VP Records’ Imprint 17 North Parade to Reissue Crucial Titles from the Skengdon Archives in 2025

40 years ago, in 1985, Kenneth Black introduced the brand-new, all-conquering sound, Stereo Mars, at the legendary Skateland, Kingston, Jamaica. Featuring an all-star lineup of deejays and singers such as Super Cat, Nicodemus, Burro Banton, Tenor Saw, and more, with Danny Dread at the controls, this session captured all the live energy and vibrancy of the golden era of ’80s Dancehall.

To celebrate, VP Records is proud to announce a new reissue program honoring the work of the famed Jamaican soundsystem owner Kenneth Black and his Skengdon imprint in 2025, with the help of music executive, historian, and cultural curator Maxine Stowe. As a pivotal figure in the evolution of the Digital Dancehall era and owner of one of the most influential sound systems of all time, Stereo Mars (often referred to as Stur-Mars), Black also produced iconic reggae and dancehall artists such as Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Nicodemus, and Little John, to name but a few—including a rising star named Clive Bright, known to the world as Tenor Saw.