With a career spanning more than 15 years, Busy Signal says his recent publishing deal with Rich Stone/Sony Music Publishing/Benelux is the icing on the cake.

“It’s a good look. Mi doing music for some time an’ wi now starting to get certain deals, it shows something and it motivates me to keep doing what I am doing. I keep working while attracting new markets and new ventures,” he said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

The deal with Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV) was brokered by Richie Flores of Rich Stone Publishing.

According to Busy Signal, entertainers should consider entering publishing deals, as it will prove beneficial in the future.

“Having a publisher dat’s like your pension. Dat’s your retirement plan, dat’s your everything in terms of di music business aspect of it. Whether you’re a co-writer or you wrote di song by yourself, its always good to have your publishing set up,” the singjay said.

“Your publisher monitors airplay, they authorise the use of your song in commercials or in samples of music. They are very important in terms of what we do. I would urge every artiste to reach out to a publisher,” he added.

Sony Music Publishing is part of Sony Music Group owned by Sony Entertainment. The company formed as Sony/ATV in 1995 with the merger of Sony Music Publishing and ATV Music, which was owned by Michael Jackson. In 1985, he purchased ATV Music, which included the lucrative Lennon–McCartney song catalogue.

Beenie Man and Skillibeng are also signed to Sony Music Publishing. So too A-listers 50 Cent, Babyface, BTS, Backstreet Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, Destiny’s Child, Ed Sheeran, and John Legend.

Busy Signal (given name Reanno Gordon) recently signed a single deal with 3 Beat, a subsidiary of Universal Music UK. His song Bad Gyal was released one week ago, and has so far racked up more than 250,000 streams on Spotify.

“It’s a blessing working with a company like Universal. We do di work; people see di work and feel di work. Di link to the link. Richie (Flores) reached out to me an’ said some people are interested in working with me, an’ he set di thing. And out comes di deal with 3 Beat and I’m so thankful. Dat’s a big one,” he explained.

Known for hits including Not Going Down, Nah Go A Jail Again, Night Shift and One More Night, Busy Signal achieved mainstream attention in 2013 when he was featured on the Major Lazer hit single, Watch Out Fi Dis (Bumaye).

That song, which hit charts in more than 18 countries, has been certified gold in Italy and platinum in Belgium and France.

Busy Signal said he has grown musically.

“I started out with Step Out and then I went to Not Going Down and then a lot of songs over the years. Then I did reggae music and people loved me doing reggae. Some great people encouraged me over di years like Toots Hibbert an’ Beres Hammond. I always try to do things outside of our culture. Di evolution keeps going,” he said.