Who is Mr Lover Lover?
Music was his passion, even as a boy growing up in the island nation. “Reggae isn’t a radio format in Jamaica,†he says. “They just play what they want. So my influences range from ska, dancehall and rock steady to soka and R&B.â€
Music was his passion, even as a boy growing up in the island nation. “Reggae isn’t a radio format in Jamaica,†he says. “They just play what they want. So my influences range from ska, dancehall and rock steady to soka and R&B.â€
At the age of 18, Shaggy left Jamaica to join his mother in Brooklyn, New York. Shaggy soon began pursuing a musical career. After a frustrating year of trying to find work, Shaggy finally joined the US. Marines in 1988. A few years later, he found himself in the Iraqi desert fighting in the Gulf War, where he acquitted himself with honour. “War is ugly,†Shaggy says. “It had a big impact on me in terms of appreciating life. When I got out, I decided, ‘This is it, I am taking my music to the heights.†Shaggy’s international success began with the 1993 release of Pure Pleasure, his debut album. It featured Oh Carolina, which became one of the biggest hit singles in UK’s pop history and went on to top the charts in nine other countries. With the 1995 release of Bombastic, Shaggy connected with US audiences in a big way and the platinum-certified album won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. Since his debut album, Shaggy has ridden a wave of popularity with a string of hit singles. His toppers include Nice and Lovely, Mr. Bombastic, Oh Carolina, In the summertime, Sexy Body Gal, Luv Me, Luv Me (with Janet Jackson), Angel (with Rayvon), It Wasn’t Me (with Rik Rok), Your Eyes and Hey Sexy Lady, Shaggy has carved out an enviable track record in pop music culture. His albums have sold in excesses of 15 million copies worldwide. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Shaggy, singing in his signature deep throaty voice, was arguably the biggest success in dancehall reggae, becoming the genre’s most commercially potent artiste in the international market. He has released seven albums including Lucky Day, Hotshot and Clothes Drop and sold over 20 million albums and he is one of reggae artistes who always have a new record pulsing through the dancehall market. His music has a diverse array of beats from reggae and dancehall to pop/R&B. However, his latest album Intoxication has not been much of a success with its title track hardly getting any airplay on radio.
At the age of 18, Shaggy left Jamaica to join his mother in Brooklyn, New York. Shaggy soon began pursuing a musical career. After a frustrating year of trying to find work, Shaggy finally joined the US. Marines in 1988. A few years later, he found himself in the Iraqi desert fighting in the Gulf War, where he acquitted himself with honour. “War is ugly,†Shaggy says. “It had a big impact on me in terms of appreciating life. When I got out, I decided, ‘This is it, I am taking my music to the heights.†Shaggy’s international success began with the 1993 release of Pure Pleasure, his debut album. It featured Oh Carolina, which became one of the biggest hit singles in UK’s pop history and went on to top the charts in nine other countries. With the 1995 release of Bombastic, Shaggy connected with US audiences in a big way and the platinum-certified album won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. Since his debut album, Shaggy has ridden a wave of popularity with a string of hit singles. His toppers include Nice and Lovely, Mr. Bombastic, Oh Carolina, In the summertime, Sexy Body Gal, Luv Me, Luv Me (with Janet Jackson), Angel (with Rayvon), It Wasn’t Me (with Rik Rok), Your Eyes and Hey Sexy Lady, Shaggy has carved out an enviable track record in pop music culture. His albums have sold in excesses of 15 million copies worldwide. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Shaggy, singing in his signature deep throaty voice, was arguably the biggest success in dancehall reggae, becoming the genre’s most commercially potent artiste in the international market. He has released seven albums including Lucky Day, Hotshot and Clothes Drop and sold over 20 million albums and he is one of reggae artistes who always have a new record pulsing through the dancehall market. His music has a diverse array of beats from reggae and dancehall to pop/R&B. However, his latest album Intoxication has not been much of a success with its title track hardly getting any airplay on radio.