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SHAGGY
biography
Some people just love a challenge.
Grammy-winning reggae/pop superstar Shaggy is one of those
people. Like the time he hit #1 around the world with his
first major label single "Oh Carolina",
or the time he walked unnoticed through a crowded arena
before a concert, then required an escort on the way out
because of the mob of newly-won fans.
Shaggy's favourite challenge, however, is one he poses
to himself every time he enters the studio and draws
on his limitless hit-making talent. That experience must
have become routine for Shaggy while creating his new
MCA album Hot Shot. In its thirteen tracks, Hot Shot
proves Shaggy remains a master of many styles from reggae
and dancehall to pop/R and B, making it a happy hunting
ground for every kind of music fan.
"This album is a roller coaster ride," says Shaggy of Hot Shot, which
instantly qualifies as one of the most upbeat and sexy party records of the year. "I
wanted to show many different sides of my musical personality." To pull
that off, Shaggy enlisted the help of co-producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis,
Robert Livingston, Shaun "Sting" Pizzonia,
Dave Kelly, Tony Kelly and Gordon Duke. Recorded at Shaggy's
New York studios and in Jamaica as well, the new album was entirely written or
co written by Shaggy himself, and of course features his distinctive, utterly
unique vocals throughout.
For fans accustomed to Shaggy's well known party vibe,
some of the sentiments on Hot Shot might come as a surprise. "Hope" (featured
in the Kevin Costner film "For The Love Of The Game")
is a stirring, autobiographical portrait of the artist
as a young man. "The
song is a little out of character for me," says
Shaggy. "It's
a little deeper and more
sensitive." The album also includes a new version
of Shaggy's hit "Luv Me, Luv Me," originally
featured on the soundtrack to How Stella Got Her Groove
Back.
This new version features guest vocals by Samantha Cole.
The great Minneapolis based production team of Jimmy
Jam and Terry Lewis produced the songs "Lonely Lover" and "Dance
and Shout." Other
tracks such as the "Freaky Girl" and "Wasn't
Me" seamlessly blend
Shaggy's Jamaican and U.S. roots, while "Hot Shot" and "Not
Fair" exemplify
his bad boy reputation. "I'm a tongue in cheek writer," he
says. "I want my
songs to tell a story, to be fun and funny at the same
time."
In his usual smooth sexiness Shaggy delivers "Leave
It To Me", "Lonely Lover" and "Angel" (based
on the 60's classic "Angel
of the Morning). The prayerful "Why Me Lord" and
the middle eastern flavoured "Hey
Love" show Shaggy's fluency in any musical idiom.
That kind of universal spirit has kept Shaggy at the
top of his game since launching his career.
Though he has lived his entire adult life in the U.S.,
Shaggy's roots are in Kingston, Jamaica, where he was
born Orville Richard Burrell on October 22, 1968. As
a kid, his friends nicknamed him "Shaggy" after
the omnivorous character from the cartoon "Scooby
Doo." 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 soca and R and B."
Leaving Jamaica at the age of 18 to join his mother in
Brooklyn, NY, Shaggy soon began pursuing a musical career.
He got a major boost when "Mampie" and "Big
Up," both hard-core Shaggy dancehall tracks, hit
#1 on the New York reggae charts. After a frustrating
year of trying to find more work, Shaggy finally joined
the U.S. Marines in 1988. A few years later, he found
himself in the Iraqi desert fighting in the Gulf War,
where he acquitted himself with honor. "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'm 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 U.K. pop history,
and went on to top the charts in nine other countries.
Shaggy left them smiling all over Europe on his debut
world tour that year. With the 1995 release of Boombastic,
Shaggy connected with U.S. audiences in a big way. The
platinum certified album won the 1996 Grammy Award for
Best Reggae Album, while the title track shattered boundaries
at
radio, topping Billboard's Reggae, R and B and Rap charts.
It also became the #1 selling single and hit #3 on Billboard's
Hot 100 Singles Chart.
Shaggy's European success continued as "Boombastic" topped
charts across the continent. Along with the smash hit "Boombastic," the
album also featured a lively update of "Summertime" and
a sensational version of the Ken Boothe classic "The
Train Is Coming," featured in the film "Money
Train." In September 1996, soon after finishing
his globetrotting 95/96 world tour, Shaggy was back in
the studio working on his third album, Midnite Lover,
which was released in 1997. By then, Shaggy's diverse
pop, reggae, R and B, and worldbeat audience had been
solidly established.
Since then, he has contributed songs to several notable
soundtracks, including Speed II, Jungle To Jungle, and
of course How Stella Got Her Groove Back. An MCA release,
this soundtrack was the connection that brought Shaggy
to MCA Records. "All I want to do is make classic
records," says Shaggy. "The team around me
is extraordinary, and we just make music all day and
all night. It doesn't even feel like work. I'd rather
do this than
anything."
Over the months ahead, Shaggy once again hits the international
touring circuit, which will give the artist a chance
to get reacquainted with his fans, and make some new
ones as well. "I just want
to continue making an impression on people," he
says. "You
don't have to come aboard from day one; as long as somewhere
along the line, you do. If you don't know me yet, come
to a Shaggy concert. I guarantee, when you leave, you'll
be a Shaggy fan!"
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