The VP Records label was founded in 1979 by the late Vincent "Randy" Chin and his wife Patricia Chin, who owned the Randy's Records Mart in Kingston, Jamaica (as seen in the 1978 film Rockers), as well as the Studio 17 recording studio. The Chin family settled in Jamaica, Queens in 1979 and established VP Record Distributors (in tribute to Vincent and Pat) and served as an international hub for the growing reggae music business. The label was formed in 1993, propelled by the explosive growth of their newly founded compilation brands Strictly The Best (1991), and Reggae Gold (1993). The expanding CD business and breakthrough Jamaican artists like Shabba Ranks, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, and Sean Paul all contributed to the continuous growth of the company. As the digital era began, VP Records emerged as the largest distributor of reggae and Caribbean music. And with the 2008 acquisition of Greensleeves UK Ltd., the company became the undisputed anchor for the genre in the international music industry.
Today, VP Records is the world’s leading independent, Caribbean-focused record label, with offices in New York City, Miami, London, Kingston, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro. The company operates two retail store locations (Jamaica, NY and Miramar, FL), and a direct-to- consumer platform (www.vpreggae.com). Patricia Chin is still active in charitable work through the V&P Foundation, which focuses on music education in Jamaica and the diaspora.