What are the recipes needed to develop a formula that guarantees a catalogue full of hits? Artistic skill-set, innate talent, accomplished producer or management? Is the ability to read and feel the pulse of the market (audience) so as to tailor material to satisfy what appeals to them also a needed ingredient? While a good number of artistes have deployed some or more than than the prerequisites highlighted above to release hits  and remain relevant in the Industry, most (who never bothered themselves about these things when they recorded their first half song) have toiled or continue to struggle in vain to yank off the 'One Hit Wonder' label attached to their name by pundits - even after adopting some of the perceived formula used by 'perpetual' Hit makers (Hyperbole intended). Perhaps, there is no particular formula -- or where they exist -- they are never a 'one-size-fits-all' pair of  Gideon Boots for every Ras, Banton or Rankin' to step in and trod up the Hit Parade.  

Hits! What are they anyway? Sometimes, it depends on who you talk to. We have some fans of the music (not pundits, please) who consider every song they love 'hits' (chuckling). As ridiculous as this classification is, it can stir up emotions and heated debate on semantics in a Whatsapp group or among friends. This is sad and totally unnecessary as such perception of what a hit song is, can't be farther from the truth. If a hit were one's favorite song, then Ras Shiloh would have been a Human Hit Factory in my book -  because I personally rate most of his songs. However, the truth is, the U.S based artiste escapes being labelled as a One-Hit-Wonder by a hair's breadth. Some pundits could even slap the tag on him and I won't argue because apart from 'Are you Satisfied' released in 1996, other releases have largely failed to garner similar buzz, except for 'Unto Zion' released two years later (exactly why I think he has more than one hit).

We also have a school of thought that would argue till Babylon falls and Zion calls, that a hit song is 'any' release that makes it up a chart. This is technically true but it begs the question - what chart? The Brazilian Reggae Chart, the Peruvian, Columbian or Ghanaian (if at all they have such chart in the West African country). There have been cases where artistes who have absolutely no buzz in Jamaica or in the Mainstream Airwaves brag in front of cameras about landing the top spot in Guatemala, Guadaloupe or some tiny Island you can only find on an Atlas with the aid of a magnifying lens. I am not so sure such No.1s can be passed up as 'hits'. Neither can we gift the title to songs that do appear on reputable charts only to disappear  faster than smoke from a 'Boom-Draw'. Just as we can't categorically call every random song that makes it to the charts hits, we can't also deny the fact that some bonafide hits never made it to prominent charts (topic for another day)  

Traditionally, songs that feature on compilation CDs such as Ragga Ragga Ragga by the defunct Greensleeves Records (now acquired by VP Records) and VP's Strictly The best and Reggae Gold were once widely regarded as hits. Well, that was until recently. While it is still relatively true that hits appear on Reggae Gold compilations, the inclusion of some songs lately, leaves you wondering if the songs made the cut on merit or some label promotional politics are at play. So, let's scratch compilation CDs altogether. Away from indicators that don't necessarily define a hit to the ones generally accepted (less contested) - broadly popular, widely played (even though this can be achieved through payola), duration on reputable charts and these days - significant streaming data. For some largely unknown reasons, some good artistes with good songs (a good song and a hit are often mutually exclusive) struggle to register follow-up hits. Mention some names and the 'One Hit Wonder' label sticks out like a sore thumb. Many artistes live in denial and this is quite understandable. Who would want to brag about having only one hit song after putting in the work for years? No one! Well, we are both wrong - Jah Bouks is changing that narrative. On the track aptly titled 'One Hit Wanda' from his latest album 'Long Awaiting', Jah Bouks appear to wear the label like a badge of honor. I love the song for more reasons than one. It partially inspired me to write on this phenomenon. I love the hook, the backing vocals, the nyabinghi drums (I always love Reggae songs done in this style - mystical feel and less busy). Above all, I love the song because of the courage he summoned to confront the Elephant in the room.  

Hook:  
'Yuh can call me One Hit Wonder...  
But -- mi nuh beg yuh no sponsor  
I'm doing great  
(I'm doing great)  
Nah eat fram yuh plate  
(Not eating from your plate)  

The song is arguably the best on the album alongside 'Jah Judgement' which was blessed by vocals from Chino McGregor and another Nyabinghi Drum-driven track - 'Gone Too Soon'. The other tracks are easily forgettable.  

