Shaggy Biography

With a commanding presence, a distinctive voice that is recognizable throughout the world and titles such as artist, businessman, philanthropist and Grammy Award winner, Shaggy is and has been a forced to be reckoned with. A son of the brambly streets of Kingston, Jamaica, his discipline-which he credits to his military background-has been the foundation of his success.

In 1993, Shaggy exploded on the music scene with his debut album Pure Pleasure. His remix of the Ska classic Oh Carolina from that album was an instant hit in England and other countries. Shaggy followed up with his sophomore album Boombastic in 1995. Boombastic went certified platinum, won a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Reggae Album and topped an impressive chart list that included the Top 40 Rhythmic charts, Hot 100, Billboard 200, among others.

Wanting to take a more hands on approach with his career, Shaggy, along with his former manager Robert Livingston and legendary producer Sting International formed Big Yard Music Group in 1996. Big Yard set out to “create a central space filled with opportunities” and has been instrumental in the careers of artists such as Brian & Tony Gold, Kiprich, Rayvon, Rik Rok and Voicemail. Today, the label is responsible for the careers of Richie Loop, Christopher Martin and D-Major.

With the formation of Big Yard Music Group and the success of Boombastic, Shaggy forged ahead and recorded his third installment Midnight Lover in 1997. Fast forward to 2000, Shaggy released his fourth album Hotshot on MCA Records label. Hotshot went Diamond worldwide and Platinum 6 times in the United States. Notable singles from that album included It Wasn’t Me and Angel. It Wasn’t Me received a Grammy nomination. Single Luv Me, Luv Me featuring Janet Jackson was released on the Soundtrack for the movie “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.” The album also won best selling album at the 2002 Juno Awards.

In 2002 and 2005 Shaggy released Lucky Day and Clothes Drop respectively. Lucky Day went certified Gold while single Strength Of A Woman made the Top 40 mainstream charts. Clothes Drop received a Grammy Nomination for Best Reggae Album. In between recording Lucky Day and Clothes Drop, Shaggy co-starred in the Action thriller “Blast” alongside Eddie Griffin and Vivica Fox in 2004. Thereafter, Shaggy busied himself in the studio recording his next album entitled Intoxication.

Intoxication was released in 2007 and debuted at number 1 on Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums chart, was nominated for Best Reggae Album at the 51^st Grammy Awards in 2008 and was the number 1 download on UK iTunes Reggae chart. That same year, Shaggy recorded and released single Feel The Rush which was used as the original anthem for the UEFA Euro Cup. The single was featured on various charts throughout Europe and India.

2012 saw Shaggy receiving yet another Grammy Nomination for his tenth studio album, Summer in Kingston, released under
Shaggy’s new label Ranch Entertainment, Inc., which was launched in 2011.

Undaunted by the success of his business ventures and his music, Shaggy has always lived on the premise that “to whom much is giving, much is required.” With this belief, Shaggy took on the role of philanthropist. To date, the Shaggy Foundation has been instrumental in raising over $85 million (JMD = $1 million USD) for the Bustamante Hospital For Children.

An exemplary career that has spanned well over a decade, Shaggy has enjoyed cross-over success. But getting to the top hasn’t been easy, “everything changes when you are a reggae artist that falls under the American gaze. The recognition in Jamaica, while paramount, does not measure to the United States’ validation of an artist.” This validation has catapulted Shaggy’s career – he is the only certified Diamond-selling Dancehall Reggae artist. However, Shaggy has remained humble, taking his career in strides. He has defied the odds, succeeded on his own terms and continues to break down barriers for those who dare to follow in his footsteps.