Mr. Boombastic still a run de road! Shaggy’s reggae-infused, dancehall-based brand of pop music invites hip hop, rock and R&B to take a spin through any one of his tracks. His top selling international status defies genres and transcends language. Shaggy, Jamaica’s only living Diamond plus selling artist, is the self described “man to beat” in the world of dancehall music. His decade-plus in the music industry has been alternately peppered with highs and lows, but throughout it all this industry veteran has remained confident that his course is already set and the tumult of his journey is the reason for his worldwide success.

In the 1990’s dancehall music made its first foray onto the US charts with artists like Patra, Shabba Ranks, Mad Cobra and Buju Banton. The hits like ‘Mr. Lover Man’, ‘Flex’ and ‘Worker Man’ momentarily turned the industry’s focus away from Rap and R& B just long enough to gain significant chart success, and receive heavy rotation on the radio and video circuits. But the US attention span is notoriously short and, even with historic collaborations with top rap artists like KRS-ONE, maintaining the focus of the industry proved more of a challenge than the Reggae’s artists and executives could handle. As the fame and notoriety of these pioneers began to wane, popular culture made room for one more star. Shaggy had entered the scene with his deep throaty remix of the Ska classic ‘Oh Carolina’, then the steady dubbin’ rhythm of the platinum selling Grammy winning ‘Boombastic’ solidified his presence as a dancehall artist to watch. Though he went to #3 on the charts with his collaboration with Janet Jackson on “Luv Me, Luv Me” from the How Stella Got Her Groove Back soundtrack, record label disputes prevented proper promotion so Shaggy and the genre quietly slid into the background once again.

When ‘Hotshot’ dropped in 2000 no one could have predicted that this was going to be the album to set Shaggy totally apart from any artist on the dancehall stage. ‘Hotshot’, the best-selling album in 2001, sold over 11 million albums world wide and topped the charts in the US, UK and Germany simultaneously. The album was seven times platinum certified in Canada and six times platinum in the US. Not due to any creative or management genius on their part, MCA Records was at the helm when ‘Hotshot’ rocketed to the top of the charts with two phenomenal singles, “It Wasn’t Me” and “Angel”, which featured Big Yard protégé Rik Rok. “They were getting ready to drop the project when -- bam -- “It Wasn’t Me” happened all on its own. Then “Angel” ran away, all on its own again. Neither one of these songs did MCA pick, everybody knows it was a DJ in Hawaii who started it all.”

“I can pretty much say within my career that I’ve had no luck with record companies. No luck. I think that everything we have achieved, as far as record sales, has been achieved pretty much on the basis of the record. For instance, ‘Oh Carolina’ happened on it’s own and then was picked up by Virgin [Records]. In other words, it went #1 solely on it own by independent labels, by Greensleeves Records, the reggae distributors. Then we got signed to Virgin Records and out of nowhere came ‘Boombastic’, which was not marketed as a single. ‘Boombastic’ was a B-side record. We sell 2 million records on Virgin; successful with ‘Oh Carolina’ and successful with ‘Boombastic’, third album come out and it never do well and I get dropped automatically? Out of nowhere again, I work my way up and do a thing with Janet Jackson and Virgin again fought me on the Janet situation and didn’t give me release rights for the single or video. Record went to #3 in America anyway. Got my deal on MCA Records through that record. Then with ‘Hotshot’ we’re at 10 million- what could go wrong? Well we were at a label that was losing. Every song they put out that year failed. We were the biggest thing on it!” MCA subsequently merged into Geffen/ Interscope, leaving his ‘Lucky Day’ album homeless. The album had no promotion budget yet has still moved over two million units worldwide.

Shaggy is currently in the studio working on his new album for Geffen / Interscope Records. How does it feel to finally have the respect and faith of a record label?
“I am making this record solely on my merit and I answer to one person, Jimmy Ivy, who is the head of Interscope. Finally I am doing music with somebody who is a music man. Somebody that knows where I’m going and understands the market, and understands what dancehall is, and understands that it’s my culture and my vibe. It’s a good feeling.”

There has always been grumbling from reggae and dancehall purists that Shaggy isn’t truly a dancehall artist because he stretches the creative limits in his music. With the reemergence of hardcore dancehall on the popular music charts are there any concerns that his brand of world music won’t be well received? “We all have roles, we all are ambassadors for this music, for this culture. Nobody says we have to do the same style of music, but we all haffi represent the same culture with the music. What I like now is that I see the Jamaican colours – and Sean [Paul] is credited for bringing that back to the forefront, and for getting the music in its authentic state. Its still fusion music, cause if you listen to the Diwali rhythm, the drums on that is from Samba which is Brazilian music. It’s fusion music. Same thing with Calypso music. Everything now is fusion. But at the end of the day everybody plays a role and mine is on an international level. Do I have any fear of not coming back? I can’t say I do. Me nuh have no doubt seh me can do it again. Because the crew of people I am working with at Big Yard Productions, I am working with the best.”

So the question remains, what will Shaggy do with all of his new found freedom and record label support? “I think now everybody is listening to hear what I’m coming with. Is Shaggy gonna jump pon the dancehall tip that’s going on where everything is at 110 or 120 beats per minute? Cause if you listen to dancehall music now dem sound like Calypso. I’m sure people figure out seh I’m not gonna jump pon the same wagon what everybody else de pon. The question is what is it I’m coming with? And mek me tell you – we have something in store.”

Honestly, you haven’t really experienced the Shaggy phenomenon until you’ve seen him onstage! Live concerts where he is on stage with his band are where he is most in his element, ready to give it to you 100%. But while he has been adjusting to label and management changes that left his latest release ‘Lucky Day’ with no promotion, he has been taking a touring break. “I’ve been cussed because I took off. I usually tour and a record at the same time. I refused to do it this time. I just locked off touring. I’ll be going out near the end of the year cause mi band haffi get dem Christmas money. [laughs]”

The venue that was chosen for Shaggy’s New Year’s concert was in the African nation of Uganda. Shaggy and the Big Yard crew, including Rik Rok and Rayvon descended on Kampala, Uganda where he played to a stadium filled to capacity with tens of thousands of adoring fans. While there he and the crew were famously received while they visited with the Ugandan people and even took out time to cuddle some of his littlest fans at the Sanyu Babies Home. Accra, Ghana New Year’s weekend was next on his world tour.

Shaggy is an artist who acknowledges his place as a citizen of not just Jamaica- but the world. He is a West Indian man - in all of his pride and confidence- but he is a man first and true to the lyrics in his song ‘We Are The Ones’ – he is doing his part to make a difference and prove that the ‘world is one big yard!!’