Kingston, JM · reggae-pop · dancehall

Shaggy

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Mr. Boombastic himself — dancehall-pop sunshine, certified boardwalk-appropriate, 'Angel' and 'It Wasn't Me' back to back.

Shaggy, born Orville Richard Burrell in Kingston, Jamaica, moved to Brooklyn as a teenager and later served in the United States Marine Corps as a field artillery cannon crewman with the 10th Marine Regiment during the Gulf War. Enlisting in 1988, he reached the rank of lance corporal before his discharge in 1992, and it was in the Marines that he developed the deep, gravelly toasting voice that would become his signature.

He is identified immediately by that voice, usually paired with a lighter-toned guest singer carrying the chorus. The formula shaped his breakout singles: "Oh Carolina," a dancehall remake of a Folkes Brothers ska song that appeared in the film Sliver, and "Boombastic," later used as the theme for a widely seen Levi's television commercial.

Dropped by his label in 1999, Shaggy signed with MCA and released Hot Shot the following year. Its singles "It Wasn't Me" and "Angel," the latter built from samples of Chip Taylor's "Angel of the Morning" and Steve Miller Band's "The Joker," both topped the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one in the UK, Ireland and France. Hot Shot itself debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified eight-times platinum.

Decades later, Shaggy still records and tours, and in 2019 he won a second Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, for 44/876, a collaborative record with Sting, matching the win he earned for Boombastic in 1996. He also holds a Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist, Jamaica's Order of Distinction as a Commander, and an honorary doctorate from Brown University. His catalogue sits consistently at the pop end of dancehall and reggae.

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