 Emerging in the early '90s,
Shaggy was the biggest crossover success in dancehall reggae. Not only did
he become the genre's most commercially potent artist in the international
market, he was also more than just a typical flash in the pan, managing to
sustain a career over the course of several highly popular albums. Perhaps in
part because he wasn't based in Jamaica, he never really needed to have it both
ways: virtually ignoring the hardcore dancehall crowd, his music was unabashedly
geared toward good times, a friendly (if horny) persona, and catchy party
anthems. He wasn't shy about lifting hooks wholesale from pop hits of the past,
a chart-ready blueprint similar to that of hip-hop stars like
Puff Daddy, but he also had fairly eclectic tastes, giving his records a
musical variety lacking from other dancehall stars. As a result, he became one
of the scant few reggae artists to top the album and pop singles charts in
America, not to mention numerous other countries where he's had even greater
success.
Shaggy was born Orville Richard Burrell on October 22, 1968, in Kingston,
Jamaica, and was nicknamed after the Scooby-Doo character. At age 18, he joined
his mother in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York, and soon began performing
with the local Jamaican-style sound system Gibraltar Musik. A steady income
proved to be a more pressing matter, however, and in 1988
Shaggy joined the Marines. Stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, he
continued to pursue music in his free time, and often made the drive back to New
York for recording sessions. He cut his first single, "Man a Mi Yard" b/w
"Bullet Proof Buddy," at age 20 for producer Don One's own small label; for the
follow-up, "Big Hood" b/w "Duppy or Uglyman," he worked with producer Lloyd
"Spiderman" Campbell.
Shaggy's most important connection, however, proved to be radio DJ/studio
engineer Sting (born Shaun Pizzonia), who got him a gig cutting dubplates at
Phillip Smart's studio. One of those records, "Mampie," became a huge hit
among New York reggae fans; its follow-up, "Big Up," was even more popular
locally, and marked the first of several duets with Brooklyn singer
Rayvon. However,
Shaggy still had obligations to the military, and his budding career was
interrupted by Operation Desert Storm in 1991; he was sent to Kuwait for a
five-month tour of duty. After returning to Camp Lejeune,
Shaggy resumed his sessions in New York, and waxed a cover of
the Folkes Brothers' ska hit "Oh Carolina." Originally recorded for
Prince Buster's label, the song was given a modern dancehall update complete
with a prominent "Peter Gunn" sample. At first, "Oh Carolina" was simply another
local hit, but thanks to some overseas promotion, it was picked up for release
in the U.K. by Greensleeves in late 1992. It was an instant smash, vaulting all
the way to the top of the British pop charts early the next year and doing the
same in several other European countries.
"Oh Carolina" wasn't as big a hit in the U.S., where it stalled in the lower
half of the charts, despite its inclusion on the hit soundtrack to the Sharon
Stone film Sliver. Furthermore, its follow-up singles, the tongue-in-cheek
gospel of "Soon Be Done" and the jazzy "Nice and Lovely," failed to duplicate
its success. Nonetheless, the overseas success of "Oh Carolina," coupled with
the high-profile
Maxi Priest duet "One More Chance," was enough to land
Shaggy a lucrative deal with Virgin Records. His debut album, Pure Pleasure,
was released in 1993, and included many of his recent singles; the following
year, Greensleeves issued a collection called Original Doberman, which covered
many of his earliest recordings.
Now firmly a star in Europe,
Shaggy went on to conquer the U.S. with his next album, 1995's Boombastic.
The title track was an inescapable hit, selling over a million copies; it
reached number three on the pop charts and number one on the R&B charts, and
also became his second U.K. chart-topper. "In the Summertime," the flip side of
the American single release of "Boombastic," climbed into the U.K. Top Five as a
follow-up. Meanwhile, the album went platinum, nearly reaching the R&B Top Ten,
and spent a full year at number one on Billboard's reggae album chart; it also
won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. A third single, "Why You Treat Me So Bad,"
featured guest rapper
Grand Puba and nearly reached the British Top Ten in 1996, but failed to
make much of an impact stateside.
Shaggy followed his breakout success with an extensive world tour,
consolidating his European following, and recorded a hit duet with
Maxi Priest, "That Girl," in 1996. He returned to solo action in 1997 with
the Midnite Lover album. The first single, a dancehall version of
Big Brother & the Holding Company's "Piece of My Heart" featuring duet
partner
Marsha, was a relative flop in the U.S., though it had some international
success. Similarly, the album was a commercial disappointment, and Virgin,
assuming that
Shaggy's moment had passed (as it quickly had for many of dancehall's
crossover hitmakers), dropped him from its roster.
Undaunted,
Shaggy turned to movie soundtracks to keep his name in the public eye. He
appeared on a minor hit duet with
Janet Jackson, "Luv Me, Luv Me," from the soundtrack of How Stella Got Her
Groove Back in 1998, and followed it by contributing the solo cut "Hope" to For
Love of the Game in 1999. By this time, he was able to land a new deal with MCA,
and rewarded them with one of the biggest-selling reggae albums ever. Released
in 2000, Hot Shot started off slowly as its lead single, "Dance and Shout,"
flopped in the States. However, a radio DJ in Hawaii downloaded the track "It
Wasn't Me" (featuring Rik Rok) from Napster, and began playing it on his show.
Soon it was a national hit, rocketing up the pop charts and hitting number one
in early 2001; naturally, it did likewise in the U.K. and many other European
countries. Its follow-up, "Angel" -- a rewrite of the country hit "Angel of the
Morning," featuring
Rayvon on vocals -- also went straight to number one in the U.S. and U.K.
Hot Shot, meanwhile, spent six weeks at number one on the album charts and
eventually sold over six million copies in the U.S. alone -- an almost
unheard-of figure for a reggae release.
While
Shaggy prepared his follow-up album, more pieces of product hit the market
in 2002: Virgin put out Mr. Lover Lover: The Best of Shaggy, Vol. 1, a
compilation covering his years at the label, while MCA issued a remix album, Hot
Shot Ultramix. Before the end of the year,
Shaggy released his new album Lucky Day, which was loosely designed as a
respectful tribute to womankind. Its first two singles, "Hey Sexy Lady" and
"Strength of a Woman," didn't fare well in the U.S., but the album sold
respectably well, going gold by year's end and charting in the Top 30 on both
the pop and R&B listings. In 2005 he returned with Clothes Drop, this time on
the Geffen label. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Shaggy for your next corporate or private event.
|
