BY KEVIN JACKSON—  Sean Paul— Based on chart history in the United Kingdom, Sean Paul is the most successful Jamaican act on that country’s national pop chart. He earned his third number one last weekend with British electronic group Clean Bandit’s Rockabye, which also features singer Ann Marie. Sean Paul’s previous chart-toppers in the UK came with 2003’s Breathe, featuring Rhythm And Blues singer Blu Cantrell, and 2013’s What About Us, a collaboration with girl group The Saturdays. To date, Sean Paul has scored 12 Top 10 hits in the UK. Credited on 28 songs which have made the UK Top 40, he recently signed with Island Records UK. Clean Bandit was formed in 2008 in Cambridge. It consists Grace Chatto, Jack Patterson and Luke Patterson. The group’s debut album New Eyes was released in 2014 and … Read entire article »

Fresh from helping Sia land her first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Cheap Thrills,” Dancehall star Sean Paul has inked a global deal with Island Records, a label indelibly associated with reggae music and the Caribbean through its championing of Toots & the Maytals, Sly & Robbie and, most famously, Bob Marley. The multi-album deal will see the Jamaica-born artist and producer release future works on the Universal-owned label in both the U.K. and the U.S. and brings an end to his brief run as an independent artist, which followed the end of his decade-long partnership with Atlantic in 2014. “He’s one of the very few reggae greats to have gone global. What Sean has done for Jamaica and helping reggae music cross over makes him nothing short of a … Read entire article »

BY KEVIN JACKSON—  Sean Paul— FOR the first time in 10 years, Sean Paul occupies the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles Chart. He is featured on the remix of Australian singer Sia’s Cheap Thrills, which takes over the top spot from Drake’s One Dance featuring Wiz Kid and Kyla, which led the chart for 10 weeks. Cheap Thrills becomes the fourth number one Hot 100 single for Sean Paul. His previous chart-toppers are Temperature in 2006; and Get Busy and Baby Boy (with Beyonce) in 2003. The last Jamaican act to top the Billboard Hot 100 was OMI, whose Cheerleaderbegan a six-week (non-consecutive) run at number one on July 13 last year. Other Jamaican artists who have topped the Billboard Hot 100 are: Carl Douglas (Kung Fu Fighting in 1974); Ini Kamoze … Read entire article »

 Sean Paul— Cheap Thrills, the hit song by Sia featuring Sean Paul, is his ninth Top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It is number three this week. This is the first time in 10 years that Sean Paul has reached as far on Billboard’s biggest singles table. When You Gonna (Give it Up to Me) featuring Keyshia Cole reached number three in 2006.The last time the deejay entered the Top 10 was in 2009, when Do You Remember(credited to Jay Sean featuring Sean Paul and Lil Jon) peaked at number 10. … Read entire article »