Global Reggae Charts - Issue #13 / June 2018

issue # 13 | june 2018
feature
Reggae Careers
in the Internet Age
Part IV
artist of the month
King Kong
business insight
Gary “Riga” Burke-
Hemp Higher
Anderson Muth -
USA
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

global reggae charts | issue 4 / august 2017
#13

editorial
Welcome to a new edition of the Global Reggae Charts!
In 1968 Toots & The Maytals sang “Do The Reggay”, thereby creating one of the first public documents
that used the word reggae. In the 50 years since then, reggae music has traveled from the
small island of Jamaica around the globe and found fans and lovers basically everywhere it has
gone. Today, you can find reggae communities from Thailand to Brazil, from Ivory Coast to Sweden.
Reggae in 2018 is a global affair.
One year ago, we set out to provide the international reggae community with a useful tool: charts
that represent reggae as the global phenomenon it is. This month, we celebrate the GRC’s first
birthday. In our first year, we gathered a voter base that spans all continents, built the background
infrastructure to make the charts work, fine-tuned the magazines concept, and much more. Still: we
are far from where we want to be. Expect further improvements throughout the year!
Our birthday edition comes packed. Besides the charts themselves, you will find an interview with
Gary “Riga” Burke of Hemp Higher Productions about the current state of artist management. Riga
managed renowned acts like Randy Valentine and Cali P, and he had interesting things to say.
Moreover, we examined the DIY trend and compared it to the traditional label model in this
month’s installment of Reggae Careers on the Internet.
Last but not least an operational remark: with this edition, we changed the monthly label of the
Global Reggae Charts, due to feedback from several of the radio hosts we are talking to. The charts
are released in the midst of each month. Instead of carrying that month in the title, they are now
named after the upcoming one, meaning this edition is the June edition. By doing so the charts
feel more current and have a longer half-life, allowing our media partners to feature them more
conveniently. The issue count is not impacted by that change.
Cheers,
Thomas
Thomas Euler is founder of the German reggae & dancehall blogazine whagwaan-magazine.de
1
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

Album single Charts | top 20
Period
Ending 30/04/2018
Contributing voters: 50
# LM 2M PK Mo Artist Single Label
↑ 1 20 - 1 2 Raging Fyah Rebel Dub Rockers
+ 2 - - 2 1 Jah9 Love Has Found I VP
3 3 10 3 3 Protoje Bout Noon Mr Bongo
4 1 1 1 3 Capleton Help the Weak feat. Chronixx ZincFence
↑ 5 14 - 5 2 Bryan Art Can‘t Cut Wi Vibes G-Block
6 2 2 2 4 Koffee Raggamuffin Frankie Music
7 4 12 4 3 Dre Island Yaad N Abraad Digi Killaz
8 6 13 6 3 King Kong Old School feat. Burro Banton, Pinchers Irie Ites Records
+ 9 - - 9 1 Samory I Call on Jah Evidence
10 7 7 2 6 Jah9 Feel Good VP
11 8 9 8 3 Micah Shemaiah Roots I Vision Evidence
+ 12 - - 12 1 Kabaka Pyramid Kaught Up Ghetto Youths International
13 12 17 11 7 New Kingston Come from Far Easy Star
↑14 19 - 14 2 Marla Brown Trigger Marla Brown
↑15 - 4 4 2 Kabaka Pyramid Borders feat. Stonebwoy Ghetto Youths International
+ 16 - - 16 1 Freddie McGregor Go Freddie Go Big Ship
↑17 18 - 17 2 Mellow Mood Large La Tempesta Dub
18 17 20 17 3 Tarrus Riley Haunted Diwali
↑19 - 14 14 2 Sting & Shaggy Don‘t Make Me Wait A&M
+ 20 - - 20 1 Cocoa Tea Medical Marijuana Walshy Fire
Bryan Art Samory I Mellow Mood
Sting & Shaggy Jah9
# = this month’s position on the chart LM = last month’s position on the chart 2M = position two months ago
PK = peak position MO = months on the chart ↑= signifies upward movement + = new entry
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018 2

Album Charts | top 20
Period
Ending 30/04/2018
Contributing voters: 43
europe
# LM 2M PK Mo Artist Album Label
↑ 1 4 12 1 3 King Kong Repatriation Irie Ites Records
↑ 2 3 - 2 2 Etana Reggae Forever Tad‘s.
+ 3 - - 3 1 Romain Virgo Lovesick VP
4 1 2 1 3 Micah Shemaiah Roots I Vision Evidence
5 2 1 1 4 Sly & Robbie and Dubmatix Overdubbed Echo Beach
6 11 - 6 2 Bushman Conquering Lion Burning Bushes
+ 7 - - 7 1 Mellow Mood Large La Tempesta Dub
8 5 3 1 7 Jesse Royal Lily of da Valley Easy Star
+ 9 - - 9 1 Alpheus Light Of Day Liquidator
10 6 6 6 4 Hollie Cook Vessel of Love Merge
11 8 8 2 6 Havana meets Kingston Havana meets Kingston Baco
+ 12 - - 12 1 Shaggy 44/876 feat. Sting A&M
+ 13 - - 13 1 Joe Pilgrim & The Ligerians Step Out Soul Nurse
14 7 4 2 10 Damian Marley Stony Hill Republic
15 10 11 10 4 Iba Mahr Get Up and Show Oneness
↑16 - 18 12 4 Alborosie Soul Pirate - Acoustic Geejam
+ 17 - - 17 1 I-Octane Love & Life Conquer The Globe
18 15 - 15 2 Vibronics Woman on a Mission SCOOPS
+ 19 - - 19 1 Moja One Association Art Beat
+ 20 - - 20 1 Javada Feel Brand New Irievibrations
Alpheus
King Kong
Etana
Romain Virgo
I-Octane
# = this month’s position on the chart LM = last month’s position on the chart 2M = position two months ago
PK = peak position MO = months on the chart ↑= signifies upward movement + = new entry
3
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

