The management of Ghanaian dancehall artiste Livingstone Etse Satekla popularly known as Stonebwoy has hinted of a new record deal as they prepare to embark on their ‘Go Higher tour’ in Europe.
Manager of Stonebwoy Carl Digiglo, who disclosed the news to Showbiz, said his outfit and VP Records will settle on three years deal after which both parties would possibly renew their collaboration for an extended length of time.
Carl said the latest development clearly indicates that the Bhim Nation brand is growing from glory to glory.
“We are done with our end of the paperwork and are currently waiting for VP Records to get back to us. When that’s done, they will release an official statement to the public and the media.”
“It’s a big deal to be recognised by one of the biggest players in the reggae/dancehall industry. It shows how far we have come and such a distribution deal means Stonebwoy’s music now gets to reach an even wider audience than ever before. It shows we are on the right path,” he said.
“There is no way we could have achieved any of these without the love and support from our fans and the media. We ask that they continue to support us in the future as they have always done and we promise that there is more in store for them,” Carl added.
Some artistes signed by VP Records include Sean Paul, Ja Cure, Busy Signal, Beenie Man, Patoranking and a host of others.
The VP Records label was founded in 1979 by the late Vincent “Randy” Chin and his wife Patricia Chin, Chinese Jamaicans who owned the Randy’s Records store in Kingston, Jamaica (as seen in the 1978 film Rockers), as well as the Studio 17 recording studios.
In the mid-1970s, the Chins moved to New York City, setting up a record store in Brooklyn called VP Records in 1975, from which they sold and distributed records. In 1979, they relocated the store to Jamaica, Queens.
In 1993, the record label was formed after the success of the retail store. The name of the label is a product of the first letters in the founders’ names, hence the title “VP”.