PantaSon thinks dubplate prices are too high
Dubplate specialist, recording engineer and producer TajVaughn ‘PantaSon’ Johnson is asking reggae and dancehall artistes to consider reducing the fee they charge for dubplates to make it affordable for sound systems and deejays.
PantaSon opined that while artistes should know their value, cost-effective dubplates will help reduce fraud and incidents of spliced dubs. He said that dubplates are the backbone of dancehall and reggae music as they are essential for promotion, and are often the first performance of a single before an artiste even reaches a stage.
PantaSon said, “Young, ambitious sound system operators and deejays sometimes work regular jobs and can’t afford exuberantly priced dubplates. We are also still recovering from the COVID pandemic and the effects it posed on the entertainment industry. I have had talks with quite a few deejays who share that based on the artiste, they must play at two to three events just to pay for one dubplate”.
PantaSon operates his own dubplate agency, PantaSon Music Production Limited, and has access to the most exclusive artistes in reggae and dancehall globally. He is the son of nine-time World Sound Clash champion Pink Panther, and in April 2021, he gained credit as a recording engineer on international superstar DJ Khaled’s album Khaled Khaled on the song Where You Come From, working alongside Capleton, Buju Banton, and Bounty Killer. He was again credited on Khaled’s Grammy-nominated God Did album (2022) on the song These Streets Know My Name, which also featured Sizzla, Skillibeng, Buju Banton, Capleton, and Bounty Killer. In February, he donated $150,000 to the music department of his alma mater, Calabar High School, through his charity Big Up God Foundation Limited. The foundation started the ‘Dub For Charity’ initiative last December, but opted to begin dispersing financial support to the music departments of select schools.