Reggae Careers
in the Internet Age
Part IV: Do-it-yourself vs. Labels:
How Artists Structure Their Business in 2018
Text: Thomas Euler // whagwaan-magazine.de
These days, there is a lot of talk about DIY (do-ityourself)
artists among music industry people. The
term refers to artists who forgo the traditional model
of signing with a music label and instead opt to take
their business into their own hands. By leveraging
the possibilities that the internet has created, DIY
artists take care of everything from production to
marketing and distribution; in most cases not entirely
on their own, but with a small, dedicated team – all
without giving away the rights to their music. While
labels can certainly still provide value to artists, the
DIY path is becoming a viable alternative.
had to be on the shelves of retailers across the globe.
This presented a logistical challenge – one that no
individual artist could realistically have managed to
overcome. Record labels (the majors in particular)
filled that void by building the required infrastructure
for distribution and relationships to retailers. The
labels basically owned distribution (and therefore
could dictate terms to artists, e.g. demanding to own
the rights to the music). It was almost impossible to
get in front of a sizable audience without their support.
As a result, artists had little bargaining power in
the world of physical distribution.
Artists that have gone a long way in this fashion
include: Lil Yachty, Chance the Rapper (who turned
down $10mil offers to stay indie) or Major Lazer. And,
just as importantly, some artists who formerly had
label deals decided to go independent as well. Frank
Ocean famously played a trick on Def Jam/
Universal: while still being contractually obliged to
deliver a new album, he released an obscure visual
album on Def Jam, only to release his proper album
Blond the next day — on his own label Boys Don’t
Cry.
In order to understand why DIY is increasingly
popular among artists, it is necessary to understand
the underlying changes in the music business world
that laid the foundation from which the trend could
emerge. The simple answer of course is the internet.
But let’s dig a little deeper.
- From distribution to discovery -
Before the internet and the advent of digital distribution
– at first selling files and nowadays streaming
– music was sold on physical records. To get it in the
hands of as many people as possible, the records
That, however, is no longer the case. Distributing
digital music takes only a few clicks. While there
are several distribution tools, DistroKid is likely the
gold-standard. For $20 a year, artists can get their
music to all the relevant services from Spotify to Apple
Music, from YouTube to iTunes. Thus, distribution
is no longer the key challenge in the music market.
The bigger challenge today is building an audience.
As music (like all other content) is now only a click
away, fans nowadays have access to a practically unlimited
amount of music. The critically scarce resource
is no longer shelve space but attention. A good
product is certainly a key ingredient to accumulate
the latter. However, and I suppose much to the dismay
of many artists, it isn’t enough. Instead, it takes
active marketing efforts to make sure people actually
find the music. To put it in a bit more technical terms:
the internet has reduced distribution costs to (essentially)
zero; today’s challenge is discovery (from
the user’s perspective) or attracting users (from the
artist’s perspective).
- Many jobs, different models -
At the same time, the internet is also an important
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018
4

global reggae charts
feature
tool for every artist trying to build an audience.
While doing so is certainly a lot of work, it doesn’t
require nearly the same huge financial investments
as in the world of mass media. With the investment
of time and effort, artists can go a long way. Using
social media and reaching out to specific communities-of-interest
(e.g. reggae, dancehall, rap) can move
the needle visibly.
The catch here, of course, is that no artist can do it
truly independently (as in: alone), for the limiting factor
is time. Here are some of the jobs that a DIY artist
needs to take care of:
• booking & tour management
• marketing, PR, radio & TV promotion
• video production
• ticket sales
• merchandising
• brand partnerships
• retail distribution (if applicable)
Even though digital tools have made all of these simpler,
it’s too much for any one person to handle. Yet,
it no longer takes a traditional label to get them done
either. There is a whole heap of specialized service
providers that get the jobs done, and most successful
DIY artist have assembled a capable team – a.k.a.
an entourage – around them that manages many of
the tasks.
As a result, artists structure their business and
contracts in many different forms today. There is no
longer a norm. Instead, you’ll find all kinds of setups
ranging from 360 deals with major labels — where
the label basically takes care of everything and gets
a cut of all revenue streams, including live performances
— to complicated structures where a label
might be involved but only as a service provider.
For instance, it might handle distribution or marketing
but only license (not own) the masters. In other
cases, no traditional label (as in: it owns the rights to
music) might be involved because the artist works
with several specialized vendors.
The key takeaway here is: alternatives to labels
exist. That’s significant (and should possibly frighten
the labels). Because it means artists have a choice.
Labels suddenly have to compete with a new class of
competitors that handle jobs that would have traditionally
been firmly in the labels’ hands.
A key difference between the traditional label model
and the new service providers is the terms offered to
artists – importantly also including the rights. Labels
traditionally held the rights to the music of the artists
they signed; many of their new competitors don’t.
For a business-minded musician, that can clearly
be a big factor: owning your own rights not only
assures maximum earning potential from royalties
but also allows you to control (and benefit from) all
additional revenue streams as for instance licensing.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that more and more
artists don’t feel attracted by the label model and try
the DIY path instead.
- Why labels still matter -
But even though DIY is a significant trend, it would
certainly be premature to prepare a eulogy for the
labels. Not only are their services still relied upon by
many artists, they moreover still have cultural significance.
While researching this piece I talked to Falk
Schacht, one of Germany’s best-known rap journalists
and a music industry insider for 20+ years. He
reminded me that many artists still regard being
signed to a renowned label as a signal of prestige.
Plus, there are still tangible advantages for artists.
The first one: security. When artists sign a contract,
the label pays them an advance. While going DIY is
essentially the entrepreneurial approach to a music
career, signing with labels is likely the preferred option
for artists who want to avoid the risk that comes
with betting big on oneself. Moreover, labels provide
the one-stop shop solution to all the jobs I listed
above. That’s quite convenient (at least in theory),
as aspiring artists can focus on their music without
having to assemble – and manage – an entire team
of collaborators.
However, the main argument which industry insiders
5
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

