Laurent Alfred

Laurent Alfred was a US Virgin Island’s swimmer who competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in three freestyle events. Known as Tippy, he is far better known for his music career. Tippy graduated from Harvard and then Yale Law School, and then taught at Columbia, before leaving the academic world for the music business.

Back in the Virgin Islands, Tippy started his own record label, I Grade Records, and was considered responsible for making Virgin Islands’ reggae popular. He also played in Zion I Kings Band as a co-bandleader, guitarist, and keyboarder. Tippy has also worked in live dub, forming I Grade Dub. He has assisted politicians in attempts to legalize medical marijuana on the island and also to change certain laws to help the film industry consider using the Virgin Islands more for filming.