VP Records Seals Exclusive Digital Distribution Deal with Legendary Producer and Pioneer King Jammy

MIRAMAR – King Jammy, the undisputed ruler and originator of the digital reggae movement, signed an exclusive online and mobile distribution agreement with VP Records. The label will have access to digitally distribute and market the complete body of work by one of the most influential reggae producers.

Lloyd ‘King Jammy’ James produced dancehall’s biggest riddims of the 1980s and is still the man behind some of today’s biggest hits. From the “Father Jungle Rock” riddim for I-Wayne’s “Can’t Satisfy Her,” to producing Wayne Smith’s seminal “Under Mi Sleng Teng” to spawn Shabba Ranks’ “Caan Dun,” his powerful reverberations of these pivotal electronic riddims ushered in the digital reggae movement and are still felt all over the charts. Twenty years after these riddims were built, new generations of aspiring soundmen are still cutting dubs on these versions, still killing sounds in clashes from New York to Brixton, from Germany to Japan, forever dipping into King Jammy’s reggae repertoire.

VP Records will continue to build on his legacy, offering his entire catalog of crucial hits as well as rare hard-to-find cuts. Olivier Chastan of VP Records says “King Jammy is one of the most important producers in the history of reggae music. Only small portions of his catalog have been released over the years. We estimate that close to 500 albums worth of music have not been released and we intend to make all of those musical treasures available digitally over the course of 2009.”

King Jammy also expressed his excitement. “After almost 30 years of making music, I thought it was time to look at my vaults and release some of the music I have made over the years. I found music that I did not even remember recording! Fans can expect a huge and varied selection from lost dub tapes to unreleased albums by legends like Frankie Paul, Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown to name a few.”