2021, August 2021, Respect
RESPECT | I Grade Dub
Aug
I Grade Dub
Carry Me Home Dub
Laurent “Tippy” Alfred, born in Haiti and raised in St. Croix, USVI, is a graduate of the Good Hope School in St. Croix (Valedictorian 1992), Harvard University (BA Magna Cum Laude 1996), and Yale Law School (J.D. 2003). Since graduating from law school, Laurent has worked in the fields of music, education, and business. For two years, Laurent worked as an adjunct professor at Columbia University, teaching graduate seminars in the department of African American Studies. He established his own company, I Grade Records LLC, in 2003.
In 2005 Tippy returned to St. Croix with his family and has since worked in a variety of areas. As the CEO of I Grade Records, Tippy oversees a multi-faceted business that includes a recording label, music studio, retail store, music distribution company, event promotions, and artist management. I Grade Records, LLC has grown steadily and is currently the most active and prolific music label in the U.S. Virgin Islands. I Grade Records released 34 albums with artists including Akae Beka/Midnite, Pressure, Lutan Fyah, Niyorah, Ras Batch, and many others.
Recently his musical focus has been on I Grade Dub, his live Dub mixing sound system that brings his studio to the stage to share extemporaneous mixes of songs from the vast I Grade and Zion I Kings productions catalogs. This focus on live dub mixing led to the development of the Dub in Fishmarket and Dub the Rainforest event series in St. Croix that has drawn a strong following both on St. Croix on around the world via the I Grade Records YouTube channel. I Grade Dub has performed at many venues, festivals, and events worldwide, including regular residencies at Kingston Dub Club and Dubwise Miami. In addition, I Grade Dub toured Europe in 2014 and 2015, backing Pressure Busspipe in a unique dub format and performing at Reggae Geel and Oland Roots Festivals.
As an internationally ranked athlete from an early age, Laurent has had the honor of representing the Virgin Islands in numerous international swimming competitions, including the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Laurent is deeply committed to the Virgin Islands on multiple levels – as a father, a business owner, an athlete, a musician, and an attorney.
The Archives
A Reggae Tribute To Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson (I Grade Dub)
Release Date: August 6, 2021
I Grade Dub’s latest project is ‘Carry Me Home Dub: A Reggae Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson’ from The Archives and Montserrat House. Released on August 6, 2021, the 12 track album is a follow-up dub version of their critically acclaimed sophomore album Carry Me Home: A Reggae Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson. The album features live reggae dub mixes engineered by ‘Tippy I” Alfred (I Grade Dub Sound System).
I GRADE DUB Official Website
IGradeRecords.com
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