Having created or played on many soca hits, Grub Cooper is one of the genre’s heavyweights.
That reputation earned him a call from producer Ian Johnson for his first soca venture.
Cooper’s Soca Jam is the lead single from Soca Jam EP, a project on Johnson’s Finatic Records.
The song was released on July 4, with tracks by Mr Easy (Caribbean Ting) and Honorebel (Roll Your Waist) to follow.
The EP is scheduled for release during the summer.
Cooper was drummer for the Fabulous Five Band that released a series of soca anthems in the 1980s, among them Yuh Safe, All Night Party, Feeling Horny, and Jamaican Woman.
He told the Jamaica Observer that playing countless gigs keeps him in tune with what fans want to hear.
“When I make music, a lot a di time it’s based on the reaction of a crowd, what people love. People don’t matter where it’s coming from, they’ll listen to di music once it’s good,” said Cooper.
Soca Jam EP marks a return to the music business for Johnson, who has produced songs by Bob Andy, Dennis Brown, Freddie McGregor, Capleton, Cutty Ranks, and Trini. For his comeback, he wanted to do something different.
“After a long hiatus from music production l am not moving away from reggae, but l have a popular Soca Jam website and I use it to promote entertainment events,” Johnson explained. “I am planning to promote some soca events next year in Trinidad, New York, and Jamaica, so these soca songs are to bring awareness to my Soca Jam Promotions,” he said.
Initially, Cooper was the only artiste he intended to work with, but after hearing what the veteran musician did on Soca Jam, Johnson approached Mr Easy, known for hit songs like Drive Me Crazy and Bashment Gal, and Honorebel, who has collaborated with big names such as Tory Lanez and Pitbull.