Remember that moment in time when Shaggy was the face of modern Reggae? Sure, “Oh Carolina” and “Mr. Boombastic” are cherished 90’s treasures. However, the Jamaican-born artist really hit his stride during the early turn of the millennium.
The Rayvon-assisted “Angel,” which dropped in 2000, has become a sure thing for weddings and anniversaries and “It Wasn’t Me” became a pop culture phenomenon and statement for absolute denial amongst the obvious. “We try to make records as classic as possible,” Shaggy said during a phone call with HipHopDX. “Shaun Pizzonia produced that track and he’s very big on making sure that those songs have longevity and staying power.”
Shaggy was the last of mainstream Reggae artists crossing over into American shores. Since then, there hasn’t been anyone to pick up the torch; something that he understands. “I think that’s kind of the big problem is that we’re not seeing a lot of the Jamaican artists making it on the mainstream and doing it,” explained Shaggy. “It’s really the international or foreign artists that are actually doing Reggae and being successful with it.”
This comes at a time when artists including Drake, Rihanna and even Justin Bieber have taken inspiration from the sounds and culture. “You know how Drake featured Popcaan?” asked Shaggy, referencing the first release of “Controlla.” “We got to get a lot more of that. I think everything comes in time man. It’s going to come to a time when you never know what’s going to come in demand, or that kind of attention or what happens.”
In the meantime, Shaggy is back alongside frequent Diplo collaborator Jovi Rockwell for the James Brown sampled “I Got You.” This comes after he dropped “Only Love” this year, which features one version alongside Gene Noble and another with Pitbull. Another single should drop in the coming weeks as well, according to Shaggy.
The tracks should be featured on his upcoming yet-to-be-titled album, which he described as an “emotional rollercoaster ride” during the interview. “There’s a lot of long songs on there,” described Shaggy. “There’s always a good vibe, it’s going to feel like you’re on vacation.”
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