Protoje To Add Fourth Artiste To In.Digg.Nation/RCA Partnership

Reggae superstar Protoje has indicated that he will be signing a fourth artiste to his In.Digg.Nation collective label and a partnership with the New York-based RCA Records.

Protoje had first revealed his intention during an interview with BBC 1Xtra deejay Chris Satta, on August 28.  However, a few days ago, he elaborated on the new development on Twitter, explaining that the impending signing of the yet-to-be-named artiste comes at the request of RCA.

“Much Love to RCA.   First thing them ask me to do after we just done release 3 projects is that I sign someone else from Jamaica.  Another person getting their come up before the year is done. I promise,” the St. Elizabeth native tweeted.

Protoje’s announcement of a fourth vocalist, has delighted his fans who are already churning out suggestions for potential signees, among the names mentioned being  Jaz Elise, Mortimer, Naomi Cowan, Jesse Royal, and Tessellated.

In the August interview with Chris Satta, the Munroe College old boy said he has made a concerted effort to work with artistes whom he knew really wanted his guidance and trust him, so it could be that the next signee could be one of the musicians who are currently in his circle.

The announcement comes almost six months after Protoje and his compatriots Lila Iké and Sevana entered into a partnership with the Sony Music Group-owned RCA via the Like Royalty singer’s six-year-old In.Digg.Nation Collective label.

The RCA Records deal inked in April, included the release of projects by all three artistes through a multi-album venture.    So far, Protoje has released his 10-track album In Search of Lost Time; Lila Iké has released a seven-track EP dubbed The ExPerience, while Sevana released Be Somebody, a six-track EP in July.

At the time of the signing, Protoje said he had “always felt that one of the biggest challenges for Jamaican artistes is the lack of exposure on the world stage” and that by partnering with the globally-strong RCA, he and his two musical colleagues would now be provided with a platform to “showcase their talents on an even broader international level.”

The three joined Usher, Shakira, P!nk, Miley Cyrus, Miguel, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Chris Browm Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, and Davido, who are among the superstars signed to RCA.

Grammy princess, Koffee, was signed to RCA Records earlier this year but is also “signed to Columbia Records UK for the world.”  Both RCA and Columbia are sub-labels under the Sony Music Entertainment umbrella.

Prior to Koffee, the only Jamaican artiste to have been signed by the label was singer Denroy Morgan, back in 1982.  Morgan’s stint with RCA lasted for three years, his sole album for the label being Make My Day, in 1983.

All seems to be intact for the fourth addition, as Protoje says he has what he describes as a ‘super-strong team’ around him, including his mother Lorna Bennett of Breakfast in Bed fame.

He said among the things he has done to meet his and his artistes musical needs was to convert part of a house he owns into a studio.

“It’s a challenge, but I did things to make myself more efficient, like I built a studio in a house so I moved in, live at the studio for the most part and I spend a lot of time doing work.  And, I have a super-strong team and the artistes that I work with are also very self-sufficient,” he explained.

Of his two rising stars, Sevana and Lila Iké, who hail from Westmoreland and Manchester respectively, he is exceptionally proud.

“I am so proud.  I am so proud of them.  That’s the bee in my bonnet… that’s my joy right now in music is their success.  Lila obviously came out and blew up very quickly as well.  Her ascension was fast, and Sevana was a bit slower because she came out before Lila, but Lila got a lot of traction early,” he explained to Chris Satta.

“But, to see Sevana’s EP that she just come out with and the massive success of it so far… Mango with over a million views with less than three weeks.  These are numbers that Sevana has never seen. So for her, I am so happy that she’s been able to feel the success. So for both of them I am so happy, and they deserve everything they get,” he added in the interview.

Protoje has summed up the alliance with RCA as a “really good relationship” which gives Jamaican music a platform to expand across the globe, and the artistes freedom to be creative without interference.

“The label is super-cool about what we are doing, like in every meeting and in reality, it’s like: ‘we love what you’re doing; keep making the music you are making; we are going to stay out of your way.  We are going to make some suggestions but maintain your creative control.  Do what you need to do.  We will support it’,” he explained.

Under the deal, Protoje, whose given name is Oje Ken Ollivierre, still gets to run his own label and has a great level of creative control and ownership output, whilst being supported by RCA.

“I still own my masters; I am signed to In.Digg.Collective.    I am not signed to RCA.  Lila is not signed to RCA; Sevana is not signed to RCA, but our label is signed to RCA.  So they have a contract with In.Digg, and so do I, so I have maintained a good amount of control over my work, which is important to me,” Protoje said.