Jamaican dancehall superstar Sean Paul broke into the global mainstream in the early. Helped Paul score his fifth Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album. Explore Log In Sign Up.
Has an impressive solo career, but a major contributor to the Jamaican artist's path to global success has been his affinity for collaborations. Sean Paul has worked with a ridiculous range of artists, from fellow countrymen like Konshens and Damian Marley, to reggaeton acts Pitbull and Farruko, and R&B stars such as Kelly Rowland and Jay Sean. He's even guested on a track. It's a savvy move; one that keeps his voice on the radio in regional and global pop markets — and it's also produced some pretty inspired music.
Before Drake, there was Sean Paul — a so-called “uptown boy” whose hit-filled career was occasionally marred by questions about his authenticity. On the Beenie Man single “Bossman,” Sean Paul threw criticisms of his identity to the wind, joining Beenie and Lady Saw in the ultimate badman proclamation. The track, produced by the Neptunes, mashes up three hard verses, multiple hooks, and Pharrell and Chad’s signature cold-as-ice sounds into a club thumper that should’ve been a way bigger hit than it was. — RAWIYA KAMEIR. I definitely did not fully understand this song’s meaning when it came out (even while belting it all over the house, and in the car as my mom drove me to soccer practice). But it remains a very important time-traveling tool when reflecting on my own pre-teen years. From the starting punches of strings, I’m transported back to the moment the local indoor ice-skating rink would darken, multi-colored laser beam lights would shoot out onto the freshly-Zamboni'd ice, and awkward, hormonal/emotional youngins would hit the rink.