No-one is more committed than Shaggy to getting reggae the worldwide attention it
deserves. In '93 his huge summer hit, 'Oh Carolina' topped charts around the globe,
paving the way in the UK for the success of Chaka Demus and Pliers, Apache Indian and
many others. And after taking his happy blend of modern dancehall chat and old style
reggae tunefulness on the long road of international touring, he's back with a second
album 'Boombastic' and two gloriously infectious singles 'In The Summertime' (a
sunshine-filled update of the old Mungo Jerry classic) and 'Boombastic'. Following on
his earlier successes, Shaggy is sticking to his motto: "No matter where you go or
whatever you do, make an impression".
Orville Richard Burrell was born in Kingston, Jamaica on October 22nd, 1968, and was
christened Shaggy by his friends after the ever-hungry hippy in Scooby Doo. He left
Jamaica aged 18 to join his mother in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. "It
took a little adjusting to", he remembers, "but Flatbush is a West Indian community. I
could still eat the same food and hear the same music".
He soon found a place in the New York reggae scene, playing records for the Crystal
sound system and chatting lyrics in his lunchroom at high school. "I used to just beat a
rhythm on the bench and chat freestyle", he recalls. "I was the selector for the Crystal
sound system but one day I started chatting on the mic, with some other people's lyrics -
Nicodemus, Supercat. And when I ran out of their lyrics I just started making shit up
off the top of my head. And it became a passion. I wanted to do it all the time".
Shaggy started cutting records in his 20th year, debuting with 'Man A Mi Yard'/'Bullet
Proof Buddy' on the Don One studio's label, following this with 'Big Wood' and 'Duppy
Or Uglyman' for producer Lloyd 'Spiderman' Campbell. His career took off after he
hooked up with New York's premier reggae radio DJ and producer, Sting. With Sting,
Shaggy cut 'Mampie', a hilarious homage to overweight women, and this rose to number
one in the New York reggae charts. The next single, 'Big Up', with fellow Brooklynite
Rayvon singing, also hit the top slot.
But this success coincided with an altogether non-musical interlude in Shaggy's life. In
'88 after a difficult year trying to find work, Shaggy had joined the US Marines. He
wanted to escape from the harsh streets of Brooklyn, where the only options seemed
illegal. But he had no idea what he was letting himself in for. "I thought it would be
like summer camp ", he laughs. Instead they sent him to the frontline of the Gulf. "Some
people go in the military for 20 years and never see fighting. I go for four and get
straight into a war". He remembers it as a tough experience. "Everywhere you went you
were digging. The oilfields were burning, and you couldn't see anything. You'd wake up
in the morning and there'd be black soot all over you".
Meanwhile in New York, the street tunes he'd recorded had made him a local star.
Back from the Gulf, Shaggy was stationed in Le Jeune, North Carolina. His friend,
fellow reggae performer Red Fox, called him to say "You got a tune in New York, you'd
better get up here". Shaggy began a period of driving eighteen hours every weekend just
to voice his tunes. This caused problems since he was still on active service. "People in
the marines, they basically see you as a mean green fighting machine, and that's it.
They had no time for us being DJs". In fact Shaggy is still technically a soldier; he's
supposed to visit the base every six months, but with a career as an international popstar,
he's happy to forget about the army.
When 'Oh Carolina', a reworking of an old Prince Buster classic, became a hit beyond
anyone's expectations, Shaggy became a world traveller, performing in an endless
number of countries. He loves touring, and in March '93 played a series of sold-out
shows in Cape Town, tbc first dancehall artist to perform in South Africa after apartheid.
He says his biggest kick comes playing live, "The greatest thing is the audience. Onstage
you get that feeling, you get that rush. That's my motivation".
And now, after signing to Virgin records worldwide (Shaggy was previously on Greensleeves
in the UK) he is ready to release his second album. "'Boombastic' just
means wicked", he grins. "That's the vibe you should get from it, And there is something
on there for everybody". The New York team of Sting and Robert Livingston joint-
produced most of the tracks, with Jamaican Tony Kelly as guest producer on 'Something
Different' and 'How Much More'. Rayvon continues his association with Shaggy, singing
on 'In the Summertime, and one track, 'Treat Me So Bad', has a guest appearance from
ex-Brand Nubian rapper Grand Puba.
And with Shaggy's unique blend of pop, ragga and classic Jamaican melody, 'Boombastic'
is set to take reggae even further toward universal acceptance. As he says, "You
shouldn't start limiting yourself by making music for one set of people. Music should be
appreciated by every age. You've got to do love songs, you've got to do happy songs --
songs that make people feel good'. As a self-appointed ambassador for his music,
Shaggy knows how to get people's attention. "When you listen to my album it should put
a smile on your face".
Shaggy's new single 'In The Summertime' is released on Virgin Records on the 19th
June, with his album scheduled for July.
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Last updated on 29 April 1996