“GREAT MUSIC IN JAMAICA IS BEING STIFLED BY PAYOLA” SAYS VETERAN RECORD PRODUCER GUSSIE CLARKE!

Anchor Studios veteran producer Gussie Clarke said while there is enough space in the industry to recognisze all the players in the music fraternity, some producers are often forgotten or overlooked.

He believes this oversight is because there are many so-called producers who are not doing justice to the vocation.

“First, you have to define who a producer is. You have some people who call themselves producers but they are not. A producer is somebody who understands the business, someone who can take an idea from the concept of thought to reality, practicality, and ultimately, success. Those producers are the ones who get the ratings and the recognition because they have put in the work,” Clarke explained.

Clarke, who has been in the business as a producer since 1987, told THE STAR that the love of the almighty dollar by some DJs has contributed to the decline of the music.

“Music these days is not being played based on the quality of the content or the production. It is being played based on who you can pay off,” he said.

“When you go to a DJ, if you have your money, him play any little thing. The man who is producing great music can’t get him music played, and then the musical content from the ones who don’t know what they’re doing is what gets out there,” he argued.

UP TO PRODUCERS

However, Jordan McClure of Chimney Records said it is up to the producers to get as much respect as they want.

“It is really up to the individual to command that level of respect and recognition,” he said. “I think producers are getting respect. It’s just that there are those who wish to remain in the shadows and continue their work behind the scenes allowing the artists to shine.”

Esco, who wears the hats of artist and producer, said what is happening is a shift in attention from producers to artists.

“There has also been a shift in the market. It is now an artist’s market. Before, a producer used to attract more of the bread (money), and then they used to pay out to the artists but that has all changed,” Esco said. “The producer takes a hit there because he’s no longer the primary money-making point.”

Esco

Esco further argued that the shift in focus to the artists happened because of a lack of marketing on the producers part.

“It has changed partially because some of the young producers are just not marketing themselves or their brand as much as producers used to do back in the day. There was a time where the producer was one of the prime points of marketing,” he said.

“Are we (producers) getting enough recognition? Maybe not, but is it a fault of the music? I don’t think so. As a producer, you have to market yourself and your brand, so each time a rhythm drops and it becomes popular, the production house and the producer also gains popularity. If you want recognition, it’s there for you, but if you don’t put in the work, you won’t get it.”