That Eric Alper

This week, the world’s largest reggae label and distrubutor VP Records holds the No. 1, 2 and 3 spot on the U.S. Billboard Reggae Album Chart. Their annual compilation Reggae Gold debuts at the top spot with Jah Cure’s new album The Cure landing the second position (from No. 1 last week) and Soca Gold 2015 coming in closely at No. 3 on the chart.

“We’re pleased with the opening week results for Reggae Gold this year” says Randy Chin, President of VP Records. The compilation which first appeared in 1993 has long been a staple release for VP Records and reggae fans internationally.

REGGAE GOLD 2015

For over 20 years, the world’s #1 Caribbean music compilation Reggae Gold brings the genre’s top hits into one must-have collection for the masses. 2015’s installment is filled with the season’s freshest sounds in roots, dancehall, lover’s rock and pop-fused reggae from a diverse group of talent. From the Canadian pop supergroup Magic’s #1 Billboard single “Rude” to comedian/actor/singer Eddie Murphy’s return to reggae on his latest single “Oh Jah Jah,” – there is no shortage of crossover appeal on Reggae Gold 2015. This year’s installation features a multitude female artists reigning in reggae today – from emerging stars like Jah 9, Toian and Ikaya to Jamaica’s leading ladies like Spice, Etana and Queen Ifrica. The set also delves into new music from the island’s top male artists like Jah Cure, Beres Hammond, Inner Circle & Chronixx, Christopher Martin, Gully Bop, Busy Signal, Romain Virgo, Gyptian and more.  Purchase Reggae Gold 2015 on iTunes now: smarturl.it/RG2015.

JAH CURE – THE CURE

Jah Cure – described by NPR as “a voice that sounds as if he’s wringing out passion from every note” and by Los Angeles Times as “a brilliant crooner of Bob Marley-esque love-and-peace reggae” – effortlessly blends street poetry and sufferer’s tales with beautiful love ballads on his new album The Cure. The 13-track set is a return to roots reggae and lover’s rock with R&B and pop-fused elements. The Jamaican born singer co-produced the entire album with the help of reggae producers like Christopher “Sketch” Carey, Clive Hunt, Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown, Justin “Jus Bus” Nation and Trevor “Baby G” James. The Cure features recent hits like his #1 reggae chart-topping John Legend cover “All of Me” (which received over 5 million YouTube views), “Rasta,” “That Girl” and “Life We Live” as well as brand new singles including “Show Love,” “No Friend of Mine,” “Made In California,” “I Surrender” and more. Jah Cure’s multi-faceted story of struggle and love is intertwined into The Cure. “My struggles made me who I am today. That’s why I sing with feelings, it comes from my heart cause I feel the pain. Who feels it knows it,”  he states. Purchase The Cure on iTunes now: http://smarturl.it/JCTheCure.

SOCA GOLD 2015

For over two decades, Soca Gold has been has been the ultimate Carnival soundtrack from the Caribbean islands and beyond.  This year’s edition of annual top-selling compilation delivers the genre’s top anthems. Soca Gold 2015 features the Grammy winning singer-songwriter Angela Hunte & soca champion Machel Montano on the EDM-influenced collab “Party Done,” the “Viking of Soca” Bunji Garlin on his uplifting anthem “Our Time,” Trinidadian superstar Fay Ann Lyons on her latest crowd pleaser “Raze” and Lead Pipe & Saddis on the smash hit “Ah Feeling” (which brought them to the finals of the International Groovy Soca Monarch Competition in Trinidad this year).  The 18-track set is accompanied with a DVD featuring music videos and exclusive performance and party footage that captures the vivacious energy from 2015 T&T Carnival. Purchase Soca Gold 2015 on iTunes now: smarturl.it/SG2015.