Kemar McGregor also known by his nicknames, DJ Flava and Flava McGregor, is a Jamaican-American roots reggae producer. He has recorded and produced music for the most renowned artists in the roots reggae industry, including Sizzla

Sizzla

Sizzla Kalonji, or simply Sizzla in are de reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is well-known for his above-average prolificacy...

, Marcia Griffiths

Marcia Griffiths

Marcia Llyneth Griffiths is a successful female singer, also called the "Queen of Reggae". One reviewer described her noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances".Griffiths started her career in 1964...

, Beenie Man

Beenie Man

Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...

, Maxi Priest

Maxi Priest

Max Alfred "Maxi" Priest is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most...

, Wayne Wonder

Wayne Wonder

Wayne Wonder is a Jamaican reggae fusion artist...

, Buju Banton

Buju Banton

Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....

, Capleton

Capleton

Capleton is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist. He is also referred to as King Shango, King David, The Fireman and The Prophet. His record label is called David House Productions...

, Sanchez

Sánchez

Sánchez is a popular Spanish surname. It may also refer to:*Sánchez, Dominican Republic, a municipality in Samaná Province, Dominican Republic*Sanchez , a reggae singer...

, Freddie McGregor

Freddie McGregor

Freddie McGregor has been variously a singer, musician and producer. According to Allmusic he is one of reggae's most durable and soulful singers, with a steady career that started in the 1960s, when he was just seven years old.-Biography:In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to...

, Luciano

Luciano

Luciano is a Jamaican second generation roots reggae artist and poet....

, Sugar Minott

Sugar Minott

Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott was a Jamaican reggae singer, producer and sound-system operator.-Biography:...

, Barrington Levy

Barrington Levy

Barrington Levy is a reggae and dancehall artist from Jamaica.-Career:In 1976, Levy formed a band with his cousin, Everton Dacres, called the Mighty Multitude; the pair released "My Black Girl" in 1977...

, Gregory Isaacs

Gregory Isaacs

Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....

, Morgan Heritage

Morgan Heritage

Morgan Heritage is a reggae band formed in 1994 by five children of reggae artist Denroy Morgan, namely Peter Morgan, Una Morgan, Roy "Gramps" Morgan, Nakhamyah "Lukes" Morgan and Memmalatel "Mr. Mojo" Morgan. In two decades, they have had a number of successful reggae albums.-Career:Morgan...

, Half Pint, Tanya Stephens

Tanya Stephens

Vivienne Tanya Stephens, better known by her stage name Tanya Stephens is an influential reggae artist who emerged in the late 1990s...

, Gyptian

Gyptian

Gyptian Born on 25 October 1983, Jamaican reggae singer. He often appears with roots reggae songs within the reggae subgenre dancehall....

, Beres Hammond

Beres Hammond

Beres Hammond is a reggae singer known in particular for his romantic lovers rock and soulful voice...

, Glen Washington, Etana

Etana

Etana was an ancient, legendary Sumerian king of the city of Kish, and was, according to the Sumerian king list, one of the kings who reigned after the deluge. He is listed as the successor of Arwium, the son of Mashda, as king of Kish...

 and Cocoa Tea

Cocoa Tea

Cocoa Tea is a Jamaican reggae/dancehall singer, songwriter, and DJ.- Biography :Cocoa Tea was popular in Jamaica from 1985, but has become successful worldwide only since the 1990s...

, among many others. McGregor is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Flava McGregor Records.

Kemar McGregor was born in the Community 7 section of Kingston

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

, and grew up in Montego Bay

Montego Bay

Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish and the second largest city in Jamaica by area and the fourth by population .It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, cruise line terminal and the beaches...

, Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

. He worked as a radio deejay on Irie FM 105.5 in Ocho Rios

Ocho Rios

Ocho Ríos is a town in the parish of Saint Ann on the north coast of Jamaica. Although he landed in many spots along the Jamaican coast, many believe that Christopher Columbus first set foot on land in Ocho Rios...

, and later on RJR 94 FM in Kingston, before founding his first recording label, No Doubt Records, in 2001. McGregor’s smooth, seamless mixing style earned him the nickname “Flava” among established Jamaican selectors, prompting McGregor to adopt the radio pseudonym “DJ Flava.”


McGregor began producing roots reggae in 1999. The first song he produced was Turbulence’s lovers rock

Lovers rock

Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...

 single, “Name and Number.” In 2001, he produced two Sizzla albums, “Speak of Jah” and “Brighter Day;” he produced Anthony B’s “Smoke Free” album; and also produced Luciano’s “Upright” LP, which was named “album of the month” on the German reggae charts in the year 2001.


In 2005, VP Records began licensing McGregor’s albums, beginning with Gyptian’s debut LP, “My Name Is Gyptian.” Since then, his tracks have been featured on many VP Records albums, including Richie Spice’s “Gideon Boot,” Etana’s “Strong One,” Morgan Heritage’s “Mission in Progress,” Gyptian’s “I Can Feel Your Pain,” Beres Hammond’s “Moment In Time,” Fantan Mojah's “Stronger,” and Queen Ifrica’s “Montego Bay.”


He has produced tracks for many various-artist compilations for VP Records

VP Records

VP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...

, Cousins Records, Tad’s Records and Greensleeves Records, including:

Triumphant Riddim (Greensleeves 2006),
Trumpet Riddim (Cousins 2007),
Key Riddim (Cousins 2007),
Flute Riddim (Cousins 2007),
83 Riddim (Greensleeves 2007),
Rub a Dub Riddim (VP Records 2008),
Drop It Riddim (Tad’s Records 2008),
Rocksteady Riddim (VP Records 2008),
Sweet Riddim (VP Records 2009),
Ghetto Riddim (VP Records 2009),
Classic Riddim (VP Records 2010).

Many of McGregor’s songs were selected for VP Records’ greatest-hits compilation series, “Strictly the Best,” “Reggae Gold” and “Songs for Reggae Lovers;” Greensleeves Records’ “Reggae One Drop Anthems” series; and Cousins Records “Strictly One Drop,” and “Strictly Lovers Rock” series.

Awards and Accomplishments

McGregor has been nominated for the EME “Reggae Producer of the Year” award every year since 2007, and was also nominated for “Reggae Riddim of the Year” in 2008 and 2011. He was nominated for “Reggae Producer of the Year” at the New York IRAMA Awards show in 2008, and was nominated for “Reggae Producer of the Year” in the JOE HIGGS MUSIC AWARDS (JHMA) in 2008. In addition, McGregor is the first roots reggae producer to dominate the Foundation Radio Network’s New York Top 30 chart and South Florida Top 20 chart by having six songs listed on both charts simultaneously.

Name Controversy

Contrary to popular rumors, Kemar McGregor is not the son of legendary reggae vocalist Freddie McGregor. In response to several internet media reports claiming him to be the son of Freddie McGregor, Kemar replied, “I don't know what else to do ... it happens here in Jamaica, it happens overseas. I am at the airport in New York and the immigration people tell me 'I listen to your dad's songs, he's good'. And when I say, 'He's not my dad,' they give me a strange look, so sometimes I just leave it alone.”

External links

• http://flavamcgregor.com/