Sugar Bear believes that Jamaican artistes need to focus their energies on tapping into the US west coast’s reggae market, especially California, because of the continued growth of the genre in that region.

“Reggae is huge in California and the west coast of the USA. At the shows, there were people of all races there, a real multicultural vibe and people of all ages, which shows that young people are still gravitating towards reggae — a good look for the future,” said Sugar Bear. “I was amazed at how the people treated me really well, and how they are gravitating towards the Sugarcane.”

He and Rayvon recently completed the Sugarcane Tour, which featured live performances on a number of shows including Reggae Nights South Bay on July 14 at Redondo Beach Pier, Poom Tuesdays on July 18, Fayah Sundays on July 16, before climaxing at Reggae on the Mountain in Topanga, California, on July 23.

“The vibe was wicked. They really treated us well, and they loved the Sugarcane song. The people of LA love reggae, roots, and dancehall equally. And they have so many venues because it’s a sunshine state, outdoor and indoor, on the beach, mountains, and so they have a lot of festivals. From roots reggae to dub, dancehall, rock, and various fusions, reggae music is hot on the west coast,” he said.

Reggae music has been huge on the west coast.

“The market is still growing,” said Sugar Bear, whose real name is Jeffrey Scott.

Originally from St Elizabeth, Sugar Bear currently resides in New York. Most of his recordings are produced by Black River Records, and he is known for songs including Roll It Up, Powers, This is a Prayer, and Jamaica Mi Born.

Sugar Cane is produced by Troyton Rami for Black Shadow Records, and is featured on the Happy Days Riddim.

Formerly signed to MCA Records, Rayvon was born in Barbados and raised in New York. To date, he has released three studio albums. A frequent collaborator with Shaggy, his hits include No Guns, No Murder, Big Up, In the Summertime, and Angel.