Going for gold - Producers weigh in on the time it takes to earn accolades

Going for the gold in the music industry can be compared to the 400 metres hurdles. It’s all about learning to hurdle challenges, and in keeping an eye on the prize, individuals must stay in their own lane. Veteran producer Robert ‘Bobby Digital’ Dixon, in an interview with The Sunday Gleaner, stated, “Anyone who enters the industry will find out that music is not a sprint. It is tiring. Sometimes the business slows down then picks up pace, but it is never a dash for any individual who plans to stay in to create a legacy.”

Bobby Digital, one of the producers who contributed to the success of Buju Banton’s fourth album, Til Shiloh, having worked on one of the more popular tracks, ‘Til I’m Laid To Rest, is celebrating its recent achievement. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 27 for selling 500,000 copies, approximately 24 years after its release.

From the perspective of a producer and recording artiste, he said, “Music has always been a career that speaks longevity – the actual process of doing the work, from composing and recording to releasing the music then the time it takes to get into the people’s head and build a global network of followers.”

He says that while there are several songs that have sprinted to the top, it is not guaranteed that people will remember them tomorrow.

“It is a good feeling to play a great part in an artiste’s career, to know that you were present when an album like that was being made and here to see the achievements. In this modern era, it may be easier to win a race, but the game must be played right because I am not going to lie, it is hard to tap into some markets, especially if you are looking for the acknowledgement and awards of the highest level,” Bobby Digital said.

Also quietly celebrating Til Shiloh’s achievement, Penthouse Records’ Donovan Germain told The Sunday Gleaner, “While the accolades are not what we set out to achieve, but rather the establishment of the artiste, I still appreciate the fact. Better late than never. Still, it is not something that happened last week but a couple years in the making as it hit half a million sales a while now but never was certified.”

An artiste’s relevance in the industry is the survival of the music, he says. Til Shiloh has aged well.

“We set out to make a memorable album that would not only put Buju Banton’s diverse talent on display but show growth, very meticulous hard work, and time dedicated to accomplishing what we have, and people are still singing these songs that are almost 25 years old. The thing with music is that there is no knowing the exact length of time before it profits,” Germain continued. “And dancehall and reggae are two different things. I can definitely speak to reggae, which is like a 5000-metre steeplechase. We jumped over a lot of things.”

No overnight success

Speaking about dancehall, Lamar Reynolds, who owns LMR Pro, which produced Kranium’s hit song Nobody Has To Know, noted, “In the last decade, I am not sure who else released a dancehall record from overseas and received certification, but there is no such thing as overnight success, and if it comes easy, it won’t last.”

His advice to the current generation and the next is to have stick-to-itiveness, specifically with the promotion of the music, the product, and the brand being built.

“You never know what tomorrow will bring. I hear a lot of songs from the genre that I consider potential hits, but as soon as they get popular in one market, the artiste (or their team) starts racing to make another record instead of focusing on other markets. Never stop promoting your music in as many markets,” he said.

Four years after its release in the United States, Nobody Has To Know was certified gold on the same date as Buju Banton’s album, and as of October 1, it is certified gold by Music Canada. The song’s certification was also issued recently by the RIAA, commemorating the sale of 500,000 copies.