global reggae charts
repeatedly bring up when asked about the value that
major (or established indie) labels provide to artists
are their relationships to radio. Matt Colon, co-founder
of Deckstar Management, said in a read-worthy
exploration of the question (emphasize mine):
The internet and social media have leveled the
playing field enormously, so for most of my artists I
only advise that we look to major labels if their music
immediately lends itself to radio, i.e. pop-leaning.
All that said, radio is still the key way to truly have a
record go from a great song to a hit song, and major
labels work radio better than anyone else.
Radio is still the dominant way people discover
music. Streaming and its playlist-based approach to
discovery is certainly catching up and even has created
several proper hits on its own. Yet, radio is still a
highly relevant channel in many demographics and
the place many people rely on for discovering new
music. As long as radio remains critical for success,
established labels have an important asset for artists
targeting the mainstream.
In a niche genre like reggae, attention and relevance
is accumulated on different paths. Since mainstream
radio mostly ignores it, the dedicated channels
for the scene – e.g. reggae websites, reggae radio
programs, sound systems – are much more relevant
to most artists. That’s not the major labels’ turf. On a
smaller scale, though, the same dynamic as outlined
above exists: established actors – including but not
limited to reggae labels – possess a valuable network
and have access to the right people. That can be
invaluable to an artist. But since the genre is small
and the scene rather connected, it often doesn’t take
a label deal to work with them: alternative arrangements,
as outlined above, are commonplace.
- The takeaway -
Artists in 2018 can choose from various options when
deciding how they want to structure their business.
Signing with a label is an option, but definitely not
the only feasible one. Which choice is the correct one
is highly dependent on the respective situation and
to individual preferences, for instance when it comes
to one’s affinity for taking risks. Giving a default onesize-fits-all
answer is therefore impossible. But advice
that applies to literally every artist is: know your
options! Many aspiring artists are young adults and
mainly focused on their music (understandably so!).
The business-side often isn’t their top priority. That,
though, is likely a mistake. Finding the right model to
work in might take some time but it can also make a
big difference when it comes to building a sustainable
career.
If you have any feedback or input in the meantime,
just drop me a line at thomas.euler@whagwaan-magazine.de
Album Riddim Charts | top 5
Period
Ending 30/04/2018
Contributing voters: 28
europe
# LM 2M PK Mo Label Riddim
↑1 2 5 1 3 Digi Killaz Yaad N Abraad Riddim
↑2 5 - 2 2 Giddimani Anti-Racism Riddim
+ 3 - - 3 1 Walshy Fire Top Shelf Riddim
+ 4 - - 4 1 Massive B Rudeboy Skank Riddim
+ 5 - - 5 1 Ambassador Musik Mighty Roots Riddm
Rudeboy Skank Riddim
Top Shelf Riddim
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018
6

