World Music Views first announced that Masicka is signed to Def Jam, then the label issue a statement welcoming the Jamaican “1 Syde” DJ to their roster. The 38 year old label has been home to some of the biggest acts in music even before Masicka was born such as: LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Beastie Boyz and Run DMC. They have maintained a consistent presence in the global urban music market with acts like DMX, Jay Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West.
Without a Billboard Hot 100 or radio airplay hit, Masicka is considered an emerging artist and his signing is based purely on his potential and the “hyper market value” caused by streaming according to Maxine Isis Stowe, former label executive at Columbia Records.
“It’s (Masicka’s signing) based on the market now, there is a hyper market now.”
Maxine Isis Stowe
As for the dollar amount and how Masicka’s much celebrated deal breaks down in value, Maxine speculates at the prompt of WMV that it’s, “probably a couple hundred thousand, may be like $50,000 in pocket and the rest is towards marketing.”
She added that record labels are looking for a cash returns and dancehall is not the most cash rich investment even with the advent of streaming compared to other genres.
“Jamaican dancehall artists do not command much money through sales like Bad Bunny,” she said.
Maxine spearheaded the signing of several dancehall acts in the 1990s to Sony’s Columbia Records including Mad Cobra and Super Cat when she was A&R at the label. She explains for the first time to WMV what the value of those deals were.
“In the 1990s when artists were signing they signed for somewhere between $150,000 and $200,000,” she recalls. “I signed Diana King, Mad Cobra, and I did soundtracks with Jimmy Cliff.”
Maxine explains how an artist like Masicka could renegotiate if he should find success with a breakout record as she shares the example of Diana King’s “Shy Guy” which was included on the Bad Boyz Soundtrack.
“Diana King was the one that broke out off a compilation and then we did her album that had the hit single Shy Guy, then she blew up. By the time it came around to her second album her negations went up(estimated) to about US$200,000 or US$300,000.”
A quick and massive return on Columbia Records’ investment considering Diana King’s Tougher Than Love album went Gold (500,000) within 5 months of its April 18, 1995 release.
Def Jam has taken on similar risks with Jamaican projects and acts in 1990s when they signed Capleton and gave him his biggest hit “Tour.”
However, with no Gold record, Capleton told WMV in January that the Hip Hop founded label did not know what to do with him as an artist.
“Because its a 100% hip hop company them never really know how fi gimme dah market deh through grassroots, that’s why we did even end up back a VP, but as me seh anything for the music,” he stated.
Under DefJam Capleton who released two Billboard chart topping albums “Prophecy”, which peaked at number 65 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart in 1995 and I-Testament, released in 1997. Capleton also climbed the charts with the singles ‘Tour’ reaching number 57 on the Hot 100 Chart, ‘Wings of The Morning’ reaching number 79 and Heathen Rage peaked at number 79 on the R&B Hip Hop Songs Chart.
Grammy nominated producer Christy Barber who contributed to the Island Def Jam Records compilation “Def Jamaica” told WMV that Def Jam has never really committed to reggae music but every now and then they test their fate with artist from the genre.
“DefJam has always kind of had their pinky toe in the reggae pool. I don’t see that changing. The major labels just dip their pinky toe. not since the early 90s when I started has any of these labels really deep dived into the genre. I don’t think Jamaican music needs the major labels. it’s such an influential genre and it’s gonna continue to be,” she said.
Def Jam And Dancehall
The label took chances with Rihanna in the early stages releasing “Pon Di Replay” which was the genesis of her now successful career. They also released Nas and Damian Marley’s “Distant Relatives” (2010). That album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 57,000 copies in its first week, one of the highest first week sales for reggae project in the last ten years.
