by Howard Campbell
BROOKLYN, New York – While he was familiar with his grandmother’s love for Bob Marley’s music, Emil Troy was more taken with hip hop music in his native Brooklyn, New York. But when approached by a veteran Jamaican producer to record a reggae song, the African American singer/songwriter accepted.
The result is Call On Me, a song produced by Michael Eaton, a veteran of the Staten Island reggae scene. It was recently released by the Eaton Music label.
“Call On Me came about pretty randomly. One day while in the studio, Mr. Eaton came through and asked me to sing for him. I was kind of nervous, but since then he’s asked me to sing other things for his label,” said Troy.
Eaton and Troy met through Agent Blurr, an American rapper/producer the latter considers a mentor. Eaton is from St. Ann parish in Jamaica. He is well-known in Staten Island reggae circles. He mainly works with local artists.
Impact on Reggae Music
He convinced Troy to take a crack at reggae.
“Recording a reggae song was not really a major goal of mine, but I definitely enjoyed the experience. If I can sing more of Mr. Eaton’s music I would,” said Troy, who has been recording music for seven years.
Most of his musical heroes, like Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler The Creator, are rappers. The Police, whose pop-reggae albums sold millions of copies during the 1980s, is the closest Troy came to embracing Jamaican music.
The African American contribution to reggae music is understated. Impresario Danny Sims and singer Johnny Nash helped put Bob Marley and The Wailers on the international map by recording and releasing their music overseas. Musicians Al Anderson and Donald Kinsey recorded and toured for many years with Marley Tosh, while singer Gwen Guthrie was a regular collaborator with Sly and Robbie.