Jah Bouks made a thought-provoking statement on 'One Hit Wanda' though. He said his one hit song (Angola) trumps the albums of other artistes. An outrageous claim at face value but if you let it sink in, this could be true. I feel Angola (released in 2013) was bigger (and still is) than all the songs in Anthony B's 'Tribute To Legends' album released same year. It is kind of awkward to compare a single and an album but Jah Bouks have largely toured some countries just to perform Angola while some artistes have albums and they don't know the route to an Airport (not Anthony B though). If Jah Bouks' Angola isn't convincing enough and you need another living testament to establish the fact that some artistes can successfully live off one hit song, then look no further than Sister Nancy. Is she a One Hit Wonder? Well, she scored one or two local hits before she released her eternally impactful 'Bam-Bam'. So, it is safe to say crossover-wise (Internationally) she is a One Hit Wonder while in Jamaica and to some degree, the UK, she might not be labelled as such. Bam-Bam has been sampled over 80 times by other artistes across several genres and has featured as Soundtrack in over a dozen Hollywood Motion Pictures. That one song must be paying more bills than the proceeds from the entire catalogue of Ras Ijah (Oouch!). So, maybe being a One Hit Wonder isn't necessarily as bad as being a regular Joe with zero Hits. Perhaps, what is more important is how the labelled artiste capitalizes on their one song - commercially.  

While a Sister Nancy approach or luck (if you believe in luck) is good for the artiste financially, the fans of the music deserve better - follow-up hits! It can be a bit hard or unfair from a consumer standpoint, to be denied or starved of an encore of similar releases when the appetite or cravings for more of the same (or better) is already stimulated. I would have loved to reference an analogy here but I don't want to be 'sexplicit'.  

Some artistes have completely fallen off or literally disappeared from the Reggae radar altogether. Where is VC, the 'By His Deeds' crooner? Where is Nanko who gave us that slow reggae ballad - 'Lucky You'. How unlucky that yute turned out to be. How about Erup who briefly took Dancehall by storm with 'Click Mi Finger'? What has Notch been up to after 'Nutten'? I understand the likes of Sasha with 'Dat Sexy Body' and Ms Thing who wasn't 'Regular' have since found the Lord in the Gospel circuit but what about the others? 

While the search for answers continue, one can't help but wonder why a set of artistes who scored a hit sometime in their careers have failed to get another, despite continued activity. Jah Bouks again comes to mind, so does Guinney Pepper (Lick The Chalice) and Marlon Asher (Ganja Farmer). Gully Bop is still releasing songs similar to the one that 'buss' him but nobody seems to be 'paying him no mind' anymore. His case is proof that 'style' got little or nothing to do with scoring a hit. Could it simply be a case of people having enough and moving on? This possibility bothers me and I am tempted to believe it could be a factor. Why else is it, that the likes of Sizzla, Capleton, Junior Kelly, Turbulence, Anthony B, Cham, Busy Signal, Beenieman, Bounty Killer and even Junior Reid (who did a song with Black Uhuru telling people what it takes to make a Hit record) who use to drop back to back Hits in their respective catalogues, have found it difficult to land one in recent years?  

I guess we'll never really know but one thing is as clear as daylight --  there is no particular recipe or formula that works for all. Many up and coming artistes have studied and adopted everything in the Vybz Kartel 'manual' yet can't manage a single hit. Even being a Marley does not guarantee hits. Kymani Marley doesn't have more than one (if any).  

Observers (like myself) might not be too bothered. I just want to kick back, relax and enjoy good music; whether it is classified as a hit or a miss. However, it remains a major concern for certain acts (if not most) as their chances of landing juicy record deals or bookings are hinged on the number of hits they have in their catalogue.  

After all is said and done, what should artistes do when hits are not forthcoming? Should they give up like Erup or switch up like Sasha? My counsel might not count but being labelled a 'One Hit Wonder' isn't the worst thing that can happen to an artiste. Matter of fact, I think it is more honorable to wear that badge than being labelled a quitter

By Naijamaican

You can’t eat your cake and have it, can you? Perhaps the Jamaican Reggae/Dancehall 
Industry has been trying to achieve this over the past three decades, with some difficulty along the way. 
There is no doubt whatsoever about the origin of the genre. Anyone and everyone who has ever had anything to do with Reggae, either as an artiste, producer, promoter, record executive or fan, acknowledges Jamaica as the birthplace and Mecca of Reggae.

