THE FOREIGN DEAL
Crossover to pop & hip-hop
From 1991 the American majors came shopping in Kingston — Epic signed Shabba Ranks, Columbia took Mad Cobra, Super Cat, Ini Kamoze and Diana King. The traffic ran both ways, and the deals were not always fair: Bounty Killer went to court to be paid for a Grammy-winning record he co-wrote.
30 records · curated by the atlas editors
Signed to Epic in 1991, the deal that opened the door. As Raw As Ever made him the first dancehall artist to win a Grammy, and he won again the next year — then lost his American standing after homophobic remarks on British television. The whole arc of the crossover, in one career.
recording · ProbableAs Raw As Ever — Shabba RanksThe Epic debut that won Best Reggae Album in 1992 — the first time a dancehall record took it.
person · ProbableMad CobraColumbia's signing, and proof the Shabba deal was not a one-off.
recording · Well supported"Flex" — Mad CobraLead single from his 1992 major-label debut Hard to Wet, Easy to Dry. One of the records that convinced American labels there was a market here to buy.
person · Well supportedSuper CatColumbia, 1992, and the deejay American rap treated as a peer rather than a curiosity — working with Heavy D, Puff Daddy and Biggie out of New York.
recording · Well supported"Dolly My Baby" — Super CatThe clearest illustration of which way the influence was flowing: the Notorious B.I.G. made his recorded debut on a remix of this 1993 Super Cat single.
person · Well supportedPatraEpic picked up her Hardcore sessions and built Queen of the Pack around her in 1993 — among the first albums by a Jamaican woman aimed at the American market from the start.
recording · ProbableQueen of the Pack — PatraThe 1993 Epic debut, overseen by label executive Vivian Scott-Chew.
person · Well supportedIni KamozeColumbia, 1994. The least likely pop star of the run, and the one who went to number one.
recording · Well supported"Here Comes the Hotstepper" — Ini KamozeA Jamaican deejay record at the top of the American chart in 1994, carried there by a film soundtrack.