I FEEL THIS STORY... AS A YOUNG PROMOTER IT IS HARD TO DEAL WITH CERTAIN ARTIST, WHY DO THEY WANT PER DIEM WHEN THEY NOT GOIN TO BUY FOOD, WHY DO U NEED MORE THAN 1 PERSON WITH U.. I HAVE WORK WITH SELECTORS, DANCERS AND CERTAIN ATISTS AND IT HAS WORK FOR ME... I DONT WANT TO MENTION NAME OR NAMES BUT A MAN WANT TO CLICK HIM FINGER TO GET $15000.

I don't get the question? The artist is not getting many gigs and also may not have had a hit in a few years... so the promotion company is paying for the name of the artist only.. my question to the promoter is then .. how is this artist bringing value to your show , if they are not pulling in anyone ("playing to an empty hall or whatever) the promotor can always so NO..Memba , the artist can ask for any amount it is up to the promotion co or who ever to pay it.. you can't tell someone what to charge but you can refuse to hire that artist , Doh.. lets start looking at this as a business and not a "fren ting"... especially in the business of Reggae.

I am 100% in agreement with this article. Greed is a hell of a thing.

so real ,that is one of the reason why noshow is coming to ARIZONA AGAIN , they are asking for too much money ....

J it is a business yes i agree and in saying so its negociable, but r u aware that Reggae acts ask for more money than 4 xample their hip hop counterparts, pending the venue they r performing in. There for pushing themselves out of the negotiation room, not even getting a chance to sit at the table to negotiate.

And on top of all that the Reggae acts perform for Free and even pay their way to come to the US.

i agree with this article,some of these artiste cant get 2000 people in a venue,but they charge rididculous money ,because they might full venues in jamaica they think they international when half the ppl abroad dont even knw them,what they should do is use certain opp for marketing and earning money at the same time,when they reach top level then they can charge big money and why do they need to travel with 10ppl i never get it.

Lot of the one hit artists and no hit artists need to read this article; because they are the ones who are giving the business a bad name.

What kind of foolfool article this?it can't make money promoting find a new job, its a busniess you only make deals you benefit from point blank

ah true dat jon,every an anybody nowaday waah jump up an tun promoter an dont kno notin... why u bookin artise that cant pull crowd in empty venue? its because yu iz a stupid promoter or not even dat, jus stupid... yardflex fi stop badmind d ras dem food,an go do better journalism dan dat... soun like unu or unu freind show flop or sup'n if unnu did book sizzla,ifrika or ras moses it couldnt flop an it wouldnt be 25,000 us... it would b more ras moses charge 40 - 50 us stacks kolanji likewise muma fya noh cheap niether... unu fi hav sense research the feild yor enterin into,jus go dance everyweek dont meen you'll necessarilly b a good promoter... good artiste will alwayz hav bookin,bookin too much haffi low som... as i said everybody waah be promoter so show nah stop book... unnu an unu likkle idiat promoter fren dem fi stop badmind d man den food tho.... a d truth dat

This is so true, thus the reason why reggae artist dont prosper for a long time they over price themselves out the market.

GREED.....GREED.....GREED....GREED....

They need to take a page from artist such as Bearing Spear, Beres Hammond, Toots, Super Cat etc when it comes to doing business and how to do business.

99.9% of reggae artist dont even dont what ROYALITIES MEAN AND IS.......

JUST A QUICK BUCK DONT CUT IT ALL...

NOT TO MENTION THE GREEDY MANAGERS AND BOOKING AGENCIES WHO MANAGE THESE ARTIST WHO MAKE SITUATION WORST THAN IT NEED TO BE.

am into promotions and everytime i realise the cost to bring an artist to the islands its really crazy.....not only its the $25000 but hotel food a sound system security and more . come on artist where are your conscience ?

