NOW VIEWINGReception
Debate & reception

DebateContested

Who authors a hit - the producer's riddim or the artist's voice?

One side

The producer's riddim and ownership

The other

The artist's song and performance

What was argued

A long-running, documented tension in Jamaican music over where authorship of a hit sits. One position credits the producer, who builds and owns the riddim, finances the session and often controls the master; the other credits the artist, whose song, melody and performance make a particular cut famous. Neutral framing; no verdict.

The records this concerns

Sources

David Katz, Solid Foundation; Beth Lesser, Dancehall; Jamaica Gleaner archive