Philip Smart (1960-2014): RIP VIP (Very Important Producer)

I once ran into Philip Smart in the Tuff Gong store in Kingston. A mutual acquaintance introduced us to each other, otherwise I most likely wouldn't have recognised him. He'd learned the trade at King Tubby's and Bunny Lee's, in 1981 he'd emigrated to New York and in '82 opened HC&F. Monyaka was a one-hit wonder, typically American oumpah-pah reggae, but with the proceeds of 'Go Deh Yaka' Smart gathered enough dosh to build a state-of-the-art studio and lay the foundations for a whole slew of successes.

The lion's share of the Jah Life production was recorded there (Barrington Levy's 'Under Mi Sensi' amongst many others), and in the 90s Smart scored international hits with Shaggy and Shabba. In my record collection I've got a few excellent compilations of his TanYah label. Philip Smart was one of the first producers to buy himself a ProTools, and he played a pivotal role in Jamaican dancehall breaking through to the mainstream pop charts.