Vegas" was given to Smith by his schoolyard football-mates, who thought that he kicked the ball like a Las Vegas dancer...

  • Richie Spice
    Richie Spice
    Richie Spice is a Jamaican reggae artist. He is a member of the Rastafari movement. Some of his most famous songs include, "Youth Dem Cold", "Groovin' My Girl", "Earth A Run Red", "Marijuana" and "The Plane Land"...

  • Romain Virgo
    Romain Virgo
    Romain Virgo is a singer from Jamaica, specializing in the lovers rock style of reggae music.He rose to prominence upon winning the Digicel Rising Stars competition in 2007, two months before his graduation from high school in St. Ann, Jamaica...

  • Sanchez
    Sanchez (singer)
    Sanchez is a Jamaican Reggae and dancehall singer-Biography:Jackson was given the nickname 'Sanchez' due to his football skills - a reference to a footballer of that name. After working with several Kingston sound systems he began recording and had his first hit with "Lady In Red", recorded for...

  • Sean Paul
    Sean Paul
    Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...

  • Shaggy
  • T.O.K.
    T.O.K.
    T.O.K. is a dancehall group hailing from Kingston, Jamaica. The group consists of Alistaire "Alex" McCalla, Roshaun "Bay-C" Clarke, Craig "Craigy T" Thompson, and Xavier "Flexx" Davidson...

  • Tanto Metro & Devonte
  • Tanya Stephens
    Tanya Stephens
    Vivienne Tanya Stephens, better known by her stage name Tanya Stephens is an influential reggae artist who emerged in the late 1990s...

  • Tony Matterhorn
    Tony Matterhorn
    -Tony Matterhorn Bio:Tony Matterhorn His feisty attitude has kept him at or near the top of the sound system game for many years. Tony Matterhorn has now found new territory as a dancehall deejay with a handful of hits pounding the dancehall both locally and overseas.Dubbed 'Mr...

  • Voice Mail
    Voice Mail (band)
    Voice Mail is a dancehall reggae fusion duo, hailing from Kingston, Jamaica.-History:Recognized for their intro trademarks, "You've got mail - VoiceMail" and "Heyeee"; Voice Mail were founded in 2003, and had a chart hit in Jamaica with "Weh Di Time"...

  • Wayne Wonder
    Wayne Wonder
    Wayne Wonder is a Jamaican reggae fusion artist...


Former artists

  • Dennis Brown
    Dennis Brown
    Dennis Emmanuel Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae...

  • Garnet Silk
    Garnet Silk
    Garnett Silk , was a Jamaican reggae musician and Rastafarian, known for his emotive, powerful and smooth voice...

  • Machel Montano
    Machel Montano
    Machel Montano is a soca singer, record producer and songwriter based in the Trinidad and Tobago....

  • Shabba Ranks
    Shabba Ranks
    Shabba Ranks is a Jamaican dancehall musician.He was one of the most popular dancehall artists of his generation. He was also one of the first Jamaican deejays to gain worldwide acceptance, and recognition for his 'slack' lyrical expressions and content, when "ridin' di riddim"...

  • Super Cat
    Super Cat
    Super Cat is a deejay most popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall movement. Super Cat was born in Jamaica and was nicknamed Wild Apache. His nickname, the "Wild Apache" was given to him by his mentor Early B...

  • Yellowman
    Yellowman
    Yellowman is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, widely known as King Yellowman...


External links

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