Reggae Lover

A look behind the scenes with Neil Robertson, a music industry exec. from the golden era of reggae and hip-hop.

Neil Robertson worked behind the scenes as an A&R for Island Records. He was also a label manager and marketer for Island Jamaica. Neil was in the boardrooms and studios working with Beenie Man and Luciano to launch them internationally. As an artist manager, he has toured with, guided, and made deals on behalf of some of the best in the business.

Born and raised in NYC, Neil currently curates the music program at Alley Cat Amateur Theatre at The Beekman Hotel. He also handles DJ programming at The Seaport District/Pier 17 for Howard Hughes Corp and Pier A Harbor House for HPH Hospitality.

Behind the Scenes Highlights

• A&R for Island Records, Gee Street, and Richard Branson's re-entry into the music business, V2.
• Worked on RZA's "Bobby Digital In Stereo GOLD," "Wu-Tang Forever," and Gravediggaz “The Pick, The Sickle & The Shovel."
• Worked on DJ Premier's "Afu-Ra Body Of The Life Force."
• Helped usher in a new era of Reggae and re-establish Island as the premiere Reggae label in the world.
• Launched the careers of Beenie Man (Slam/Maestro), and Luciano (Where There Is Life, The Messenger).
• Launched Sizzla's "Praise Ye Jah" as an independent release.
• Gold single for the Senseless soundtrack “Movin On Up” featuring Prince Be, John Forte, and Ky-mani Marley.
• Toured extensively in the hip hop world as a manager for Afu-Ra.
• Toured the world establishing Ky-mani Marley, Specialist Dillon, Rootz Underground, and Jesse Royal.
• Produced the "I&I Survived" album with the infamous punk rock band, the Bad Brains.
• Production work on Stone Love’s classic album, “Champion Sound Vol. 1.
• Managed Tessanne Chin (winner of The Voice) and Jesse Royal.
• Consulted VP Records, producing live events including Puma events at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
• Produced 4 shows during the 2012 Olympics with AEG at the O2 Indigo.
• Currently, curates and DJs live events at Alley Cat Amateur Theatre.

Tastemaker

• Hezron - Resilient. Music for the soundtrack of the revolution.
• Kabaka Pyramid's new single Energy on the Divine Majesty Riddim. Great follow up to Babylon Fallin, which was a tastemaker selection a couple of weeks ago.
• Divine Majesty riddim compilation. Features Kabaka Pyramid, Chronic Law, T'Jean, Royal Blu, Runkus, and more. On Israel records, produced by Sonovic.

Soundclash Update

• Team Torment Locked and Loaded
• Once again, Poison Dart @SoundManLinkUp

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Popular reggae artists have pushed the sonic envelope recently. The reception by reggae lovers has varied.



There are different perspectives on why this is, and if its the right direction for the music. We analyze perspectives and presumed motives in the context of the current revolution and in general terms.

Listen to this episode to hear:

• Reactions to Chronixx saying there is no match for Sizzla in a clash.
• Reactions to Chronixx's "Cool As The Breeze/Friday."
• "Who would be the next best Jamaican versus battle?
• A Taste of Sumfest: Who were the best performers?
• Should artists give a different performance online versus in-person?
• Is the reggae revival over?

Tastemaker Segment:

• Jada Kingdom - Win (Single and Video).
• Buju Baton - Blessed (Official Music Video).
• Poison Dart @ Sound Man Link Up.
• Team Torment "Locked and Loaded."

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Major Lazer’s Jillionaire sits down with Reggae Lover’s AGARD and Kahlil Wonda.

Christopher Leacock aka Jillionaire is a Trinidad-born DJ/Producer, entrepreneur, IT guru, and restauranteur. He shares insights and drops gems while taking us through his amazing career.

In this Jillionaire interview, he came off like a scholar and an elder. He dropped a lot of knowledge. Dropped a lot of history, and a lot of perspectives. This conversation was nice and mellow – very different energy than last week’s show with Walshy Fire. Nevertheless, Jillionaire had profound things to say and you will enjoy the discussion.

Buzzworthy

Big ups to Buju Banton who’s been continuing his promotion of Upside Down 2020. Last week that promo brought him to a couple of very big platforms. One of them being the Breakfast Club.t

And the other one being Trevor Noah’s Daily Social Distancing Show. Buju is doing it all.

He was also recently interviewed on Sway’s Universe Sirius XM, Shade 45.

