Mr. Vegas Biography

From “Heads High” (1998) to “Bruk It Down” (2012), Mr Vegas has assembled an unshakable string of international classic reggae and dancehall releases including Billboard hits over the past three decades of his career. Born Clifford Smith, in Kingston. Mr Vegas developed a passion for music at an early age. It was customary for aspiring high school age singers to gather during lunch break to test new lyrics and share their talents with classmates. The nickname Vegas stuck with him because of his glitzy style of playing soccer and that style was transferred to the studio where his first hit, “Nike Air” was recorded while recovering from a wired jaw.

Mr Vegas’s follow up hit “Heads High”, took the world by storm, reaching number one on the reggae charts in five continents and number 69 on the US R&B chart. In the same year, Vegas won a distinguished MOBO (Music Of Black Origin) Award in the UK; MTV put the “Heads High” video in heavy rotation and powerhouse dancehall distributor Greensleeves Records signed on for his debut album the following year. Also called Heads High, the album contained additional hits, including the Sean Paul collaboration, ‘Hot Gal Today’, which Vibe Magazine voted one of the best collaborations of all-time and peaked at number 66 on the US R&B chart.

Throughout the years, Mr Vegas has proved adept at catchy hooks, knowing just the right beats that will hit at the right time coupled with signature song-writing. ‘Tek Wey Yuhself’, ‘Hot Wuk’ and ‘Nuh Friend From Dem’, from his 2007 album, were chart toppers in Jamaica and dominated the major American, Japanese and European charts. The soca-infused ‘Tek Wey Yuhself’ on Kirkledove’s Dutch Pot riddim confirmed Mr Vegas as one of the most versatile in the business and “Hot Wuk” made it to Billboard’s Hot R&B/ Hip Hop Singles chart

The cutting edge and creative release, ‘Daggering’ was another soca inspired single, which tore up the dancehall in Jamaica and abroad. Always ready to surprise, Vegas ended the decade by invoking not carnival but faith and God’s blessing with the smash, ‘I Am Blessed’ (2009). In 2010 Mr Vegas was nominated for Soul Train ‘Reggae Artist of the Year’ and performed at the Soulfusion Soul Train

Awards in early 2011. Mr. Vegas initiated the Save Foundation Reggae campaign with a petition appealing to radio disc jockeys to include more reggae pioneers like Alton Ellis, Gregory Issacs, and Cynthia Schloss in their daily playlists. He released his new album, “Sweet Jamaica” in 2012, uniting reggae and dancehall in an unprecedented double disc set. From 15 tracks of real roots reggae to 16 more of electrifying dancehall.