Video: Sean Paul – BOOM ft. Busy Signal

When Sean Paul first started pushing uncut Jamaican dancehall up the pop charts in the early 2000s, the singles that ultimately had an impact on popular culture were not crossover attempts conceived up by A&R representatives working for major record labels. They were switching between riddims such as the Playground riddim by 2Hard Productions, the Buzz riddim by Troyton, the Diwali riddim by Lenky, and the Buyout riddim by Tony Kelly.

In addition to climbing to the top of the charts, receiving a Grammy for his breakthrough album Dutty Rock in 2002, and landing on the cover of VIBE magazine, Paul went on to collaborate with a variety of international celebrities, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Busta Rhymes, and DMX. Despite the fact that he has achieved success on a global scale, he has never distanced himself from the original dancehall sounds of Jamaica.

His most recent album, Live N Livin, which was released on the artist’s own Dutty Rock Productions imprint, finds him collaborating with a galaxy of stars from the Jamaican dancehall culture. These stars range from household names such as Damian Marley and Mavado to rising stars such as Intence and Govana, giving them a strength and promoting unity within the dancehall community.

“I am still signed to Island Records,” says the Kingston native who was interviewed. They’ve gone out of their way to do something quite unique, and for that I have to give them a lot of credit. They have always given me the green light to collaborate with local manufacturers in the area, such as Jordan from Chimney and Stephen McGregor. However, this is something that has never been attempted in the past. They have granted me authorization to put out an album under my own label.

Check out the music video for “BOOM“.