He is covering all grounds right now. And he also was able to do a performance on Trevor Noah’s Show to close out that on that episode. He performed “Buried Alive” from the Upside Down 2020 album.

The Tastemaker

Buju’s got a song called “I Am a Jamaican,” which won the Jamaica Festival competition for 2020. The song and video speak for Jamaicans living abroad and at home. The composition embodies the Jamaican patriotic spirit. Make sure you don’t miss that.

There is a new single from Kabaka Pyramid, a response to the current social injustice. The song, “Babylon Fallin,” came out on July 17th, 2020 with accompanying visuals. The music video features clips of scenes with the police facing off against citizens.

Kabaka uses his well-known lyrical prowess in this very conscious song. It’s social commentary. One of the themes that we’ve been talking about on this platform is the need for music like this. This song definitely goes on that list of revolutionary music. And it’s right on time.

The riddim is a different kind. It is not a “one-drop” beat. The message and production are coherent with the times. Regardless of what genre you subscribe to, once you hear the song, you hear what he’s talking about. If you’re anything short of an anarchist or a racist yourself, then you will feel the passion. The release has seen coverage by The Source, a nod to Kabaka’s rep as a dope emcee.

Soundclash Update

Every Friday Team Torment presents the Locked and Loaded dubplate showcase. Hear four different sounds weekly live on YouTube. Shout out and the entire Team Torment crew, King AP, Blackheart, and the rest of sounds.

Also in sound clash news, Soundclash.com has a new series coming out sponsored by Serato called No Jing Bang. The tournament will be hosted by D.J. English Fire, Chris Diamond, Walshy Fire, and Warrior Sound.

What do I love about this? First of all, it’s great to see the unity between Chris Diamond, Walshy, and Warrior. Two of the top online clash promoters have now joined forces. Secondly, the major corporate sponsorship for this sport is a huge win. Look out for more developments from the No Jing Bang series. We’re glad to see some growth in the SoundClash community as we all adapt to this new normal.

Coming Up

This season, we will bring you more interviews due to what’s going on in the world right now. Some great potential guests have definitely freed up. We look forward to sharing more exciting, insightful conversations with you. So stay tuned.

Get In Touch

Reggae Lover Podcast is produced by Andres AGARD and Aubrey Kahlil Agard. Visit ReggaeLover.com for full show notes, archives, and more information. If you’re interested in a sponsorship or donation, please email [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @ReggaeLoverPodcast. Like our Facebook page at Facebook.com/ReggaeLoverPodcast.

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Our special guest is Walshy Fire from Major Lazer. 

We enjoyed reasoning with someone that AGARD and I have known for decades. Before the podcasts, and before all the fame. If you're not familiar with Walshy Fire I don't know what rock you've been under. He has been everywhere in the world to deejay. 

Walshy Fire talked about the state of the culture. We commented on dancehall, reggae, and business. We talked about soundclash and life in general. We didn't get into a lot of his background. If you want to check into his background, he's done many interviews in the past. If you're looking for that go check out this spot. 

During this conversation, we checked in and started shooting from the hip. The session was militant, and energetic, which is a good combination.

Walshy Fire Reasoning

• How quarantine has changed life.
• The soundtrack to the revolution.
• Soundclash.com and the Quarantine Clash series.
• Upcoming Major Lazer albums, artists, and mixtapes.
• The "Customized Years" book.
• The energy of nightlife versus day parties.
• Influencers standing against destructive music.
• The end of "niggering."
• Highlights for 2020 so far.

Buzzworthy, Tastemaker, and Soundclash Update

• Buju Banton celebrated a birthday. 
• Donovan Jermaine and Buju received their gold record plaques for Til Shiloh. 
• Vice News's mini-documentary: The Story of "It Wasn't Me," by Shaggy.  
• Richie Spice album, "Together We Stand." 
• Hecklers Inc/Di Phoenix page for new and classic sound system audio.
• Clash of the week: Black Roze vs. Natural Vibes vs. Supergold.
• Fanmail from a small town called Dujail, Kenya
• Kahlil Wonda guests on The Vault: Classic Music Reviews podcast review of Til Shiloh.

Please join us next week for a reasoning session with Jillionaire from the Major Lazer crew. Tell a friend to tell a friend and shared a link to this show. Tweet a link to the show and tag @ReggaeLoverPod. We'll be looking for you online using hashtag #ReggaeLoverPodcast. 

Follow us on Instagram @ReggaeLoverPodcast.

Like our Facebook page at Facebook.com/ReggaeLoverPodcast.

