Delicious Vinyl is one of the most successful and identifiable hip-hop labels of all time. With its iconic logo and releases like Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing,” Young MC’s “Bust A Move” and the Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By,” the L.A. company helped build the West Coast hip-hop movement in the late ‘80s and 1990s. The long-time home of game-changing beatmaker J Dilla, the label’s hip-hop legacy continues with releases from a new generation of L.A. rappers including Casey Veggies, Dom Kennedy and Dilla’s younger brother, Illa J.
It’s lesser known that Delicious Vinyl has long been a reputable supplier of quality Caribbean sounds. The label, which was initially distributed by Chris Blackwell’s Island Records, released hip-hop/dancehall fusionists Born Jamericans’ Kids from Foreign and Yardcore albums in the 1990s, and put out soca superstar Machel Montano’s first international release, “Come Dig It,” in 1995. Reggae/dancehall stars Mr. Vegas, Jovi Rockwell and Ce’Cile have all released music through Delicious Vinyl. The label was even tapped to produce the reggae-driven soundtrack to Marked for Death, a 1990 action flick starring Steven Seagal.
This history of reggae, dancehall and soca treats takes a giant step forward in 2018 with the launch of Delicious Vinyl Island, a new imprint specializing in Caribbean sounds. The brainchild of Delicious Vinyl co-founder Mike Ross, long-time A&R Leslie Cooney and Anderson .Paak manager Adrian L. Miller, the label launches this spring with sounds from Natural High Music, Yaadcore, Prince Fatty and Orange Hill.
Natural High Music’s “Reap What You Sow,” featuring up-and-coming Jamaican singer/rapper Royal Blu, is the first release on Delicious Vinyl Island, out today on all streaming services. Matching Natural High’s future roots sound with Royal Blu’s earnest crooning and double-time flows, “Reap What You Sow” is the lead single from Natural High’s upcoming Urban Roots 2 LP, coming later this year from Delicious Vinyl Island.
As an artist-friendly, producer-driven label, each Delicious Vinyl Island release will be a joint venture with the producers’ own respective imprint. Upcoming releases include “No Fenke Fenke,” a track from roots reggae selector Yaadcore (12 Yaad Records) featuring Kabaka Pyramid and Shanique Marie; “99% Of Me Is You” (featuring Shniece and Brazil’s Monkey Jyham) from U.K. dubmaster Prince Fatty (More Hi-Fi Less Wi-Fi); and “She’s On Fire,” a collaboration between UK-based production squad/label Orange Hill, Jamaican-born, future dancehall producer KickRaux, and Afrobeats star Mr. Eazi.
Royal Blu
Natural High Music
A launch party for Delicious Vinyl Island will take place on Friday, May 25 at Delicious Pizza, the L.A. pizza shop opened in 2015 by Delicious Vinyl co-founder Mike Ross and his brother, Rick Ross, with sounds by Yaadcore/Dubwise Jamaica.