The Fish Market Riddim, produced by dancehall pioneers Steely and Clevie, stands as a testament to the enduring influence of Jamaican music on the global stage.
However, behind the scenes, a legal battle is unfolding over royalties for this iconic rhythm, alleged to be the foundation of the Reggaeton genre which has turned the pop music world on its head with Hispanophone acts like Bad Bunny topping the Billboard charts. WMV had the opportunity to talk with Netherlands-born Danny Pepperseed, the manager of Steely and Clevie, to discuss the ongoing court case and delve into broader topics within the reggae and dancehall community.
The topic of the global impact of Jamaican music came up, along with the controversial origins of reggaeton. Recently, Puerto Rican singer Ozuna stated that Reggaeton started in his country and not Panama. Pepperseed remarked, “The reggaeton case is still under review by the judge, so there’s not much I can comment on.”
Regarding the animosity between Panama and Puerto Rico over the origins of reggaeton, the “Flesh and Blood” producer said copyright protection is important for any artist to survive.
“To us, it doesn’t matter where it originated – in Panama, Puerto Rico, or Zimbabwe. The only thing that matters to us is our copyright has been infringed,” he said.
The “Fish Market Riddim” was made in 1989. However, the lawsuit against reggaeton producers was first initiated in 2020, then refiled a year later, and again in April 2023, identifying more than 1,800 infringing songs by over 150 Latin and pop artists, publishers, producers, record labels, and those who have incorporated elements from Fish Market without proper authorization from Danny and his clients.
Among the defendants are Karol G, Bad Bunny, Drake, Daddy Yankee, Luis Fonsi, Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Rauw Alejandro, Diplo, and subsidiaries of the three major US record labels Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, and Warner Music, who collectively submitted motions seeking the dismissal of the case, stating that Steely and Clevie wish to monopolize ownership of the reggaeton genre.
Additionally, the US copyright for the Fish Market and the Dem Bow Riddim was only obtained in 2020, and the law states that there must be established ownership.
Even if Danny and his clients win according to musicologist Brian McBrearty there will be limitations, “US law requires that you have a registered copyright before you can present a lawsuit. The rights are there the whole time, but there may be some limitations in court.”
The facts are Producer Bobby ‘Digital’ Dixon utilized the Fish Market Riddim (1989) for Shabba Ranks‘ Dem Bow in 1990, according to the documents obtained by WMV. Following the success of Dem Bow, in diaspora communities like New York and Miami, Dennis ‘The Menace’ Halliburton and plaintiff Count Shelly collaborated to rework the instrumental, which was subsequently employed in recording a Spanish language cover titled “Ellos Benia,” Bobo General and Sleepy Wonder’s “Pounder,” and an instrumental mix named “Pounder Dub Mix II” (Pounder riddim).
This instrumental mix was used by Puerto Rican artists who flew to New York to get the riddim, and it became widespread unauthorized sampling in the Reggaetón genre for almost a decade, according to the “Loud: The History Of Reggaeton” Podcast hosted by Puerto Rican artists Ivy Queen.
Who did it first is a sensitive topic in the latin community but Danny explains: “There are Spanish versions of popular reggae songs. Especially in Panama, they gravitate towards Jamaican music a lot. But in the Spanish countries, they don’t speak English very well, so they translate it to their market to make the song more translatable.”
Although he is battling for music rights, Pepperseed expressed support for collaborations between Latin and dancehall artists but emphasized the need for proper licensing when using copyrighted material. He cited examples of other artists obtaining licenses for the use of copyrighted material, emphasizing the importance of respecting intellectual property rights.
“I think the collaboration is good, nothing wrong with collaborations at all; music is music,” he said.
Discussing the global reach of Jamaican music, Pepperseed acknowledged the significant impact it has had worldwide. He said, “All over the world, there is music being influenced by Jamaican music. King Tubby’s technique called dub grew out to be the mixing technique nowadays.”
Touching on the media attention surrounding the case, he said Billboard and Rolling Stone have sought to get information that the legal team couldn’t divulge due to ongoing litigation.
“It is crazy how small Jamaica is as a country, so it’s an honor how Jamaican music is being picked up by people who know nothing about Jamaican culture,” he said.