global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

BUSINESS
INSIGHT
global reggae charts
insight
INTERVIEW
Some insights on the reggae business and artist
management coming this month from Gary “Riga”
Burke, who managed artists like Randy Valentine and
Cali P and helped them to establish their careers.
Felix Rühling: Hi Riga. You are a busy man, and for
many years you have worked behind the scenes within
reggae. You work as a label, producer, and booker,
but maybe the biggest impact you have had on the
reggae scene so far was as the manager of Randy
Valentine and Cali P. This aspect of your work will be
the focus of this reasoning, but before we start to
talk about how the magic is done, maybe you can
give a little insight into your background and what
you are doing.
Gary “Riga” Burke: Hi Felix. Wow, insight into my
background… I’ve been traveling a lot over the past
20 years so it’s hard to keep that short (laughs).
I’m 35 years old, my parents are Irish - but I grew up
in Switzerland before moving to London and then
back to Europe. I’ve been recording, producing, and
working with reggae and dancehall artists for 17
years now - mostly in Europe and the Caribbean, and
I’m currently working between Barcelona (where our
booking agency is based) and Geneva (where my
studio is based - it’s great because it’s only like 30
Euros with easyJet and 1 hour on the plane to fly
from one place to the next).
Basically, I started off in 1998 as a 16-year-old DJ, we
had a sound called Hemp Higher Crew and used to
mix in parties in Geneva and Lausanne - I mixed in
clubs before I was legally allowed to go in (laughs).
We released a bunch of mixtapes, which did quite
well back then between 2001 and 2006, and the
concept was then even developed into a party brand
in Hamburg by Kingsley Addo (with whom I used to
work within the street markets in London, I was hustling
CDs in the market and he was hustling clothes
- so we started hustling together).
My DJ career was short-lived, as I wanted to participate
more in the actual creation of the music (production
& engineering). I moved to London in 2001
to study Audio Engineering and went on to work for
several labels (EMI & Virgin Records) in the finance
and marketing departments as a junior assistant.
While in London, I developed my network in the reggae
business by organizing dubplate sessions with
Jamaican artists (recording artists such as Buju Banton,
Capleton, Alton Ellis, General Levy and more).
At the same time, I started producing and got signed
to a Swiss company that placed some of my instrumentals
on major projects in Germany and France
(Sony BMG, Warner): at that time I was producing
hip-hop (the first major track I produced was a single
for the German rapper Massiv in 2006 - “Einer aus
dem Volk”).
In 2007, I moved back to Switzerland where I met
Cali P. He gave me the strength and motivation to
start my own label Hemp Higher Productions in 2010.
We released several riddims featuring Jamaican
artists (T.O.K, Bugle, Serani, Masicka, Jahmiel, etc.),
before realizing that a label would only survive if it
was also managing the artist. I started then to focus
on Cali P’s career and we ended up joining forces
with seven-time X Games gold medalist and freeski
legend Tanner Hall, who allowed us to set up a base
in Jamaica for Cali P to start pushing his music in the
Caribbean. At the same time I met Randy Valentine
(I remember his talent blew me away the first time
I heard him), and I felt I could quite easily use the
network I had built with Cali P to introduce Randy,
so working together with my UK business partner
Kevin “Blemish” Ababio we went real hard as a trio
(it’s all about the teamwork) and managed to develop
Randy’s career on an international level.
I spent the next five years (2012-2017) focusing
exclusively on artist and label management. I really
enjoyed working on both Cali P’s and Randy’s careers
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018
8

global reggae charts
insight
as I am personally a fan of both artists, so it was
also a privilege for me to be able to contribute in
that way. On the label side, we had six number-one
reggae albums on the charts and released a number
of projects: from 2010 to 2018 we released 230 songs
from various artists - it’s been a fun ride.
On the production side, I’ve been building a few
riddims on the side for DJs like Walshy Fire (Major
Lazer) and Vincz Lee (Switzerland’s top urban music
DJ), and I have a few singles which have been
sleeping on the side as I’ve been really busy and
want to set up proper strategies for each release -
but am getting ready to drop some new songs soon.
unnoticed. So the first challenge is establishing the
core fan base, which will help support the songs and
the movement and give it its “own life.”
Creating a network: this is something that unfortunately
cannot be done overnight and is to a certain
extent a reflection of your curriculum vitae.
Basically, your personal network will be a sum of all
the human interactions you’ve had over your life.
Coming from Europe, one of the hardest parts was
For 2018 my main focus is expanding the booking
network. At the end of last year, we merged companies
with the agency we were working with (Rhythm
and Flow) and we decided that we were ready to step
up the game to set up a larger company with bigger
resources, focusing on developing the reggae and
dancehall scene in Europe. We have set up offices
in Barcelona and have made the team a bit bigger;
we are currently five people working in the company
in an effort to bring as many show opportunities as
possible to our various clients.
FR: You have been involved with the careers of
Randy Valentine and Cali P from the very early days.
When you look back at it - what do you see as the
major challenges to establish a new, unknown artist
in the reggae market?
GB: From my point of view, there are several
challenges:
Establishing a core fan base: the beginning will
always be the slowest part as generally the artist is
still searching for their artistic direction, and has no
pulling power… so at first, the exposure has to be
CREATED through sweat and tears. As there is no
demand at first, the main challenge is to get the music
noticed “out there.” It can be the best song in the
world, but if it isn’t brought to the right people and
pushed the right way, a potential hit can go perfectly
creating a network and getting my artists noticed in
the US and the Caribbean. That took a lot of unanswered
emails and phone calls before I managed to
get stuff moving on other continents. However, in
a place like Switzerland, it was very easy for me as
I grew up there and have been working alongside
most players in the industry over the past 15 years.
So, creating a business network is definitely one of
the big challenges as it can take years before having
the type of network that would allow you to establish
a new and unknown reggae artist. It’s hours of waiting
at concerts backstage to meet a specific promoter,
or at a radio building in order to meet the right
9
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

