RAYVON... MCA accused of not doing enough to push his album

BIG Yard Music, the record label co-founded by deejay Shaggy, has ended its two-year-old distribution deal with Universal Music's MCA Records.

Reports doing the rounds was that Big Yard was dropped by MCA, however, Robert Livingston, CEO of the nine-year-old company, said he took the decision to part company with MCA, and the deal strung in 2001, after the major label failed to give adequate promotion to Big Yard's projects.

"I had a deal with them that after two years if they didn't do what I wanted them to do, I would take it back," Livingston told the Observer.

Livingston, who is in Los Angeles for the annual Bob Marley Day Festival in Long Beach, said he was in no great hurry to seek another distribution deal for Big Yard.

"We are just going to see what is going on, there is always a move to make," he said.

Livingston revealed that several changes have been taking place at MCA, the most significant being the sacking of president, Jay Boberg.

"I took the label back two months before he was fired, I wanted to figure out what was going on," said Livingston. He pointed out that lacklustre promotion of Rayvon's 2002 album, My Bad, prompted his decision to sever ties.

The Barbadian-born Rayvon featured on Shaggy's hit, Angel, from his smash hit Hot Shot album. His own album features the hit, Two Way.

"Rayvon's album was wasted. The album fell by the wayside because of a lot of things. Most of the urban A&R (Artist and Repertoire) people don't sign reggae artistes," he explained. "I realised I have been fighting and struggling with these people I sat down and thought about it and decided that at the end of the year, I am gonna take the label back and go somewhere else."

As for Shaggy, whose Hot Shot album for MCA sold over 10 million copies, Livingston said he will stay on at MCA. "We couldn't take Shaggy back because he is signed through Big Yard but under different terms."

Lucky Day, Shaggy's second album for MCA, was recently certified gold for sales of 500,000.

Formed in 1994, Big Yard Music Group is a joint venture between Shaggy and Livingston. Long-time Shaggy collaborators, Sting International and Paul Pizzioni are also partners in the company which has offices in London, New York and California. The artistes currently signed to the label are Prince Mydas, Marsha Morrison, Brian and Tony Gold, Ricardo "Rik Rok" Ducent and Rayvon.

According to Livingston, there are plans to scale down Big Yard's bases and set up office in Jamaica, which Livingston expects to be in operation by next year. He told the Observer that a state-of-the-art recording studio is currently under construction in Kingston; Livingston also disclosed that Big Yard is looking to branch into film production and the fashion industry.

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