Diasporic Entrepreneurship in the Caribbean - Firm Profiles.pdf Vol 2 | Page 38

Part IV:
Creative/Cultural Firms
years, the Chins opened Studio 17, a production
facility frequented by legendary artists like
Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Gregory Isaacs.

13. VP RECORDS
Company Background:
VP Records, based in Jamaica, Queens NY, is a
pioneering force in the reggae music industry.
Producing and distributing music spanning
roots and culture, soca and dancehall, VP
Records is the only record label that represents
the full spectrum of Caribbean music. For the
past 25 years, VP has remained loyal to their
grassroots consumers, always serving its core
audience first by keeping up with authentic
street sounds, and transforming those sounds
into consumable music of a high quality
without losing the authenticity.
The company has served as a major platform
for various Caribbean artistes, who have
gained an avenue into the US market through
VP’s channels and strategic partnerships. With
the international success of recording artistes
such as ‘Shaggy’ and Sean Paul, VP has further
solidified its position as a leader in promoting
and presenting the musical talents of the
Caribbean to a mainstream audience.
The company has been in existence for more
than three decades, but can trace its origin to
the former occupational experiences of one
of its founders, Mr. Vincent Chin, who was in
charge of maintaining jukeboxes at bars across
Jamaica. This led his creative and enterprising
mind to recognize the opportunity to sell
the old records that would otherwise be
discarded for new ones. Mr. Chin and his wife
Patricia quickly learned the business of music
merchandising, which led to the establishment
of a retail store, Randy Records, at 17 North
Parade in Downtown Kingston. Within a few

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Establishment of VP Records:
In the mid-1970s, the Chins moved to America
and brought their business along with them
to service the growing Caribbean market in
the U.S. In 1979, Jamaica, Queens, NY became
the home of Vincent and Pat Chin’s U.S. retail
store, VP Records. The couple quickly became
major producers and wholesale distributors
of reggae, as they established supply lines to
record stores all across North America. During
these years, they earned the right to their
slogan “Miles Ahead in Reggae Music,” as they
became the world’s leading distributor of
music from Jamaica and other islands of the
Caribbean.
VP Records was established in 1993 and is
home to top acts in reggae and soca music
including musical heavyweights such as
Shabba Ranks,Super Cat, Beres Hammond,
Luciano, Sizzla, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer,
Bunji Garlin, Capleton, Dennis Brown, Edwin
Yearwood, Gregory Isaacs, Gyptian, Konshens,
Luciano, Mavado, Richie Spice, and Shaggy.
In 2002, VP further strengthened its efforts
by joining Atlantic Records in a long-term
strategic pact to provide VP with the vast
resources of major label promotion and
worldwide distribution of its products. Not
since Def Jam’s historic joint venture with
Sony, has there been such an important
alliance between an independent label and a
major distributor.
Releasing an average of 60 reggae and soca
albums per year, VP has become known for
carrying top artistes, and the most current
compilations. By staying true to t