Producer Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards received a Billboard Plaque for the Tropical House Cruises to Jamaica: The Reggae Collector’s Edition album, which is a reggae compilation project that was released on June 5, 2020.
The album brings together talented artists in the reggae genre from both countries in Africa and the Caribbean for a melodic tropical feel that many listeners associate with reggae music.
According to producer Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards, the album is among his most successful projects as it hit the Top 10 iTunes charts in over 20 countries. The project was uniquely headlined by Ghanaian dancehall artiste Shatta Wale and features artists like Sizzla, Tommy Lee Sparta, and others.
According to Edwards, the album did well as it debuted on several charts worldwide and was not limited to the reggae charts, which helped it to perform well.
“The album debuted at No. 1 in all genres and the song by Shatta Wale named “Dream” debuted at No. 1 in Ghana in all genres. The album also hit the Billboard Compilation Albums Chart, competing with music from labels like Motown and Disney and sales for the first week were 500 copies. The album when it hit Billboard was a huge accomplishment because while it featured reggae, the tropical house style music is more broader and appeals to younger listeners. I did not want it to just get stuck on the reggae albums chart which is what happens to a lot of local music,” Contractor told Urban Islandz.
One of the key takeaways from the album’s success was its compilation factor which helped it to stay on the various charts for multiple weeks across the world, especially in African countries like Ghana and Nigeria. Edwards gave advice to Jamaican producers who want to see more success with their music.
“Producers need to understand that a genre is not limited to any nationality so we are not limited to just reggae and dancehall because we are Jamaican. And that we can make crossover reggae and dancehall,” he said about the tropical house style music.”
The producer also shared that he was grateful for the recognition from Billboard, which comes ahead of another album he is working on, which is targeted at the Asian market.
“I am looking forward to this new album going into markets like Malaysia, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, that’s our target audience along with the traditional Reggae markets- the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, Germany and the rest of Europe. We have Sasi The Don, a Malaysian reggae star.”
He also shared that there is a surprise for cricket fans as their idol Chris Gayle aka the Universe Boss, will be a featured artist on the project. Edwards was tightlipped on details of Gayle’s song, only saying he will reveal details in due time.
