Corey Todd Teams Up With Beenie Man

Former Vybz Kartel business associate, Corey Todd has found a new, celebrity business partner to team with him. Legendary Dancehall superstar, Beenie Man has agreed to a new endorsement deal with Todd to develop a line of liquor products.

The deal will feature the worldwide marketing of the brand, Yaad Swag, which will be the first product to be manufactured as a result of this joint venture. In a press release, the “Doctor” said, "I am the one to sing rum and Red Bull so if me ah go promote and endorse a rum, it has to be mine. I am looking forward to promoting this product and creating a successful partnership with Corey Todd.”

Todd, who formerly worked with Vybz Kartel on the Street Vybz Rum brand before their severance of ways, says the partnership with Beenie Man will present greater results on a larger scale. "Beenie Man was signed because he is an icon in music and he has a huge passion for the brand. He was the first artiste that I approached to work with when I first came to Jamaica four years ago. However, for various reasons, he was busy flying all over the place so we didn't get the chance to co-ordinate and work it out. This is going to be bigger than Street Vybz, more international and it's going to be great for dancehall,” Todd intimated in a press release. Beenie Man’s role in the endorsement deal will be as a spokesperson for Yaad Swag during TV advertising campaigns & will also feature in radio and print ads for the brand.

Todd also claimed that the product would work given Beenie Man’s a bigger & more recognized artiste internationally & the fact he’s such a well-recognized & rated performer worldwide, he’ll open markets for the Yaad Swag brand across Asia, Africa & the Caribbean region. "This will be the first of a line of products, the next move is a high end product that fits Beenie Man's fan base internationally. This is a partnership/endorsement deal, and it is better than the Street Vybz deal because Beenie Man is a bigger artiste,” Todd stated. The American businessman, who is now a spokesman for Club Riddim, formerly known as The Building did not unveil any financial details but insisted the deal was “very lucrative.”

Protoje enjoying the fruits of his labour

Protoje has not taken time off from his busy schedule to relax. Although he is still receiving rave reviews for his debut album The 7 Year Itch, the singjay is back in studio releasing collaborations and working on his sophomore album.

Protoje said he has started recording material for his second album. The singjay, however, was tight-lipped about the title of the album and the details. He said: "The music is almost finished and I am about halfway in writing it. I have recorded one song so far. Hopefully next summer it should be out. But in the meantime, I really want to spend the year promoting The 7 Year Itch and make a bunch of videos for those songs first."

According to Protoje, fans can expect a video for his song No Lipstick coming in summer. He added: "The album is still doing well, people from all over the world have been responding and it continues to spread. I'm going to keep touring and promoting it. I have a tour coming up in Europe, which I'm looking forward to going back there. At the end of July, I have a couple of festivals as well."

Outside of shows and album work, Protoje was recently featured on two songs, Rub-A-Dub with Ky-Mani Marley and All Again with Keida. Rub-A-Dub makes the second collaboration with Marley, who appeared on Protoje's popular Rasta Love. He said, "when I went to Miami for Marley fest I had the track, it was supposed to be for my next album but because that's not till next year, Don (Corleon) decided to use it for Ky-Mani's album. We recorded it at the famous Circle House studio. It was only fitting, he was on my album so I got the chance to be on his."
He continued, "the Keida track now, people been wanting to see us together, on a song that is. We have a real good chemistry, we had a lot of fun doing that song and I wanted to connect with a more dancehall audience." According to the singjay, videos for Rub-A-Dub and All Again are forthcoming.

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