The Reggae-friendly label Island Records has welcomed Sean Paul to its family this week.
Details on the signing below…
The ‘Temperature’ maestro’s deal with the label places him under the Universal Music Group umbrella and sees him obliged to deliver several albums during a period of time the company hopes will be fruitful for both parties.
Darcus Beese, president of Island Records U.K. shared:
He’s one of the very few reggae greats to have gone global. What Sean has done for Jamaica and helping reggae music cross over makes him nothing short of a cultural icon. I don’t think there’s anything more potent or authentic than Island Records sitting down with a reggae artist of his caliber and having a conversation about signing them. It’s absolutely a natural fit.
Sean had this to say about his reasons for departing rival label, Atlantic:
With a big company like that they mass produce the artists and mass produce music, they clump everything together. For instance, a big producer gave me a rhythm track and I loved it. I [record] it and leave thinking: ‘This song is mine.’ And then a year later when I’m trying to put my album together I hear that another artist from the same label wanted it and did it before me. Things like that were happening that didn’t make sense to me. The reason producers do that is because labels have them on a cookie cutter kind of deal: ‘We pay. You just give us hooks, put artists together, switch it up and give us the best things.’ Things like that was kind of crazy to me. That my work would be chopped up with other people’s stuff. Even if I didn’t like the artist, now he’s singing a hook that I was involved in and I had no say. Those things were happening and it pissed me off.
He is yet to announce a due date for his first album under his new deal, but did reveal that the project may feature Shakira.
I can speak about a song I did with Shakira recently. I’ve wanted to work with her for a long time and it’s a production by David Guetta. I think it’s going to be called “Temple.” It’s more of a dancehall EDM type thing. David Guetta put his special touch on it. He’s a very amazing producer. Just when I thought he can’t find no better hook than this one, he finds a better hook. I love the tone of Shakira’s voice. It stands out. She’s an amazing dancer and performer. I always love Latina ladies, so I’ve been a fan of hers for quite some time.