Top Ranks promises new look and sound of Jamaican music

In a competitive music industry, recently rebranded Top Ranks Entertainment is promising a new look and sound of Jamaican music.

With a number of high-profile projects already completed, such as TopRanking by Skillibeng and YOYO by Kraff, CEO Jason Lee Kidd told THE STAR that it is a "new direction of music, locally and internationally". He said the company seeks to fuse the strong Jamaican culture with the international happening, "creating the sound that will add value and resonance to the strong heritage of local Jamaican music".

"[This is coupled] with the desire to be one of the most renowned iconic music figures in Jamaican music production and a rival with the international giants worldwide," he said. The team includes Carnel Bingi Smith, as well as Kwesi and Kay Baker.

Kidd explained that his vision for the label bloomed during the recent pandemic and he has not looked back since.

"With a catalogue of established Jamaican artistes and a team of younger protegees, the music we produce continues to create waves on the various social media platforms ... as well as in the various entertainment environments," he said. "This year, we promise to continue moulding and shaping the industry with hits that can stand the test of time, creating waves now and in the future. We endeavour to develop the local ... talent by highlighting more new and outstanding talents."

Kidd said the label strives to target a broad audience of music lovers of various ages and cultures who listen to several genres, including reggae, dancehall and soul.

"We aspire to produce up-and-coming artistes who are serious and passionate about their craft for a long-term period. Our journey has been a long time coming. We were first inspired by one single person, to help him out on his music career. But after he forfeited, we decided to take on others, until he decided to tag along. We hope to grasp the attention of all music lovers positively, [both] fans and artistes," he said.