global reggae charts
insight
people who are influencers and can facilitate the
exposure of unknown artists. For example, if David
Rodigan or Rory Stone Love introduces a new artist,
it will have a whole different impact than if it’s by a
random unknown DJ… do you see what I mean?
Consistency: it isn’t that hard to get a “hot song”
nowadays, however, the challenge lies in consistency.
For a young artist, it is very important to keep on
coming with new material, new songs, new videos,
new material for their fans. Because the same way
you can buss and get a hype, you can also lose that
hype… so the key word is consistency. I’m not saying
to put out as many songs as possible since consistency
is in the standard of your product, the quality
of the mixing, the quality of the videos, and the PR
campaigns behind the songs. If your standards are
not consistent, you will not be able to grow as an
artist.
Motivation: this life isn’t for everyone - you cannot
be in it for the money because there isn’t much in
the reggae market so you lost already if that is your
main goal (laughs). You got to be in it for the passion.
However, you have to stay realistic and in order
to maximize the potential of the artist‘s talent, you
need to generate money to push harder and to grow,
and unfortunately making and marketing music is
not free (so it’s a bit of a catch-22 situation… you
don’t want to be in the music for the money, but you
need the money to push the music). In order to make
it work, you have to work 24/7 with no days off, and
that can often create pressure and tensions within
the team. So, the secret is all about trying to keep a
healthy balance and motivate each other to go
harder and push higher, the aim is to do as best
as you can and move forward: try, fail, learn from
mistakes, try again, fail again, learn from the new
mistakes, try again so forth until eventually you will
succeed; it’s as simple as that - and try to stay positive
while you are at it.
FR: I totally agree with your points. Maybe we
can get a little deeper in some of the aspects. Let’s
imagine a young artist with no experience but a lot
of talent, who has recorded a professional album
and now wishes to conquer the world. They are
willing to work hard, but still, there are too many
things to try and invest time in. And if you say you
have to work 24/7, I’m sure you are aware, that 24/7
is never enough time to do everything you want to
do (laughs). Where would you recommend them to
start? Should they try to expand their reach from
their home base step by step, or should they try the
whole world and see what happens? Should they
start with pushing the record or should they start by
playing live shows?
GB: The easiest way to be taken seriously and to
grow your career from the get-go is to be introduced
by someone who is already established in the genre.
So I guess the first thing you got to do is go out there
and meet people. Your music won’t go anywhere by
sitting in a room - get a core team of people together
who are just as enthusiastic about your talent and
your music as you are.
I don’t think you can decide beforehand who or
where people are going to like your music, so you
have to find them wherever they are - they will be
your core fan base. If you realize that it’s more local
people who live your stuff and who relate to it, that’s
where you got to focus - if you realize that you are
mostly getting love from overseas, that is where you
should put your focus. Basically, put your focus
where your music can grow naturally.
When you ask should you start pushing a record or
doing live shows, again I would suggest to go with
what the artist is more comfortable with - if they feel
like they are more of a studio artist/vocalist, then focus
on pushing the records, if they feel they are more
of an entertainer - focus on the live shows… you also
should be doing both at the same time as they go
hand in hand (the records help you get more shows,
the shows help promote the records).
FR: You are talking about networks and I agree that
it is a major task to establish a good network. Still,
9global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018
10

global reggae charts
insight
Hemp Higher productions
Founded: 2010 (Merged with Rhythm and Flow in 2017)
Location: Nyon / Switzerland & Barcelona / Spain
Artist Management: Cali P, Randy Valentine
Production Credits: Masicka, Popcaan, Jahmiel,
Sizzla, T.O.K, Ward 21, Serani, Bugle, ...
Artist Bookings: Stonebwoy, Cali P, Jahmiel, Masicka,
Stylo G, Bugle, Marcia Griffiths, Millions Stylez, ...
www.rhythmandflow.org
www.hemphigher.com
the internet and social media give you a lot of options
to establish such a network on your own today.
Are there any platforms you found especially helpful?
GB: Real life I found was the best platform.
Most of the links I have and the people who actually
helped me are people I met and vibed with in real
life. Social networks are great to get in touch and to
contact people, but they don’t allow you to build real
relationships with people - those you get by traveling
and going on the road and meeting people in real
life.
Besides the digital networks, are there any persons
or companies who have been the key for you to
reach “the next step?”
Every single person I have worked with has helped
me along the way to grow and learn. I think new
steps were reached by certain ideas we implemented
or projects we released. Basically, you need to
count on yourself to reach the next step, not on other
people.
FR: Your last point is motivation. Over the past years,
I have seen many artists struggling with a kind
of burnout. They are pushing day and night, often
times all on their own with no team, and feeling that
they are really getting nothing back for their work.
Even if everyone else is under the impression that
their career is just doing great, there is always the
feeling of a discrepancy between the energy you put
in and the energy you get out. Do you think there is
a certain point in a career where this changes?
GB: Definitely, if you manage to get through that
initial “frustration” stage that every artist goes
through at one point or another in their career, you
will be able to appreciate what you have and built:
a healthy career. The only artists who actually have
careers live off longevity.
I put the blame on other people, not on the artists
themselves; it will be the artist’s entourage who
will generally gas up the artist into believing that
they deserve to be bigger than what they are, creating
that frustration… instead of allowing artists
to appreciate what they have… fans and an artist’s
entourage will often make them focus on what they
don’t have… that would mess up anyone’s mind and
create a sense of frustration.
FR: Most of the points made so far can be true for
any genre. What do you see as the specific benefits
and challenges for reggae artists?
GB: I would say that in the digital age a lot of the
challenges are the same globally. It’s generally very
hard to get noticed, as so many new artists are arriving
on the scene every day that people pay less and
less attention and it’s harder to build a loyal following
than 20 years ago.
When it comes specifically to reggae, one of the
good sides is that the music is global; the downside
would be it’s very small “niches” of people globally,
meaning that although reggae has influenced just
about every other genre and continues to do so, it is
still referred to in most places worldwide as “underground”
music.
I hope I will see that change one day… and feel that
people like Damian Marley, Chronixx, and others are
doing that, and helping the genre open itself to a
broader audience.
FR: Thank you so much for your time, and all the
best for your future projects!
11
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

KING KONG
Dennis Thomas a.k.a. King Kong is an iconic 1980s Jamaican artist just like
Tenor Saw and Nitty Gritty. He began his career in 1982 and was working with
producers like King Tubby, King Jammy, Black Scorpio, Bunny Lee, Prince
Jazzbo, and many others. 2018 marks a revival for this artist who released his
12th album entitled “Repatriation” on the label Irie Ites Records. This album
hit the top of the album charts this month and so we considered
King Kong more than worthy for a front page feature.
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

COMMUNITY
RADIO
USA
global reggae charts
featured voter
INTERVIEW
This month we talked to Anderson Muth a.k.a. The
Groove Thief, who presents the shows Dub Palace and
Reggae Transfusion on the community radio station
KGNU out of Boulder (CO), USA, and is also the editor
of this magazine.
Photo: Evan Semone
Global Reggae Charts: Hi Anderson. Please give
us some information about yourself and your radio
show.
Anderson Muth: Certainly! Primarily as The Groove
Thief, I’ve been promoting, selecting, and writing
about reggae and its numerous related sounds since
2011. Until 2016 I was based out of Hong Kong, China,
and now I’m here in Denver, Colorado. To keep a
long story short, it was quite hard leaving a music
scene I’d enjoyed so much time in, so my friends
Tree-Angles and I began our Pomegranate Sounds
record label last year as a way to keep the vibes
alive from our somewhat infamous and eclectic club
night Pomegranate. I also run a small mobile sound
system, called Pomegranate Hi Fi, which is a lot of
challenging fun, and work in studio with my production
partner Scotty McD.
I host the Dub Palace and Reggae Transfusion shows
on KGNU Community Radio each month. The station
is based out of Boulder, but has a Denver studio as
well. Dub Palace is all about dubwise sounds, including
dubstep and future dub; Reggae Transfusion is
exactly that, so I try and feature a mixture of digital
and roots music. Dub Palace is also live-broadcasted
from a bar once a month, so playing those sessions
is particularly enjoyable. I always play a lot of new
music and usually feature local Colorado artists as
well as other eclectic international releases beyond
the more expected selections.
GRC: Apart from the radio show, you are also writing
about reggae. What is your motivation?
Anderson with his dog Joey
AM: I’ve always loved music and writing, and have
been an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher
for many years now. I used to fancy myself a travel
writer, and have written for a city government as
well as larger brands like Time Out Hong Kong magazine.
But writing about a music I love is the most
enjoyable. There’s so much to listen to, and so much
content in general out now, yet too much so-called
music journalism is just regurgitated press releases;
I take pride in digging deeper with an artist for an
interview, or into their work for an in-depth review.
GRC: You are also an editor for this magazine. Why
do you think the Global Reggae Charts is a project to
support?
AM: Since moving to Colorado, I’ve gotten heavily
involved in radio again; many years ago I was a DJ
and staff member for my college radio station. It’s
somewhat odd to me that reggae as a genre lacks
coverage while still getting a solid amount of radio
play and promotional support.
KGNU has three weekly reggae shows, all reliably in
the station’s Top 10!
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018
14

global reggae charts
featured voter
Yet, there wasn’t a useful resource for reggae selectors
to share their tastes, learn more about what’s
being played around the world, and have a deserved
influence in what music is deemed chart-worthy.
Global Reggae Charts fills that void nicely, and it’s
a pleasure working with the team each month to
polish up the issue for publication.
GRC: You are living in Colorado/USA but lived in
Hong Kong for a while. What is your impression
about the reggae scene in Hong Kong and Southeast
Asia compared to the one in the United States?
AM: Hong Kong enabled and encouraged me to
become an active DJ, and it has a surprisingly relevant
scene due to the continued efforts of a few
dedicated and passionate souls. There are a few too
many people to mention, but I do want to shout-out
bands the Red Stripes and Sensi Lion (surely the
world’s leading Cantonese reggae act), as well as the
recently-closed venue XXX. Heavy Hongkong, the
city’s leading sound system, is simply relentless in
their efforts to bring top Asian and UK talent to Hong
Kong, promoting dub, dubstep, jungle, reggae, and
other dubwise and bass-related sounds.
Hong Kong is also a key access point for China, and
the Heavy crew plays a key role in that, as does
Shenzhen’s Unchained right across the border plus
promoters in Beijing and Shanghai. There’s some
semblance of a network of Asian promoters, and a
lot of respect and appreciation for each other’s efforts,
which helps to bring artists in and interconnect
tour stops from places outside China like India (Reggae
Rajahs), Singapore (Singapura Dub Club), and of
course Japan.
While hardly popular, reggae in Asia feels fresh and
is very community and DJ-focused. The crowd listens
to lyrics, doesn’t want to hear Bob Marley, and
appreciates the selector’s role as a tastemaker.
Here in the USA, it’s all about bands. I feel like the
average audience member lacks appreciation for the
15
selector, is disinterested in appearances by singers,
and is hardly dubwise in their knowledge of reggae
music, never mind the crucial role of sound system
culture. That said, Denver is a major hub for dubstep,
and there are a lot of talented bands, DJs, and vocalists
here… there’s just a lot of work to be done.
short FACTS
Station: KGNU Community Radio
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
Show: Dub Palace & Reggae Transfusion
Host: The Groove Thief
On air: 3rd Wednesday & 4th Sunday,
10pm-12am MST
http://thegroovethief.com
https://www.mixcloud.com/thegroovethief
https://pomegranatesounds.bandcamp.com
GRC: And a final question: What kind of music do
you play in your show? Which styles and artists do
you favor the most?
AM: As you can imagine, I enjoy a lot of styles and
eras. Beyond the current sound system styles of digital,
roots, and that 140 weight, I do particularly enjoy
early dancehall (aka 80s digital) and vintage 70s dub
and roots. Contemporary Jamaican artists Chronixx,
Hempress Sativa, Micah Shemaiah, and Protoje never
fail to impress.
Just as an example, my latest radio show included
fresh music from Richie Phoe, Holy Hammond,
mehdiman, Daddy Freddy, Speng Bond, Jah Screechy,
King Kong, The Giants, Forelock, Solomonix,
The Viceroys, and Eek-A-Mouse, as well as Colorado
artists Scotty McD, Ras Dave, and BeDeBe. I lean towards
the unknown and underappreciated but never
want to ignore a crucial tune from a big artist.
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

