Billboard naming Joss Stone the number one reggae artist if 2015 has stirred up a lot of controversy in the genre over the last few weeks.
Some fans in the genre calling it racism while other calling it ridiculous. But the fact still remains that the British singer/songwriter is the number one selling reggae artist last year.
According to Nielsen-Soundscan, her album Water For Your Soul sold 27,473 copies since its release in July last year. The only Jamaican artist to come close to that sales figure is Jah Cure who sold a little over 10,000 copies of his The Cure album.
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Musicologist Dr. Dennis Howard and well known music manager in reggae Copeland Forbes sat down with Winford Williams on OnStage to weigh in on the controversy.
“The fact and the matter is reggae is a universal genre it is being played all over the world and you have many different versions of reggae,” Howard said.
Watch the interview below.
Reggae fans are sounding off on the hot topic on social media and here on Urban Islandz. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
I am tempted to believe that her record sales have something to do with her fan base / country of origin … people actually purchased the record.
Who she?
The Problem is that Jamaicans don’t know her, thats y they making so much noise bout it. Reggae is a worldwide genre, should be glad she chose to do reggae instead of Hip hop/ RnB. How is it that nobody arguing about Adele doing the genre she does?
a who dat
Maf.