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This is our 200th official episode of Reggae Lover. We talked about “Upside Down 2020,” the long-anticipated album from Buju Banton. 

There’s such a thing as an instant classic, and this Buju Banton new album is that. Listen to our in-depth analysis of every track.

Buju Banton New Album, Sales and Streams

We also talked about record sales and chart performance. The album got close to 3000 sales in its first week. That includes all physical copies, digital downloads as well as streams. What is a “stream?” What is the stream worth? A stream is a fraction of a sale. So you need a certain amount of streams, whether it be songs or the entire album, in order for it to equal one sale. 

It was actually a strong debut compared to other releases from Jamaican artists. We look at the fact that Vybz Kartel released his album on the same day as Buju. His album, “Of Dons and Divas,” sold a little less than half that of “Upside Down 2020.” Koffee’s “Rapture,” EP which won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album had less than 600 first week sales. 

We have had episodes about Billboard, sales, and what it means for Jamaican reggae artists. Music is actually the marketing tool for touring, merchandise sales, etc.  In that case, Buju is in good hands with Roc Nation. I’m sure they’ll exploit this album very well.

Chart Performance

The Buju Banton new album, “Upside Down 2020” debuted in the number two position on the Billboard reggae chart. Also, on the Itunes chart for reggae music, it debuted at number two. At the time, Bob Marley held the number one slot on both of those charts. Vybz Kartel’s “Of Dons and Divas” debuted at the number six position on both charts. 

The Tastemaker Segment

Last week’s episode, we didn’t get to go into this segment at all. As a result, there were a few things that I wanted to make sure that we mentioned.  

Firstly, the Dré Island album, a debut album that features Popcaan on the “We Pray” single. The name of the album is “Now I Rise.” I bumped it or a good little while when it first came out. He’s doing press for the album right now. Go look for “Now I Rise” from Dre Island. Very good music. 

If you’re a fan of Chronixx or Damian Marley, you’ll definitely love Dre Island. He’s very talented in his own right. He has a song out with Tory Lanez. So he has crossover songs as well. 

Secondly, there’s an awesome release from Grammy nominee, Etana. An album entitled “Gemini,” which debuted on June 19th, distributed by Kojak WorldWide. That album is official. Very good production. “Gemini” brings a strong balance of dancehall, reggae, and lovers’ rock. There is some roots reggae flavor as well. 

Kabaka Pyramid has a feature on there. Nomadz has a feature on there along with an artist known as Yhasha. This may be her best album to date. It’s definitely one of my favorites. Every song has a good vibe. I would add the whole album to my quarantine playlist. Take my recommendation. This is good, solid music. 

Thirdly, we have to talk about Koffee. Her new single entitled “Pressure” is an inspirational song for the times. She speaks to the ghetto youths, but she’s also talking to every man. Every one of us is under pressure, if not now, at some point. It’s that type of message that can help to pull you through that kind of a situation. So I love it. She’s singing. She’s deejaying. It’s message music. A music video for that is also out.

In addition, Koffee is on “Bigger Love,” John Legend’s new album, released June 19. The song that features coffee is “Don’t Walk Away.” This song a breakup love song duet between the two of them. The curious thing is, so far, Koffee’s material hasn’t been love songs. There’s Justin Bieber’s, “I don’t care” remix where she appears alongside Chronixx. That would be the first but is more pop dance. 

“Don’t Walk Away” is more of an R&B style song. Definitely check that out. And of course, if you’re a John Legend fan, we talked about him earlier with this feature on the budget album. He’s got a big project out right now. 

Finally, we’ve got a new song from Anthony B entitled “Black and Proud.” This is not a protest or a revolutionary song a la “Fire Pon Rome.” He’s not telling you who needs to get burnt up in the fire. It’s a revolutionary song along the lines of just making this simple statement. I’m black and I’m proud. 

If you follow the news you know that saying “Black Lives Matter” is offensive to many people. So saying things like “black power” or “black and proud” is also going against the grain. These are the messages that we want to hear from our reggae artists, especially our cultural artists. And Anthony B is known for being that guy. 

This one is on the new World Rebirth rhythm produced by Reggae Vibes Music. It’s a brand new song released on July 8th. Anthony B’s “Black and Proud.” Please check it out. It’s awesome. Good reggae music. Good for the heart, the soul, and the brain. 

