The History Of Reggaetón, Reggae and Dancehall- Maxine Isis Stowe

The History Of Reggaetón, Reggae and Dancehall as told by Maxine Isis Stowe, the former Columbia Records executive, sits at the intersection of Reggaetón, Reggae and Dancehall. She played a pivotal role in signing acts like Shy Guy singer Diana King, who she had a similar vision for her as Rihanna achieved, if only Diana could have let go off the small island influences and assimilate her sound more into American pop and sing more like fellow Sony artist Mariah Carey.

“When I saw Rihanna break through, I thought that was what I had in mind for Diana. I would say that Diana’s reluctance to be fully Americanized was her limitation because her voice was big enough, but culturally she couldn’t let go,” Stowe said.

She is also known for her significant contributions to the development of dancehall in the 90s and early 2000s in the US, serving as A&R and executive producer for several chart-topping hits and albums, resulting in over 5 million in album and single sales. This includes Ini Kamoze’s “Here Comes The Hotstepper,” Mad Cobra’s “Flex,” “Bad Boys Soundtrack,” “Cool Runnings Soundtrack,” "Chant Down Babylon" album by Bob Marley, Half Way Tree by Damian Marley and more projects that have achieved Platinum and Gold status in the US.