Miss Pat of VP Records ‘deeply honoured’ by Reggae Icon Award
Published:Thursday | August 8, 2024 | 12:08 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
On Independence Day, August 6, accolades were heaped on VP Records, the reggae music conglomerate founded in 1977 by husband-and-wife team Vincent and Patricia Chin. Standing tall beside Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness and President of the Senate Tom Tavares-Finson was the diminutive Miss Pat – as Patricia Chin is affectionately called – who graciously received the prestigious Reggae Icon Award.
“I have been away for 35 years and I never forget Jamaica. We have reggae music and the best culture in the world,” Chin told the capacity-filled National Stadium, to cheers.
In an interview with The Gleaner, the businesswoman, author, and co-founder of the independent, Caribbean-owned record label which is located in Jamaica, Queens in New York, spoke of her passion for the music industry.
“I am deeply honoured to receive the Reggae Icon Award during the Jamaica 62 Independence celebrations. I share this award with all the incredible artistes and producers I have had the privilege to work with over the years. I am grateful for the support and love from my family, friends, and everyone at VP Records,” an elated Chin told The Gleaner.
VP Records, which has offices in New York City, Miami and London, is known for releasing music by notable artistes in reggae, dancehall and soca.
The story started more than half a century ago in Kingston, Jamaica. Vincent Chin stepped into the music industry by maintaining the jukeboxes located inside bars across the island. With his entrepreneurial spirit, he seized the opportunity to sell the old records from the jukeboxes that would be thrown out and replaced with new ones. Their bio notes that “in 1958, the success of the Chin’s jukebox record venture led to the opening of a landmark retail store at 23 Parade, Randy’s Records in downtown Kingston”.
The couple later opened their own recording facility, Studio 17, which was used by artistes such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, and others. Owing to several reasons, the Chins packed up and left Jamaica in the mid-70s and opened their business in Jamaica, Queens, where they have been serving a flourishing Caribbean music market.
Despite a 60-year journey in music, Miss Pat seems to be in her prime. Her coffee table book, Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey, was released in 2021 to critical acclaim.
“I wanted to document something for my children and grandchildren. My parents never shared their story of how they came from India and China to Jamaica. I wanted my future generations to know the struggles, the joys, who I am, and who they are,” she told The Gleaner in a 2021 interview.
Hers is a fascinating journey from humble beginnings in Greenwich Farm, Kingston, to the very pinnacle of a male-dominated industry. On Independence Day, the reggae music pioneer said that there was much to celebrate.
“Jamaican music has been my love and passion, and I have witnessed its growth and impact over the years. Together, we continue to celebrate and preserve the rich cultural heritage of Jamaica,” the VP Records matriarch shared.
Other 2024 recipients of the Reggae Icon Award were Third World, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer.