THE FOREIGN DEAL

Crossover to pop & hip-hop

From 1991 the American majors came shopping in Kingston (Shabba Ranks, Mad Cobra, Super Cat, Diana King), and the deals were not always fair to the artists who signed them.

32 records · curated by the atlas editors

A sampling, not a complete record — the archive runs deeper than any list of it. Tell us what is missing.

person · Well supportedShabba Ranks

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 Ranks

The Epic debut that won Best Reggae Album in 1992: the first time a dancehall record took it.

person · Well supportedMad Cobra

Columbia's signing, and proof the Shabba deal was not a one-off.

recording · Well supported"Flex" — Mad Cobra

Lead 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 Cat

Columbia, 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 Cat

The 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 supportedPatra

Epic 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 — Patra

The 1993 Epic debut, overseen by label executive Vivian Scott-Chew.

person · Well supportedIni Kamoze

Columbia, 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 Kamoze

A Jamaican deejay record at the top of the American chart in 1994, carried there by a film soundtrack.