Steve “Urchin” Wilson wrote a book titled Look Down. He manages Sean Paul along with Jules Dougall and Sean’s brother Jason Henriques. A team player at heart- with balance and emotional intelligence, he has become one of the more educated minds in an ever changing music industry.
His knowledge and experience was developed in the music industry’s golden years, but his life lessons can be applied to the current post pandemic industry boom. Sean dropped the international collab heavy album “Scorcha” earlier this year, but Steve talks about the making of Sean Paul’s 2021 Grammy nominated album-
“Live N Livin” and how Sean was able to have special negotiations with the record label so the album could be released independently.
Steve, what’s your last name? Urchin Or Wilson?
Within the music industry, I am known as Steve Urchin because my first company was Mystic Urchin. It just stuck (shows tattoo)
How did you start in the recording business?
I went to UWI to do media, I got employed by Reggae Sunsplash the day I was finished, then I went to Tuff Gong then to Island Records, Mirage nightclub, Geejam as a studio manager. I tooled myself to figure out what I liked and didn’t like. Then an opportunity came for me to join Sean Paul’s team.
Tell me about Chris Blackwell, how was it working at Island Records?
I was told of a job opening and I applied, I got the job and thought wow this is amazing. At the time we signed Luciano, Beenie Man, Spanner Banner. I never worked with Chris Blackwell that much but I definitely learned how he ran things. He is an icon of mine. He finds a lifestyle and figures out things to do in that lifestyle that will help him to maintain that lifestyle.
What was the first song that inspired you to be in music?
Good question? I think it was Funky Town. I was eight years old and I bought the 45 and I thought I wanted to give people this feeling this record was giving me.
When you got your first taste of success who were you working with?
When I got the job at Island (Records) I got a company car, a desk and a computer and I never had that on my own before. I said this is it I arrived. Aaliyah had just come out and I drove around bumping her album through this huge bass box I had made, thinking this is it.
What would you tell young people about the music business?
If you want to be in the music business you gotta start acting like it as soon as you can. You have to love it. If you don’t love it don’t get into it. Contacts are most important because it’s who you know and who you can get a hold of. Get as much experience as you can even if it’s working for free. I’ve been reaching out to the programs at UWI and Edna Manley to find interns so they can get some experience.
You have hit the artist manager jackpot with Sean Paul, what is that relationship like?
Teamwork. It has a lot to do with loyalty but also the ability to do the work. There is also balance because Sean is also a family man and our kids play together. That is a blessing.
What’s your day to day job working with Sean Paul?
It’s being both reactionary and proactive. Many things are happening at the same time so I have to be able to strategize and have a plan. It’s answering the phone, answering the email. It’s a full time job. I am figuring out what’s the next record, where are we going on tour or what’s the next record going to sound like. The most important thing is being able to have balance while managing a big artist and a team I can rely on. That allows me to take my hands off the wheel.
What’s the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation?
I am a bit liberal on this subject but the main thing is when you don’t tip your hat to where you got the inspiration from. It’s important to say this is what I’m doing, this is what inspires me and I recognize that this is a genre I’m not familiar with the style of music. It’s a problem when you just come out and sing a Bob Marley song and pretend like you invented it. It’s important for artists in any genre to give respect to where they got it from and their elders.
How beneficial do you think Spotify will be to the region?
My team has been using it for some time but before it was like you trying to sell records (in the region) and you don’t know where the record store is. Now you have access to it, our DJs can go on it and make playlists and not be dependent on Rap Caviar (playlist). We can now go stream the artists that are important to us. Jamaicans are purveyors of cool so people can now look at Jamaican playlist and see what’s taking off here. We have a thermometer that we can use to see what’s hot. It’s a great measuring tool.
The taste makers seem to be more important to Spotify than musicians. They paid Joe Rogan one hundred million dollars but they didn’t give Drake that?
Well you can go listen to Drake on any platform, he doesn’t have an exclusive deal with Spotify, whereas Joe Rogan comes to Spotify and it’s powerful to hear it first there.
Do you think more artists should do podcasts to monetize separately from their music?
That’s always a good thing to generate more revenue streams, but I think people like you and I should do more podcasts about our genres. I think Tammy Chin and Wayne Marshall are doing well with multimedia so artists can do it but every genre needs historians who understand the pathology of music. If that’s an artist that’s fine.
Do you think more artists should own their masters?
Yes. Artists should have interest in their masters but if you are gonna own the masters you have to treat it like a product. Which means market it.
Sean said he didn’t drop an album in 2020 because of what was going on. Why drop now?
Well Sean didn’t drop an album but he dropped twenty songs in 2020. 2021 was a content rich year because everyone was locked in a studio and now they doing more music videos. During this time he became aware of what was happening in dancehall. People came by and he said lets work with that person. Then he came up with Live N Livin. Most of the songs except Lion Heart featured other people. It’s on his production.
It’s independent?
Yes its independent. Island Records has been super cool, have to give them a special shout out for allowing us to drop that record (Live N Livin) for our core audience.
Being on Island is a full circle moment for you?
Definitely is a full-circle moment.
How does it work to drop an album and still be on the label?
It’s a special negotiation. At the beginning we had an understanding and it has worked very smoothly. Its been really refreshing and cool to work with other artists.
Who are you listening to now?
I like Jesse Royal, Bugle, Intence. I always loved Busy Signal, Buju, Junior Gong also on the album.
Tell me about your book?
The name of the book is “Look Down”. It’s a COVID passion project after cleaning my phone three months in to the pandemic. I thought it would be really cool to do quotes by my father or grandfather and tie in to tell the story of the pictures. It’s available on Amazon now.
Watch the full interview below