100% in agreement, when we want an artist to do a show we want the artist, this bag of 20 man ontorage with a 15 man band and stylist crew and calling to top rooms at top hotels and demandin more than what many of the caribbean islands have is rediculous, GET RID OF THE CREWS. IF ur crew want to travel LET DEM FOOT THEY BILL OF LET THE ARTIST TAKE FROM HIS CUT AND PAY FOR DEM, THATS NOT THE PROMOTERS RESPONSIBILITY.

all promotes you make them rich, if u dont bring them they cant mek money. so make them play by your rules, memba money a money it nar come free. stand ya ground, cause you have your family to feed as well.

I feel where you are coming from, but ever hear of spelling and grammer check?

Coming from a rastawoman i really think that i wouldn't say all but a few artist out there are really out for fashion and money and they are forgetting what mission they are on.To me i don't know about them but if you out there to pass on the message through your music to the people thats what you should be doing.Which i know that they know its hard times so why charge so much money to come see them just to hear wise words being sang or spoken.My advice to Rasta artist remember what you are about.No money,vanity,or greed.Jah Bless

I have to put my likle two sense ina dis. Where I live dem a charge $45US fi a show fi see 1 big artist. I've made the decision to keep my money in my pocket until my plane lan a yard, regardless of when it touch down. I know for sure sey $45US is going to get mi atleast 2 show wid me and my honey plus money left over to buy peanuts and mi sure sey mi a go si atleast 10 big artist. In times like these the question must be asked if that artist is really worth my sweat and tolling dollas.

PROMOTERS If you investing in something thats not working or you or you simply cant afford it, then i suggest you change the field. FIND A NEW JOB. An artist cannot stick you up for money, or force you to book them or put them on your show ( unless you dealing with some unprofessional fren thing). DONT PUT AN ARTIST NAME AND FACE PON YUH FLYER AND PASS OUT 2000 COPY DEN ASK THE ARTIST HOW MUCH DEM CHARGE. A FUCKERY DAT! YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO TELL THE ARTIST WHAT THEY ARE "WORTH"

Its not just a reggae thing music in general taking a beating. Some of the most 'famous' hip hop act and r&b acts cannot tour by themselves and certainly cannot HEADLINE A MAJOR TOUR. MAJOR= Arena and by this I mean BY THEM SELF ( not with 100 other acts)

Note the following artist expanding their fanbase and making successful strides that will PAY OFF in the future

Junior Gong (on tour With NAS)
Half Pint (on tour with Slightly Stoopid)
Stephen Marley (on tour with headliners Snoop + Slightly Stoopid)
Cherine Anderson (on tour with Counting Crows + Spearhead)

MOST REGGAE ACTS NEED A FANBASE!!! NOT 300 unfaithful Jamaicans who might not show up if the rain fall.

that being said

ARTIST decide if you building a career or just deh pon a hussle. REMEMBER you are as big as THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW U!!! If it takes 100 artist to pull 4000 patrons to a major Jamaican dance, with only the top 10 artist 'really' pulling in the crowd it means all the other acts NOT BIG ENOUGH TO HEADLINE ANY SHOW. Also not because and artist name get write up in a Jamaican newspaper everyday dont mean them big." ARTIST CHECK THESE 'JOURNALIST' WHO YOU HAVE ON YOUR PAYROLL it a duh yuh more harm dan good

artist like Mavado might be lucky to get US25k in certain situation ( or even the ridicualous us$100k dem stick up di Japanese dem fah) Most dancehall artist will go NY, NJ, MY ATL, DC and perform at a the same club, same dance of 300 to maybe 800 people, the SAME people everytime! Not a festival or to a new set a people who can build dem thing. So them not getting no bigger than dem jamaican audience and fren dem weh dem pay fi buss up clappers and di minute the Jamaica hype run out dem cyaan get make no money. And promoter tek step wid dem an call dem 'washed' up or 'ol' artist.

Tell me why 1 DJ need fi travel wid 10 man and a play wid tracks!!! WI DONT EVEN NEED FI CALL NAMES cause almost ALL of the present day "top dj" duh dis. We need fi check wi self as Jamaicans