Across seven studio albums and counting, Sean Paul has taken the dancehall genre global. From the clubs in Kingston, Jamaica to the top of the charts, he has packed some of the biggest venues in more than 120 countries.
Born Sean Paul Henriques on January 9, 1973, in Jamaica’s capital, Sean grew up in a sporting family and played on the national water polo team between the ages of 13 and 21. But when Sean turned 15, music began competing with sports for his attention.
While at university studying hotel management, he continued honing his music skill at open-mic nights in Kingston, eventually landing a manager who saw his potential. In 1994, he joined the Dutty Cup Crew and released his first solo song Baby Girl two years later. In 1998 he got his first big look outside of the island when he appeared alongside DMX on the muscular Top Shotter, from the soundtrack to the influential cult classic movie Belly.
In 2000 he released his debut album, Stage One, but it was 2002’s multi-platinum follow-up, Dutty Rock, that sent his career into the stratosphere. Supported by five top 15 singles, including the immortal No. 1 smash Get Busy, Dutty Rock went on to win the Grammy for Best Reggae Album and earned Sean a nomination for Best New Artist, the first time a dancehall artist had garnered such a distinction. His 2006 album The Trinity went platinum, cementing his status as a hitmaker that continues to this day.
Collaboration is key to Sean’s success. He has multiple Hot 100 No. 1 singles with other artists including, “Baby Boy” with Beyonce and “Cheap Thrills,” with Sia. He’s also worked with stars in the worlds of Latin music, EDM, and Afropop. In 2014, his relationship with Spanish-speaking audiences spiked after an alignment with Puerto Rican Reggaeton artist Farruko on their single Passion Whine, and global recording sensation Enrique Iglesias who collaborated with Sean for the Bailando remix. The latter peaked at No. 1 in 33 countries and its music video generated over 261 million views on YouTube.
Sean is still raising the musical temperature flame.