VP Records - Music From Jamaica in Jamaica, Queens

Jamaica Queens and Jamaica the island are connected by more than the name (by the way, the island was named for the colonial Long Island town of Jamaica!). It's music, in the form of VP Records, reggae retailer and record label.

For over 25 years VP Records has been a major U.S. distributor of reggae, dancehall, and soca from Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. Since the 1990s, VP has also been a record label, producing solo albums and plenty of popular dancehall compilations. One of their biggest successes was crossover dancehall star Sean Paul's debut album Stage One.

VP Records has its own flagship retail store in Jamaica, Queens, stocked with CDs, LPs, and 45s of Jamaica and Caribbean music. If your reggae knowledge stops at Bob Marley, then you might be in over your head at VP. Though there's a big selection, most artists have not had mainstream exposure in the U.S. And roots reggae from the 1970s certainly doesn't own the shelves like it does in Tower Records. Dancehall fans, however, should love VP, as well as DJs looking for tremendous 45s to boost at the next party.

• VP Records, 170-21 Jamaica Ave, Jamaica, NY 11432, 718-297-5802
• E, J, Z to Jamaica Center. Or F to 179th St.
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