OMI certified Double Platinum hello!

Omi's Double platinum plague

The British Recorded Music Industry (BPI) has certified Omi's 'Cheerleader' single "Double platinum" in the UK. The Clarendon born singer's smash hit also sold Platinum in the US and Sweden after hitting #1 on music charts in over 20 countries worldwide and garnered almost 300 million views on Youtube.

At a time when many artistes within the local music industry are yet to understand the processes of digital sales and reap the benefits, OMI's music recording sales track might just be a perfect example to follow. Well that's if they missed, and have been missing Shaggy and Sean Paul's music sales tracking in recent years. Free streaming is hurting local music sales. The time has elasped for producers and artistes alike to implement strategies to minimize piracy in order to sell more music.  Then there are the overly anxious, inexperienced managers and/or handlers who leak raw mixes and music ahead of its official release dates failing to recognize that such action is to the detriment of their establishment. It is always good and well that artistes want to manage themselves but "team work makes the dream work." There has always been a system from which to operate in order to reap success in the music industry and unless people fall back, get in the know and act strategically, music sales for many Jamaican artistes will remain nil. 

According to Wikipedia, In most countries certifications no longer apply solely to physical media but now also include sales awards recognizing digital downloads (in the U.S. and U.K. since 2004). In June 2006, the RIAA also certified the ringtone downloads of songs. Streaming from on -demand services such as Rhapsody and Spotify has been included into existing digital certification in the U.S. since 2013 and the U.K. and Germany since 2014. In the U.S. and Germany video streaming services like Youtube, VEVO and Yahoo! Music also began to be counted towards the certification, in both cases using the formula of 100 streams being equivalent to one download.

Omi performing live at the BBC Music Awards

OMI performed at the BBC Music Awards and has been featured in the 2015 Youtube Rewind published December 9, celebrating the videos, people, music and moves that made 2015.


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Sean Paul "the core riddims are great but we got to evolve" n more with Ebro in the morning on Hot 97 FM

One of the US radios' most listened morning shows, Ebro in the morning on Hot 97 FM host special guest Sean Paul recently for what was a very interesting interview and from which, notably, several fans called the Jamaican Dancehall star a legend. Some interesting points emerge from the interview/discussion of which I would like to share with you.

Asked, "Do you miss the days when reggae, everything was pressed on 45s?  'Nerd record questions' Ebro's co-host taught necessary to put to Sean Paul and of course with reasonable explanation, "when I dig through 45s, reggae sections are very difficult, because if I see something with Sean's name on it I want it but at the same time there's so much! so much that you just don't know what! If I see a Spragga record I'm like this could be very dope, or I don't really need this.....how many different 45s of your music was pressed on?"

Ebro stressed another interesting point after Sean Paul responded to questions about Vybz Kartel, "any word about Vybz Kartel?" Sean said, "no just songs..." Ebro, "the voice note on the iphone he's using sounds crystal clear.." lightening things up. Sean went on to share his views on Kartel's 'lock down' situation citing that it was unfortunate that people get this break and, "your lifestyle get you into a position that it doesn't make no sense no more," a better way he suggested was, "being able to help the people who work around them to move up to a next level." To this Ebro added, "It is something for the music that we love the dancehall/reggae culture that comes out of Jamaica, goes around the world and spread that great music. A lot of music that we love comes from sound systems in Jamaica, Hip-Hop being one, even whats happening with the EDM culture all that, all a that Lee Scratch (whose studio was unfortunately burned to the ground see Ja. Observer article) and Dub sound and Dub Step in England and the Grime scene all of that."

On the subject of music production, Sean Paul told Ebro's morning crew that although he enjoyed the 90s era, "we got to evolve." He said music production in Jamaica needs to move to another level and by another level the platinum selling Dancehall Super Star explained, "the core riddims are great, I love them but it need to be expanded."  In reference to music produced by Skrillex and Diplo, Sean Paul said, "the way their pushing the envelope, putting in certain elements, that they use for production, the breakdown all that stuff added to what we do on a riddim is pretty special." Sean Paul remembers 23 year old J. Capri who shockingly died after battling for life from a car crash in Kingston recently.  He was in New York for Busta Rhymes sold out Hot For the Holidays show. Watch full interview:-

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