22/09/2026
‘If it was written in plain English, you’d have to be drunk or unable to read to sign the paperwork.’
Legendary dub pioneer , the master mix engineer behind some of reggae’s most iconic sounds, joined us at to reflect on the music industry’s past and future. 🔊⚡️
In the late 70s and 80s, Jamaican artists were churning out hit after hit, but major corporate record labels kept almost all the royalties through bad contracts and outright exploitation.
Scientist experienced this firsthand, fighting a massive 2003 legal battle against Greensleeves Records. The label had licensed tracks from his iconic 1981 album, Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires, to Rockstar Games for the Grand Theft Auto III soundtrack-without asking for his consent or paying him royalties.
He ultimately lost the lawsuit on a “work for hire” technicality, and the label later went as far as reissuing his classic albums with his name and face completely removed from the cover art. This is exactly why he doesn’t hold back in our interview, directly calling out label bosses like Chris Blackwell and Chris Cracknell for treating artists this way.
Despite the bitter history, Scientist remains optimistic about the future. He shared how much he loves seeing young, modern artists use technology to release music independently, entirely bypassing the middleman labels and retaining ownership of their art.
Thank you + 🔊🔥
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