Reggae Dancehall Pioneers: DUKE REID - The Gunman Producer Who Built Treasure Isle

Reggae Dancehall Pioneers: DUKE REID - The Gunman Producer Who Built Treasure Isle

From History of the Caribbeans | Exploring Resilience and Culture by history experts | Joe & Kevin

May 5, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

This episode explores the life and impact of Duke Reid, a pivotal figure in the Jamaican music scene and the founder of Treasure Isle Records.

Duke Reid — The Trojan — walked into every recording session at Treasure Isle with two pistols on his hips and a shotgun across his back. The session musicians showed up on time. They played correctly. And they made some of the most important Jamaican music ever recorded. This is the full story of the man who built Treasure Isle Records and defined the rocksteady era — before Bob Marley, before Lee Perry, before the world knew Jamaica had a music industry worth knowing about. New episode on History of the Caribbean: The Gunman Who Ruled Jamaica. What do you know about Duke Reid? Drop it below #DukeReid #TreasureIsle #Rocksteady #JamaicanMusic #HistoryOfTheCaribbean

People in this episode

Hosts: Joe, Kevin

Topics covered

  • Reggae
  • Dancehall
  • Jamaican music
  • Rocksteady
  • Music history
  • Cultural resilience

Keywords

  • Duke Reid
  • Treasure Isle
  • rocksteady
  • Jamaican music
  • music industry
  • history of the Caribbean

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Treasure Isle Records

Places: Jamaica

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