global
voters
global reggae charts
voters
Argentina
La De Dios
Music Director
Santi Palazzo
La De Dios
Brownie
Martin Quispe
Radio Demente
Roots & Culture Selector
Iván Tutavac
Australia
2BOB Radio
Roots’n’Reggae Show
Bobbie Philp
89.7FM
Ital Galore
Ian Pillar
Radio Fremantle
I&I Sounds
Corby Howell
Belgium
Radio Centraal
Back 2 Bass
Tim Ianna & Kenneth Oyen
Bulgaria
Radio Bumerang 99.00 FM
Music Director
Canada
CFRU 93.3 FM
The Crooked Beat
Nicky Dread
Radio Regent
ItaL rOOts RaDio
Sweet T
Radio Regent
ItaL rOOts RaDio
MAdCast Fuji
Rootz Reggae Radio
Riddim UP - Fridays
Tonie Smith
Colombia
Remigio Antonio Cañarte
Estación Reggae Zion
Alejandro Muñoz
UPTC Radio 104.1 FM
Legado Africano
Charli Urrego
Costa Rica
Radio Urbano 105.9FM
Di Docta Show
Marco Villalobos
Croatia
Radio Makarska Rivijera
Zoran Spajic
Denmark
Station Amager
Reggae Moods
Dominican Republic
Kabina34 Radio
Champion Sound Radioshow
Omar Tavarez
France
La Grosse Radio
Reggae Program Director
Simon Chamfroy
Sunalpes.com
Cassonade
Julien Guedz
World A Reggae
Editor
Fred Reggaelover
Germany
Antenne Münster 95.4
Cool & Deadly
Wolfgang Hickmann
ByteFM
Forward The Bass
Karsten Frehe
Radio Leinehertz 106.5
Wha Gwaan – Reggae & Dancehall
Thorben Noß
Radio Regentrude
Music Director
Brigitte Reinert
ReggaeSpace
Ruffneck-Smille
Radio StHörfunk
Sluggish Radio Show
Daniel Kielczewski
Radio Top 40
Host
Marius Finger (DJ Marious)
Radio Z 95.8
Rastashock
Philipp Kause
Radio Z 95.8
Rastashock
Crystal van de Rastashock
Reggaestory.de
Peter Joachim
Reggaeville
Author
Gardy Stein
Visador-Radio
ReggaeRoundUp
Karsten Zick
Greece
Radio Xanthi One
Music Director
Nick Giannakopoulos
ReggaeYard
Editor
Israel
Kol Hanegev 106.4 FM
Ba Ba Reggae
Asaf Nahmias
Italy
Atom Radio
Host
Giuseppe Bellobuono
Jammonite Radio
Reggae New Releases
Marco Fregnan
Radio Magenta FM 92.2
Reggae Corner
Teo Riccardi
Radio Popolare Network
Reggae Radio Station
Vitowar Fiorentino
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018 16

