There is an Oakland California based record label charting a new course in reggae music by forging new markets and sales strategies on the west coast. Ineffable Music is a full service independent record label, along with an artist and live music management arm. The company has two of the most streamed reggae artists of all time: Stick Figure whose Wisdom recently debuted at no. 51 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and Bermuda raised reggae singer Collie Buddz who has been streamed over 853 Million times on Pandora. In their catalogue are songs from Anthony B, Mr. Vegas, reggae legends Cocoa Tea, and a host of other Caribbean and dancehall artists as well as acts from out west as far as Hawaii. It’s also the only reggae label that has an ownership stake in major U.S reggae festivals.
The man helping reggae to solve its selling and streaming problem is New Yorker turned Bay Area native Adam Gross, Vice President of Ineffable Records. Adam oversees the music releases but the company doesn’t seem to be fixed on finding hits, rather they are dropping music that streams, sells and charts for a long time. A choice made by Chris Blackwell in the 1960s after he sold 7 million units of Millie Small’s My Boy Lollipop. Blackwell said although he had earned the success chasing hits previously he took a decision that he wouldn’t be daunted by Bob Marley and the Wailers Catch A Fire pale first year album sales. Catch a Fire Blackwell says in his Memoir The Islander, “didn’t immediately sell a huge number of copies, about 14,000 in the first year…in its first few months, it sold only 6,000 or so copies.”
Blackwell further said in the book, “I was extremely disappointed, but the prevailing attitude was: “That’s good for a reggae record.” My retort: “Don’t think of it as a reggae record. It’s a rock record. It’s a record that has the chance to be something important if we get behind it.”
Other acts on Ineffable like Tropidelic, although yet to make a dent on the charts, are infusing reggae with rock and other genres. The result is they tour extensively with other rock and reggae bands with a unique blend of music.
Adam’s bi-coastal music experience places him in a peculiar place at a peculiar time in the development of reggae music. He speaks to World Music Views exclusively about his personal journey in music and his mission for the artists and the label. Even as Jamaican acts release and contemplate clash songs weekly, Adam says the simple way for the music to become better is to work together.
How did you start in the music business?
Music was always part of my life. I grew up in New York City and was exposed to all sorts of music. I played in a reggae band in high school for a few years with kids whose families were from Jamaica, playing lots of gigs in Flatbush and around NYC. I went to college right outside of Chicago and was part of the group at my school that brought concerts to campus and had the chance to produce shows for big name artists. I was always trying to find different entrepreneurial things to do in regards to music. I started reaching out to a lot of my favorite artists’ managers about trying to help them find sponsorship opportunities. In that process I met with artists or their teams for anyone from Chronixx to Raging Fyah to Kabaka Pyramid to Jesse Royal. As I was getting close to graduating, I started pestering my [now business partner and Ineffable President] Thomas Cussins with emails and ideas about how I could add value to the business. From there after a trial period I began overseeing release strategy for the company’s management roster. We later realized we could launch a label arm of the business and sign artists we don’t manage as well, which is how we launched Ineffable Records and have expanded from there.
Who are some of the notable acts you have worked with?
Stick Figure, Collie Buddz, Konshens, Demarco, Kes, and many more.
What’s the music scene like in the Bay Area where you are from?
I’ve only been in the Bay for a bit over four years now, so I wouldn’t say I’m a complete expert. But it’s a really diverse scene here and a lot of popular music has been influenced by the music scene here. A subgenre of hip hop called Hyphy originated here and has spread a lot, from here to nationwide. There are tons of awesome venues out here and shows of all sorts of genres every night.
Your biggest success in the music business so far?
Any situation where it’s a win win win situation for all. It’s just about doing business with people where it’s enjoyable and you can help artists succeed independently and in a way that’s fair for all. The biggest feeling of success is based on the relationships you create over years of working together.
How long has Ineffable records been around?
Thomas and Igor started Ineffable Music Group in 2006. The label arm of the company, in its current iteration, has been around for almost four years. Ineffable Music Group is also a company that manages artists (like Stick Figure/Collie Buddz), owns/operates music venues, and has ownership in festivals.
What’s the label’s mission?
To allow artists to make an income off of their music while staying independent. To position artists for long term success. To help artists own their masters and make the right business decisions so they can be sustainable. To amplify music that we love.
Who are the artists on the Ineffable label?
We release around 500 tracks per year. The Ineffable 2022 playlist on Spotify is a good place to see everything we’ve done so far this year.
What’s your role as VP at the label?
I oversee the record label arm of our business as well as overseeing music releases for our management roster.
You sign a lot of American Bands, are you looking at any Jamaican reggae act?
Our label roster is a combination of American acts, Jamaican acts, acts from the rest of the Caribbean, and around the world. Last year we put out albums for Jamaican artists like Konshens, Demarco, and Turbulence. This year we are working on albums for Jamaican artists like Anthony B and Hector Roots Lewis. In terms of the rest of the Caribbean, we are working on an album with Kes aka Kes the Band and the first couple singles have already dropped “Liki Tiki” and “Jolene.” There will definitely be more that I can’t speak about at this time. We are also looking to do as many projects to bridge the gap between reggae in all different markets around the world. We put out two riddim compilations that Collie Buddz produced, Cali Roots Riddim 2020 and Cali Roots Riddim 2021, where we had artists from Jamaica (Kabaka Pyramid, Anthony B, Jesse Royal, Blvk H3ro, Demarco, Konshens, Etana, Yellowman), artists from the US, Europe, and everywhere else. The goal with this project was to expose riddim culture to the American reggae scene and create an opportunity to have a bunch of artists coming together to promote each other’s music.
Stick Figure is doing well on the chart two weeks in a row, what’s the strategy to their success?
15+ years of creating consistent cohesive content and striving to get better every single day. Scott understands every single aspect of the brand he has created. Every album he makes sounds like Stick Figure, but gets better because he is a producer first and foremost and works to improve his production skills everyday. People know what to expect from Stick—consistency and improvement. The music has a positive effect on his fans’ lives and from that they naturally want to share it with others.
I was present when Sony launched Collie Buddz Career at a club in Jamaica, how is it working with him now?
Damn that’s so cool man. Collie is an absolute legend. He has proven the model of success that modern artists should strive towards. Now that he is doing things completely independently and owning his masters, he is able to monetize his hit records he released in recent years like “Love & Reggae”, while touring consistently and being able to make the best touring decisions for his career. He’s a great guy and is always 100% music first.
Should we look for “Wisdom” in the Grammy Nominations? Was it submitted?
Charts, numbers, and awards have never been what the Stick Figure movement is about but anything is possible!
Where do you see reggae music in another two years?
The sky is the limit. There are reggae music scenes in virtually every country on earth. The more that artists from around the world work together, the greater the collective reach is for everyone. The next few years will see that happening more and more, artists collaborating on projects and reaching new audiences because of it.
What do you say to people in the reggae community who say American bands are taking over reggae since Stick Figure debuted at number 1 on the reggae chart?
The concept of dethroning Bob Marley is impossible. He is the greatest artist of all time and that will never change.
What’s next for you?
Continuing to release music every week and planning out 2023, 2024, and beyond.
