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| Don Corleon | |
|---|---|
| Name | Don Corleon |
| Birth name | Joel Chin |
| Born | 1975 |
| Origin | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genres | Reggae, Dancehall, R&B, Pop |
| Occupation | Record producer, Songwriter, Sound engineer |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Labels | VP Records, Island Records, Da'Lab Records |
Don Corleon is the stage name of Joel Chin, a Jamaican record producer and songwriter known for shaping contemporary dancehall and reggae sounds and for cross-genre productions with international artists. He rose from Kingston studio culture to global prominence through collaborations with leading performers across Jamaica, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. His work spans singles, riddims, albums, and production for film and compilation releases.
Born Joel Chin in Kingston, Jamaica, he came of age amid the post-Roots reggae and dancehall movements that followed the eras of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer. Influenced by local sound systems like sound system crews and studios such as Tuff Gong, Studio One, and Channel One Studios, he apprenticed in Kingston alongside engineers and producers tied to labels like VP Records and Greensleeves Records. His formative years overlapped with the careers of Shabba Ranks, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, and Beenie Man, who helped define the environment in which he developed mixing and production skills.
Corleon's production aesthetic synthesizes elements from dancehall, Reggae, R&B, and pop, often layering programmed drums, synthesized basslines, and live instrumentation reminiscent of sessions at Tuff Gong and Studio One. He draws from techniques used by producers such as King Jammy, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Steely & Clevie, and contemporary beatmakers like Sean "Diddy" Combs and The Neptunes. His arrangements favor vocal-centric mixes for artists including Sean Paul, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, and Shaggy, and he has adapted to digital audio workstations used in studios across Miami, Los Angeles, London, and Tokyo.
His production credits include work for major artists from multiple music scenes: Sean Paul, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Eminem, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, and Drake in the United States and United Kingdom markets; regional icons like Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel, Elephant Man, and Beenie Man in Jamaica; and international performers such as Katy Perry, Pitbull, Shakira, Major Lazer, and Diplo. He has produced riddims and singles featuring collaborations that bridge reggae and hip hop, working with labels and teams including VP Records, Island Records, Mad Decent, and Cash Money Records. Beyond singles, he has contributed to film soundtracks, festival lineups at events like Reggae Sumfest and Rototom Sunsplash, and compilation albums associated with Greensleeves Records and Ministry of Sound.
Selected productions and releases credited to him include hits and riddims that appeared on releases with Sean Paul ("Gimme the Light"-era contemporaries), tracks for Rihanna during her crossover pop-R&B phase, collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Shaggy, and work on singles for Vybz Kartel and Mavado. He has produced full riddims released through labels such as VP Records and compilation appearances on Greensleeves Records collections. Albums and singles he contributed to have charted on systems including the Billboard charts and regional Jamaican charts, and his productions have been licensed for compilations, mixtapes, and digital platforms managed by companies like Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music.
His work has earned industry recognition through awards, nominations, and acknowledgments from organizations and events including the Irie FM and Mello FM scenes, Caribbean music awards, and placements on Billboard-charted releases. Peers and media outlets in Jamaica, the United States, and the United Kingdom have cited his role in modernizing dancehall production, and he has been profiled alongside producers such as Don Jazzy and Skrillex for cross-genre production work. His productions have been part of commercially successful projects that garnered certifications by institutions akin to the Recording Industry Association of America.
Corleon is often mentioned among a generation of Jamaican producers—alongside King Jammy, Steely & Clevie, Sly and Robbie, and newer producers tied to Mad Decent—who transformed dancehall into a global export integrated with hip hop, R&B, and electronic dance music. His stylistic fingerprints appear in the work of subsequent producers and artists within Kingston studios, the Caribbean diaspora in South Florida, and international pop production hubs in London and Los Angeles. Through riddims, artist development, and cross-market collaborations, his impact persists in festival lineups at Reggae Sumfest and in streaming-era playlists curated by major platforms.
Category:Jamaican record producers Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Reggae musicians