The music has however grown and spread beyond the Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey of the Island to other parts of the planet.

The universal appeal which was arguably boosted by the likes of Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley in the 70s has continued to pick up so much steam such that UNESCO had to declare it an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It is important to note that humanity is not limited to Jamaica alone. This international recognition of the genre is a good thing as the music is now indeed international. Question now is, are Jamaicans going to engender its global status or endanger it by persistently trying to keep it local or discredit practitioners outside the island as Culture Vultures? 
Since its introduction on the Grammy roster in 1985, no Non-Jamaican artiste has won a Grammy in the Reggae category; a few have been nominated. Will there be a riot or a deafening outcry when a non-native wins some day? Perhaps yes. There have been indicators over the years to nurse such fears. For instance, when Matisyahu's Youth album made the nomination list in 2006, there was a thunderous backlash from many Jamaican observers. It is almost as if other nationals doing Reggae threaten the chances of the 'owners'. 

To be fair, there have been times when outsiders look to hijack the genre for 
commercial reasons but artistes outside of the island are largely driven by the love and passion they have for Reggae. Surprisingly, while some Jamaican artistes (mostly new generation) veer off foundation and water down the music for cross-over appeal, some of these foreign artistes keep it 100% and pure yet they are rarely accepted by the generality of Jamaicans.For reference sake, check Alborosie and Gentleman. Sometimes a foreigner who does Reggae is not even considered a Reggae artiste by Jamaicans on the basis of their non-Jamaican status. No matter how hardcore Stonebwoy from Ghana does his Dancehall and speaks his patois, Jamaicans will always see him as an Afrobeats artiste. Since when has it become a norm to classify a music based on the nationality of the artiste rather than the sound and elements of the music? Wah really a gwaan Jamaica? 
With the exception of Natasja in 2006, no foreigner has ever won a Reggae contest in Jamaica.

Rankin Pumpkin from Japan was unfairly treated in 2017 and she even 
alleged racial abuse. Snow, the Canadian artiste who recorded the Informer hit in the 
90s was reluctantly accepted at first, then discredited later as a 'Culcha Vulcha' and 
rather than address him as a deejay, some Jamaican tabloids called him a 'rapper'. 
There is even a parody video of Informer where Jim Carey portrayed Snow being 
chased by angry Jamaicans. 

Snoop wanted to become a Lion and he was forced back into his Dogg persona 
because the Jamaican Reggae Community would not embrace him.

Joss Stone once went No.1 on the Reggae Billboard chart and there was an outcry from Jamaicans. The latest episode of apathy toward Non-Jamaicans is unraveling before our very eyes with the pushback veteran selector David Rodigan is getting from a section of Jamaica over the honor recently bestowed on him for his contributions toward promoting Reggae music globally. 
Any observer with an open mind will admit there is a pattern here and agree that the 
protest is largely due to the fact that he is not Jamaican. View this alongside the 
plethora of complaints from the island whenever a Drake, Justin Bieber or Ed Sheran 
tries to incorporate Dancehall elements into their music. Will it be out of place to say 
there is a trace of xenophobia in the Jamaican Reggae Industry? Will it not do Reggae 
more good if the music is allowed to spread and be used outside of Jamaica and by 
foreigners? Does the music not preach One Love and oneness? 
There was a recent uproar about the omission of Bounty Killer and Beenieman's picture 
on a Verzuz review cover art. The fact is, Verzuz is largely about Hiphop and Bounty Vs 
Beenie clash was just added as part of extras just as you have a Stonebwoy or 
Patoranking perform as extras on Sumfest. Sould Stonebwoy appear on a review cover 
of Sumfest at the expense of Jamaican artistes based on how stellar his performance 
was? That is highly unlikely, considering the patterns highlighted for the most part of this 
article and what makes this even sadder is the fact that while Bounty and Beenie are not
Hiphop and could have been rightly left out of a Hiphop cover art, Stonebwoy is actually 
Dancehall but may not appear in a similar post-sumfest cover art because he would be 
regarded as less significant regardless of performance due to his nationality. 
This disregard for foreign Reggae Acts and the labeling of established artistes from 
other genres who try to borrow from it as 'Culture Vultures' must stop if Reggae must 
remain truly global and open. Its present localization and attempt to shut the door 
against others from having access or rights to Reggae is choking the life out of the 
music.

By Naijamaican