global reggae charts
voters
Radio Popolare Verona
Exodus
Marco Serafin
Radio Web-Base
Reggae Music
Louis Knight
Reggaeradio.it
Presenter
Christopher Messina
Mexico
Cabina420 Radio
Music Director
Misachael Solis
Netherlands
Impact AM
Music Director
Henk van Ulden
NPO FunX
Music Director
Eric van Holland
NPO Soul & Jazz
Andrew
Andrew Makkinga
RTV-Arnhem
Sound Armada Radio
Wilfman Sound Armada
World A Reggae
CEO
Danny Creatah
Norway
Radio Nova
Oslo Reggae Show
Dominic Reuben
Poland
Polish National Radio
Polskie Radio Czwórka
Strefa Dread
Mirosław “Maken” Dzieciołowski
Positive Thursdays
Rafal Konert
Radio Kampus
Dancehall Masak-Rah
Pawel Szawczukiewicz
Romania
Do The Reggae Romania
Editor
Nedelcu Sebastian
Russia
Daily Vibes
Editor
Vladimir Zavialov
South Africa
MzansiReggae
Editor
Lee Phiri
United Kingdom
1BTN
Venum Sound Show
Kris Lewis
Swindon 105.5
Andy V’s Random Reggae Show
Andy Vater
World A Reggae
Irie Jamms Show
DJ 745
USA
Caribbean Dance Radio
Owner
DJ PhG
California
Reggae Music Forward
Host
Tomas Palermo
Colorado
KDUR FM
Heart Beat of Zion
Rasta Stevie
KGNU
Dub Palace / Reggae Transfusion
The Groove Thief
Florida
Reggae King Radio
Reggae Rhapsody
Keith Rowe
Illinois
The TikiPod
Program Director
Eric Przybylski
Massachusetts
WZBC Boston College Radio 90.3FM
Raggamuffin International
Robin Walther
Nevada
KTHX-FM
Reggae Shack
Tracy Moore
New Jersey
WBZC 88.9 FM
Sounds of the Caribbean
Selecta Jerry
New York
Reggae King Radio
Dub Rockers Show
Ted Ganung
Reggae Roots
Owner
Esteban Rod
SiriusXM
The Joint
Jheanelle Morgan
Oregon
KPOV 88.9 FM
The Coop / High Desert Co-op
Tristan Reisfar
Tennessee
90.3 The Rock Volunteer Radio WUTK
Simmer Down
Mason Mulkey
Wisconsin
WORT 89.9 FM
Tropical Riddims
Tropical Riddims Sound System
DJ -F.R.P.
Venezuela
Radio Nacional de Venezuela
Desde El Ghetto / Raices y Cultura
George Dread
17
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

ON Air
global reggae charts
radio shows
Argentina
Estación La De Dios
LDD SOUNDS PRESENTS
GLOBAL REGGAE CHARTS
with Santi Palazzo
Sundays 3:00 pm ART
Argentina
Radio Cantilo
FUNKY KINGSTON
with Georgia and Santi
Wednesdays 10:00 pm ART
Canada
Radio Regent
ItaL rOOts RaDio
with Sweet T & MAdCast-Fuji
Tuesdays - 3:00 pm EST
Canada
Rootz Reggae Radio
NEW MUSIC - TDIF
with DJ Klient
Fridays - 6:00 pm
Costa Rica
Urbano 106
DI DOCTA SHOW
with Docta Rythm Selecta
3. Tuesday - 8:00 pm CST
Germany
Antenne Münster
COOL & DEADLY
with Roots Operator Wolle
4. Saturday - 8:00 pm
Germany
Radio Regentrude
GLOBAL REGGAE CHARTS
with Brigitte Reinert
Last Friday - 8:00 pm CET
Indonesia
Bpost Radio
REGGAE TOP SINGLE CHART 20
with Harry Ramadhan
Mondays - 9:00 pm WITA
Israel
Radio Kol Hanegev 106.4 FM
BA BA REGGAE
with Asaf “Baba G“ Nahmias
Mondays - 8:00 pm IST
Italy
Radio Popolare Network
REGGAE RADIO STATION
with Vitowar
Last Sunday - 11:45 pm CET
Italy
Atom Radio
GLOBAL REGGAE CHARTS
Sundays 5:00 pm CET
Norway
Radio Nova
OSLO REGGAE SHOW
with Dominic Reuben & Selecta Harmony
Last Tuesday 9:30 pm CET
UK
1BTN
VENUM SOUND SHOW
with DJ Kris Snakes
4. Sunday 4:00 pm GMT
UK
99.8FM KCC Live
ELEMENTS OF REGGAE
with MJRuckus
3. Tuesday - 10:00 pm GMT
UK
Black Country Radio
RIDDIM SESSIONS
with Kevin Moore
Fridays - 1:00 am GMT
UK
fuzionlive.com
REGGAE TAKEOVER
with Judge Knott
Sunday 6pm GMT
UK
Radio St. Austell Bay 105.6 FM
A-Z OF REGGAE
with Mark Norman
Last Sunday - 4:00 pm GMT
UK
Vibes FM
REGGAEMYLITIS
with Sarah C
Last Wednesday - 6:00 pm GMT
UK
World A Reggae
IRIE JAMMS SHOW
DJ 745
On Demand
Venezuela
Radio Nacional de Venezuela
DESDE EL GHETTO
with George Dread
2. & 4. Saturday - 11:00 am VET
Imprint
Publisher:
Author:
Photo credits:
Boomrush Productions
Thomas Euler
front/back, page 12/13: Marc Lothy
Tondernstr. 14
whagwaan-magazine.de
26127 Oldenburg
Germany
Art Director:
Solvey Schönknecht
Editor-in-Chief:
Felix Rühling
info@globalreggaecharts.com
Advertising:
Felix Rühling
info@globalreggaecharts.com
© Boomrush Productions 2018
Editor:
Anderson Muth
thegroovethief.com
Website:
https://globalreggaecharts.com
All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or
whole is strictly prohibited without prior
consent or authorization from the publisher.
16

media partners
19
global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018

global reggae charts | issue 13 / june 2018