Patra making big moves

Queen of the Pack, Patra, is making big moves in the music industry, with a new distribution partnership that will see her company, +Plus Entertainment Inc., distributed globally through Freddy Browne’s JHOUSE Entertainment/The Orchard/ Sony Music.

“I’m now signed back to Sony through JHOUSE,” an excited Patra told THE STAR. “The video for the first song is being done for the end of June, and I’m coming out back for the end of the summer, so it’s going to be extremely crazy.”

“I have tons of collabs coming out. I’m working with Freddy Browne on a track for his album and another for my solo album. So those two singles will be coming out days apart and will have their own music videos. I’m getting ready to touch the road. This is serious stuff,” the Romantic Call deejay declared, adding that she is feeling fit, working out at the gym and prepared for whatever lies ahead.

Patra has worked with Browne before and shared that they have a “fantastic relationship”, so much so that she preferred to go through his label for the Sony deal, rather than directly to the powerhouse record company. She has also done direct deals with Sony during the era of the 90s when she was the “it” girl and was signed to Sony’s Epic Records. This saw the release of her hard-hitting debut album, Queen of the Pack, which would go on to be certified gold.

“I had the opportunity that I could have done my own deal through The Orchard/Sony, but I said no. I have been through a lot before, and I kinda understand the game for what it is right now and I’m going to need all those resources behind me … including Freddy and Sony. It’s a beautiful thing. And I feel good about owning my masters … and everything that I am working on I’m a part of that as well,” Patra told THE STAR.

Quickly addressing the issue of ownership of her earlier masters, she shared that sometime in 2028/2029, she will regain her masters from Sony for both Queen of the Pack and Scent of Attraction.

“But who knows what’s going to happen now? It has been a tremendous ride, and I’m very thankful, very happy. The relationship with me and Freddy is amazing. He’s professional, and he understands what I’ve gone through, and he is giving me the opportunity to be myself, and I’m very thankful for that.”

Browne, who has been aligned with Sony for two decades and has worked with other Jamaican artistes, told THE STAR that Patra was the first artiste he wanted to work with when he started JHOUSE.

“It makes a whole lot of sense because we started with her. She is such a powerhouse … a perfectionist, and she knows exactly what she wants to do. She is the epitome of what an icon is. We are working on the collaboration track coming out on the JHOUSE album and her own single. Signing with her is a partnership … it’s an honour, and it’s super fun, and we are ready to go and take it to the world. This is my 20th year with Sony, and now I’m bringing Patra over there with her label … it’s a blessing,” Browne told THE STAR.

Patra, born Dorothy Smith, burst onto the international scene in the 1990s and soon became a trailblazer for female artistes in a male-dominated genre. Like many others, her musical journey started in the church choir before breaking out into dancehall using the name Lady Patra. Her first major global breakthrough came in 1994 when she was featured on Shabba Ranks' hit single Family Affair, and she would later be managed by Clifton ‘Specialist’ Dillon.

Her singles such as Worker Man and Romantic Call (featuring rapper Yo-Yo) dominated the US Billboard charts and received heavy rotation on MTV. Queen of the Pack spent 13 weeks at the top of the Billboard Reggae Albums chart and cemented her superstar status. However, Patra would later take an extended hiatus from the music industry and switch her focus to obtaining a bachelor's degree and pursued entrepreneurship.