Karen Mason, the respected Jamaican music executive, died March 22 in Atlanta, Georgia. Her daughter, Kenya James, confirmed she died after a long fight with breast cancer.
Mason, who had stints with Columbia Records and Elektra Records, worked with a number of artists including Super Cat, Beres Hammond, Nadine Sutherland and Terror Fabulous.
She was also responsible for helping break Canadian rapper/deejay Snow in the United States with the 1992 hit song, “Informer”.
“She is at PEACE! That body – the one with all of that stuff going on with it – is no longer her responsibility. No more pain. No more suffering. She’s free! And I’m happy for her,” her daughter wrote on Facebook.
Mason’s greatest success came at Elektra which at the time, had re-launched the EastWest Records subsidiary in 1990 to promote mainly African-American acts. Mason signed Sutherland who had a massive hit in 1993 with “Action”, a catchy dancehall single that featured Terror Fabulous.
Released by EastWest Records, “Action” peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, Hammond’s “In Control” was released by the label, and produced the hit song, “No Disturb Sign”.
Mason was from Reading, a rustic district in St. James parish. She migrated to the United States in the 1970s and began working in music industry circles during the late 1980s.
The Afro-centric Mason moved to Atlanta over 20 years but retained ties to the music business. She worked with acts like reggae singer/songwriter Annette Brissett.
Written By Howard Campbell