Aldain Reid
Career Writer

To the world he is 'Assassin', the hip, happening and top-of-the charts dancehall wonder. To his credit, he recently headlined numerous sold-out performances in North America and the Caribbean.

Lately, he has enjoyed several chart-topping hits, including Wha Do Dem Guy Deh and Jah Guide and Protect.

BEYOND THE IMAGE
But Jeffrey Campbell is much more that what meets the eye. Beyond the arclights he is making a mark in academics. He recently entered the third year of his bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Sunderland at the very top of his class.

Assassin is quite the opposite of his image; a strategic thinker, an astute entrepreneur, a gifted talent, and a down-to-earth human being, who I found to be abundantly clear about his future and that of the industry he now proudly represents.

DOING HIS HOMEWORK
Assassin is balancing his career in the music industry, which he describes as ever evolving, and the degree programme.

He recognises the need to change with the times to survive in the industry.

"We are now firmly in the era of shrinking record sales, due in large measure to ease with which songs can be accessed via the Web for free," he said.

"Industry players must adjust their business models to fit with the realities that are staring us at the face."

BEYOND THE STAGE
As a stepping stone to the future, Assassin, along with his brother Gareth, who also manages his career, formed a production and artist management company, BoardHouse Records.

"We have a clear vision for this company," Gareth said. "BoardHouse was created as a vehicle though which the best of our local indigenous dancehall reggae music can be showcased," he explained.

This is where Assassin's academic pursuits are playing a vital role.

His company's sophomore project, 'The Nuh Linga Riddim', was a runaway hit this year, having the distinction of being showcased extensively during the Beijing Olympics.

Taking a step forward, Assassin said that he intends to use this company to leverage the abundance of opportunity that exists in the music business.

"We're looking at few new artistes right now, and a number of corporate endorsement offers are on the table as well, " Assassin said. "We're quite optimistic about the future," he added.

SONGS WITH SUBSTANCE
"Increasingly the consumers of our music are demanding to be engaged in a positive way," he said.

"It comes down to the message in the music you're putting out, that's what counts," he added.

Assassin is right: I an industry where it has long been established that 'content is king', it is artistes who maintain the quality and consistency of their work who typically enjoy longevity in their careers.

"My aim is to develop a strong musical catalogue," Campbell said.

"Catchy tunes are good for the ego, and admittedly do have their time and place. But catalogues are built through strong content, songs with substance."

A career in music, like any other, has the serious side to it. With a career on the upswing backed by his educational pursuits, Assassin is surely setting an example for others to follow.

Aldain Reid is a serial entrepreneur and currently serves as president of the Young Entrepreneurs' Association of Jamaica. He may be contacted via his entrepreneurship blog at www.aldainreid.com