Sound System Update and Wrap up

We also gave a very concise recap of some recent sound system, soundclash live online events. In conclusion, we announced next week’s special guest will be Walshy Fire of Major Lazor. Please share this show with a friend and tag @reggaeloverpodcast (IG) or @reggaeloverpod on Twitter.

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Essentially a trailer to Introduce our podcast to new listeners, this is a super-short episode.

Dedicated to reggae lovers everywhere, the Reggae Lover music podcast features discussions on the culture, economics and all things relatable to reggae lovers. Highlanda Sound produces this Caribbean music podcast with new episodes released every Monday. Listeners can rely on fresh, high-quality content that is curated for them on a regular schedule. Above all, the hosts resonate with both newcomers and veteran fans alike.

Reggae Lover distributes on all major podcast platforms including iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, iHeartRadio, TuneIn Radio, and more to entertain, educate, and promote reggae music worldwide. We aim to surpass all expectations for quality and dispel myths about the Reggae genre and the people who avidly consume it.

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We are back with a new season after taking an eventful summer break. Our first episode, Caribbean Black Lives Matter, features Nick, the host of the Jamaican State of Mind podcast.

At the time of recording this, we were grappling with strong emotions. This, as a result of the series of events ensuing from the George Floyd lynching. Caribbean black lives matter.

We added a spin on the conversation as Caribbeans. Hear views on how American racism is viewed in the Caribbean and particularly Jamaica. It's an interesting conversation.

We covered race, policing, protests, other solutions, and more.  Most importantly, you'll hear different perspectives on how reggae music is and should be interacting with the politics of today. 

This is a time where we need Reggae music reform. Reggae needs another renaissance. We need to return to the culture once again. The music needs to reflect what's actually going on in reality. There is too much music about flossing. We are living through curfews. The time is dread right now. People need more. And when you talk about revolution, that's what reggae music is supposed to be doing. Reggae should be there to help fill that void and burn that fire.

At recent protests on the streets of American cities, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh's music could be heard. Will any of our modern artists create music that will be a part of the soundtrack for the revolution? This is one of the underlying themes for this season of the podcast.

#reggaereform

Because of the length of this conversation, we didn't get into some of the other segments that we usually do, but they will be back throughout the season.

The Tastemaker segment will be back. Soundclash updates will return if and when we have SoundClash content or sound system subject matter. Today, we just wanted to take the time to highlight this important conversation, Caribbean Black Lives Matter.

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Our special guest was Shawn from the Reggae Talk podcast and Reggae Music Forever blog.

Certainly, we discussed the state of dancehall/reggae culture with Reggae Music Forever including topics:

• Firstly, Dancehall supporters versus die-hard fans of roots reggae.
• Secondly, The overlooked conscious dancehall movement.
• The American reggae scene.
• Comparing white and black Americans taste in reggae.
• Reggae Talk Podcast 1-year Anniversary event.
• Other passions outside of reggae.
• Is reggae music on life-support?
• In conclusion, Predictions for the future.

Resources:

• Reggae Music Forever blog 
• Reggae Talk Podcast

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WALSHY FIRE STATED THAT “JAMAICAN ARTISTS ARE ON THE VERGE OF CREATING A NEW GENRE” IN A RECENT INTERVIEW. THIS CLAIM WARRANTED FURTHER EXPLORATION SO WE WENT IN ON THE NEW MUSIC OF JAMAICA.

Before analyzing today’s music we reviewed the many genres that Jamaica has created. That amazing history includes Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, Reggae, Dub, and Dancehall. Reggae sub-genres Nyahbingi, lover’s rock, and rub-a-dub are also popular styles.

There was a peak in dancehall popularity in the early 2000s followed by a decline in quality reggae. At that time vinyl formats transitioned to the CD. Then CDs went out and digital downloads came in. As a result, DJs started using laptops to play music and consumers turned to personal electronics. This transitional period subsequently led to what we call the reggae revival.

The current global dancehall and reggae revival movements are creating genre-bending trends. Artists like Protoje, Chronixx, Kabaka Pyramid, Jesse Royal, Damian Marley, Lila Ike, and Koffee are synonymous with such trends.

Based on our analysis there either is a new emerging genre, or the concept of genres is simply dead. Distinctions between genres have become blurred and young audiences around the world are embracing that change.

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://reggaelover.com/

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This was supposed to be a Dancehall 101 conversation and it ended up being a Dancehall vs Reggae debate.

More than a debate, various explanations of the culture emerged. This was our second talk show format episode and topics mentioned here ended up being re-hashed throughout the rest of the season.

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