bob marley

Largest Independent Reggae Label Celebrates 40th Anniversary

“VP is integral to the history of reggae and dancehall music. We take this responsibility seriously and we are using our 40th anniversary to celebrate the music’s rich heritage as we steward the genre into the future,” said company president Randy Chin.

History of Black Entertainment from 1980-90s

On January 25, 1980, Bob Johnson launched Black Entertainment Television (BET). The network originally broadcasted for two hours a week as a block programming on Nickelodeon. It wasn’t until 1983 when BET became a full-fledged channel, where the lineup consisted of mostly music videos and reruns of popular Black sitcoms.