By: Secret Agent
YardFlex Reporter
After five years, Dancehall deejay Assassin and Penthouse Records have split.
Assassin will no longer be managed by the powerhouse production outfit that he has become so closely associated with, since his rapid rise in 2001.
Reports about the split surfaced only this week, even though it reportedly happened about a month ago. The deejay commented about it on local radio saying he did not want it to blow out of proportion.
Penthouse CEO Donovan Germain confirmed the split, and explained to YardFlex.com that the parting of ways was mutual, as he will be focusing more now on developing the Penthouse Brand.
"I'm going more into production now," he explained.
"All this time I have been looking after several artistes career and not really building up more on Penthouse, now is the time to do that," he added."
"I have just completed a new studio, we built it from scratch, and we will be doing more recordings from there, more production, more tunes."
The Penthouse name is branded in Jamaica as synonymous with memorable gems and sturdy dancehall anthems that have stood the test of time, and that still rock dancehalls today. Added to that, the names that have developed under the banner have stamped their place in Reggae History Books, from both the artist and producer standpoints.
Buju Banton, Tony Rebel, Wayne Wonder, Dave Kelly, Tony Kelly are only a few of the leading dancehall gorgons that have worked there at one point or another.
With edgy lyrics and powerful puns, Assassin under the Penthouse banner had blossomed into a dancehall general. Despite this, his management turned him into a media darling. Several media practitioners have commented on his ability to be punctual and polite when conducting interviews, and yet transform to a lyrical monster when on the stage and in the studio.
All good things it seems must come to an end. Donovan Germain explained that that's just how the wheels of life turn, and people go in different directions. Penthouse he said, is now more on the musical road.
"We're not going to go so much on the road with the artistes, going up and down overseas all the time, we'll spend more time building up the music...We'll still have artistes yes, but the focus is on music."
