Jon Baker, principal of Geejam Music has been mulling around the prospects of re-entering the music business in a major way after cashing out with Geestreet Records in 1996 to Richard Bronson’s V2 Records. With a fleet of luxury villas and a residential recording studio in the lush lands of Portland keeping him busy, there would have to be something interesting to pull him back into the business, giving him more skin in the game.
In comes Skeng, the Spanish Town native street dancehall artist that has been racking up YouTube hits since last July. Jon told World Music Views that he asked his 15 year old son who lives in the U.K., which artist he would sign if he had the opportunity? Che answered unequivocally that Skeng is the most interesting dancehall artist in Jamaica right now.
Skeng has the two most streamed songs of all time in Jamaica.
Protocol with Sparta (Tommy Lee) set a new record for most streamed song in Jamaica across all official YouTube platforms.
The song peaked at No. 1 on The World Music Views YouTube Charts and has so far spent 27 weeks on the YouTube weekly chart. In Jamaica alone the TrueEyez directed music video has racked up 12,408,147 streams.
Cumulatively the music video has surpassed 31,288,000 views.
The previous YouTube streaming record was set by RCA Records artist Koffee with her single Lockdown which is now the third most streamed song in the island. Skeng also has the No. 2 slot with Gvnman Shift.
He has had 7 consecutive No. 1 songs since his Street Cred video hit YouTube last July. Talibhan, featuring Stalk Ashley, had a 5 week run at the top of the chart.
Jon Baker and Geejam Music’s interest is more than validated but Skeng says the reason he went with Geejam out of all the other publishing and labels that expressed an interest was due in part to the money and details in the offer.
“It’s a full publishing deal with several options when it is done. The cheese was right,” he told World Music Views.
Skeng’s close friends and producers John Coop & Shacko Di Truth also joined in the deal with Geejam Music.
John Coop whose real name is Malik Miller, producer of Skeng’s Rain Like Hail, Brrrp, and Jahshii (Keep Up) told World Music Views, ” I’m grateful for the opportunity. We’re trying youths with skills and big plans. Geejam made it easy for us to learn and ask questions, something that other labels made seem harder to understand.”
John Coop, Producer
Jon Baker, Founder Geejam Music
Rodney Borde-Kuofie, Attorney Geejam Music
Shakoo, Producer DiTruth Records
Beat-maker and producer DiTruth told World Music Views, “It’s a good feeling for our works and talents to be noticed by people out of Jamaica. It means we are doing something right. Most of us using the same tools to make music but few of us are extra creative, so we stand out.”
For Jon’s part he says in a statement, “There is an exciting musical renaissance at play in Jamaica now and I am delighted to be partnering with Downtown Music for publishing administration and label services.”
“Having been part of the Jamaican music scene for over 30 years, since my tenure as President of Chris Blackwell’s Island Jamaica in the early 90s, I believe now is the time to offer a true alternative to what is currently on offer for Jamaican artists and writers alike,” he continued.
The hotel mogul is hailed by his peers, which are some of the seasoned veterans of the music industry. Geejam Music’s publishing deal with Skeng comes on the heels of signing a “funded music publishing administration and label services” deal for Geejam Music’s existing catalog and roster of songwriters and producers with Downtown Music Services.
“I FIRST MET JON WHEN I WORKED AT MCA MUSIC IN THE 1980S. HIS MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE IS SECOND TO NONE AND I AM THRILLED THAT WE ARE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AGAIN.”
Said Mike Smith, Global President of Downtown Music Services. He continued: “I first met Jon when I worked at MCA Music in the 1980s. His label Gee Street released all of my favourite records and we had just picked up one of them, PM Dawn for publishing.”
“I have always followed his career closely and was thrilled when any artist I worked with could record at Geejam, his state of the art studios in Jamaica. I would drop in and see him when I was in Port Antonio and we talked about working together. His musical knowledge is second to none and I am thrilled that we are able to work together again. “
Mike Smith, Downtown
Davina Merchant, A&R Manager at Downtown Music Services, said: “We’re super thrilled to be partnering with Geejam, a pivotal game changer, collaborator and hub for bringing talent together from around the world.”
