05/28/2025
A Conversation with VP Records’ Co-Founder and Jamaican Music Matriarch Miss Pat Chin About Her Biography, Miss Pat My Reggae Journey, on June 25. June is observed as Caribbean American Heritage Month in the USA; Tropicalfete established its Authors Connecting program in June 2015 to highlight the critical role of literacy in the Caribbean community and present the finest Caribbean authors alongside writers who’ve done exceptional work exploring Caribbean themes and identities.
In celebration of the Authors Connecting series’ 10th anniversary, Tropicalfete has partnered with Queens NY-based reggae label VP Records and the Brooklyn Public Library to present two segments that highlight significant trajectories in Jamaican music.
On June 17, award-winning British journalist, historian, and author John Masouri, in his only US appearance, will discuss his latest book Pressure Drop: Reggae in the Seventies, published by Omnibus Press. Written over the course of 18 months and drawing from a wealth of interviews John has conducted over the past 40 years, Pressure Drop: Reggae in the Seventies is an in-depth, year-by-year look at reggae’s expansion from 1970 through 1979, widely considered the music’s most influential period.
Born and raised in Nottingham, John received his initial exposure to Jamaican music watching Millie Small singing “My Boy Lollipop” on black and white TV, “and being thrilled at the sheer vivaciousness of what I saw and heard.” He has written about all strains of Jamaican music throughout his esteemed career as a journalist, including ska, rock steady, reggae, lover’s rock, dancehall, and dub. He’s authored several books on reggae, including Wailing Blues: The Story of Bob Marley’s Wailers and Steppin’ Razor: The Life of Peter Tosh. Pressure Drop: Reggae in the Seventies, John’s seventh book, weaves comprehensive research, illuminating contextual details, and storytelling expertise into an honest, indispensable survey of the decade that took Jamaican music to the world.
The late British novelist Alex Wheatle MBE calls Pressure Drop “a must-have reggae bible”; John Robb, Editor in Chief of Louder Than War, enthused, “this massively impressive, wide-ranging account takes an enlightening look at the successes and limitations of the scene, introducing a fascinating range of characters and stories along the way,” and Randall Grass, GM of Shanachie Entertainment US, said John provides “fascinating granular details that only a long-time chronicler of Jamaican music would have.”
In January, Pressure Drop: Reggae in the Seventies was nominated for the prestigious 2025 Penderyn Music Book Prize, the only UK-based book prize specifically for music titles.
On June 25, VP Records’ co-founder Patricia “Miss Pat” Chin will share stories from her biography, Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey. Written with Anicee Gaddis, Alex Lee, James ‘Jazz’ Goring, and John Masouri, Miss Pat traces her pioneering efforts within the development and promotion of Jamaican music, offering historical anecdotes about her interactions with music luminaries and insightful reflections about her life and family.
In 1958, Miss Pat, alongside her husband, the late Vincent Chin, opened Randy’s Record Mart in Kingston, Jamaica. Shortly thereafter, they built a recording studio, Randy’s Studio 17, above the store, which became a hub for Jamaica’s burgeoning recording industry. Vincent produced the music and Miss Pat handled the company’s business transactions—an unprecedented role for a Jamaican female at the time. As the late Lee “Scratch” Perry, who did some early recordings at Studio 17, noted, “Randy was the first person who was setting up something for the people to survive, so they were the best people in the record business. They were simply the best, and Miss Pat was the brain – she is the brain.”
In 1978, due to political warfare in Jamaica, Vincent and Pat and their children relocated to Queens, NY, where they established VP Records, which grew from a small retail store into the world’s largest independent reggae distributor. VP played a pivotal role in establishing a fan base for Jamaican music in the US. Miss Pat’s story is a testament to her love of her country’s culture and the fearlessness required to succeed. As Steve Barker noted in his review of Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey for The Wire: “To live such a long and successful life in the reggae business means she must have been tougher than any king of the street or bully of the boardroom.”
The beloved reggae matriarch has received countless awards for her trailblazing endeavors, including the prestigious Order of Distinction (OD) from the Jamaica government in recognition of her contributions to Jamaican music and culture, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Independent Music’s (A2IM’s) Libera Awards.
The June 17 discussion with John Masouri will be held at the Dweck Auditorium, Brooklyn Public Library, Central Branch, 6–8 PM. The June 25 conversation with Miss Pat will take place at the Tropicalfete Cultural Landmark in Brooklyn, 7–9 PM.
The interviews will be moderated by journalist and Tropicalfete board member Patricia Meschino. Tickets to both events are free but you must RSVP at EventBrite.
For further information, contact Tropicalfete at [email protected] or 646-504-3383.
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