Producer wants to hear globally appealing music

Grammy-award winning producer Frankie is encouraging young artistes to make more globally appealing music which will drive reggae and dancehall to the international market.

The established producer said artistes who wish to walk the path of international entertainers such as Shaggy and Sean Paul must take a different approach to the content of their music.

"[These] new artistes who want this level of success [needs] to make music that people can dance to, music that fans outside Jamaica can relate to, topics that are relevant not just in Jamaica but also in other countries," he opined.

This advice came on the heels of Shaggy's recent achievement in which his hit single, 'It Wasn't Me', surpassed one billion views on Spotify. The artiste shared his excitement on his Instagram page after receiving a Spotify plaque for accomplishing this major milestone, while underscoring the global impact and musical appeal the 25 year-old track, which featuress Rik-Rok, still has to date.

Frankie, in sharing in the singer's celebration, said this is not only a big win for the artistes but "a great achievement for reggae music".

"This is a testament to the reach and impact of our local music. Reggae music has always had a global appeal. If we look at all the big records from 20 or 30 years ago, they are streaming way more than the new songs, so I think we need to get back to the formula," said the producer.

Frankie, who is the owner of the Frankie Music Production label, has worked with, and managed, some of Jamaica's finest artistes such as Voicemail, Laa Lee and Koffee, who won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for her EP 'Rapture'. It featured the hit single, 'Raggamuffin', which was produced by Frankie.