Why Sean Paul Never Refuses To Take Photos With Fans
Dancehall superstar Sean Paul says he never shuns any fan who wants to take photographs with him. The Temperature artiste was speaking during a recent interview about his musical influences and how one, in particular, has influenced his interactions with fans.
The Grammy Award winner told radio announcer Wesley “Burgerman” Burger on the Two Live Crew program on Radio Jamaica last Thursday that he still has a carefully preserved Jamaican two-dollar note which legendary reggae/Hip Hop fusion artiste Shinehead, autographed for him almost 30 years ago.
He described his first encounter with Shinehead at the final show of a University of the West Indies carnival when he was around 16 or 17-years-old. “Me an mi madda stan up deh, an mi just a look out and when mi turn round an look beside mi – weh a good social distance way away from mi, stan up a look pon di show an… yuh know who dis right side a mi? Mi guh to him an beg him sign mi two dolla, and di man write Strive pon it. Yeh Shinehead,” Sean Paul said gleefully.
“Him one a di deejay dem weh, yeh, him from Jamaica but yuh know seh a Yankee ting, but mi rate him bredda,” Sean said.
When asked by Burger what happened to the two-dollar note, Sean Paul said he still has it to this day. “Two dolla, den yuh can dash weh dat?” he quipped.
Shinehead, whose given name is Edmund Carl Aiken was born in London to Jamaican parents. After moving to Jamaica at age four, he later relocated to Bronx in New York then moved back to Jamaica before permanently settling in New York in 1976.
His inspirational chart-topper Strive, has been a Reggae classic in Jamaica, ever since its release in 1991. Among his best-known international singles is Jamaican in New York, which was a cover version of Sting’s Englishman in New York. Jamaican in New York reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1993 and was featured on his 1992 album Sidewalk University.
The veteran artiste who has been a staple act on Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock cruise since 2014, is credited as being one of the original acts to fuse Hip Hop with Reggae, with hits such as Try My Love in 1992, Jamaican in New York and Let Em In, all of which made the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
He released the Billboard charting albums Unity in 1988, The Real Rock in 1990 and Sidewalk University in 1992, while Signed to Elektra Records.
Shinehead is also known for his rapid deejaying and rapping style, which are showcased on tracks such as Cigarette Breath, Gimme No Crack and Do It with Ease.
He left Elektra in 1995 and after a long hiatus beginning in 2000, resumed singing in 2012.
On July 24 last year he digitally-released Never Had a Dream Come True, a cover of the Stevie Wonder’s original from 1970.