Shaggy To Headline Reggae ‘Pass The Mic’ After NAACP Image Awards

Grammy award-winning entertainer Shaggy is set to headline the ninth installment of DJ Cassidy’s Reggae-themed Pass The Mic: BET After Party, following the 53rd NAACP Image Awards on February 26.

The It Wasn’t Me singer will be joined by dancehall legend Super Cat, British reggae artist Maxi Priest and several other artists.

Jamaican acts such as Beenie Man, Sean Paul, and Wayne Wonder formed part of the star-studded lineup, subsequent to last year’s BET Awards. The international artists included Nelly, Kelis, Jadakiss, Ray J, Ashanti and Akon.

According to People.com, Cassidy, who can usually be found rubbing shoulders with A-listers like the Obamas, Rihanna, Diddy and Jennifer Lopez, anticipates a grander episode of the event this year, which will be centered around Reggae.

“From Jamaica to England to Canada to the United States, I’m going to pass the mic to those prolific artists that have defined reggae culture over the past four decades,” says Cassidy, “influencing not only reggae, but hip-hop, R&B, and pop music on a global scale,” he told People.

He added, “this installment of Pass the Mic is a testament to the massive influence of reggae music.”

Cassidy has hinted that the affair will feature over 20 entertainers, but Mr. Boombastic will be the staple, as he’s a distinguished artist in the Reggae arena.

“Shaggy transformed reggae’s global influence,” says Cassidy. “It’s safe to say I’ve played a Shaggy record at every party I’ve ever rocked.”

Since the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s staging of the NAACP Image Awards will represent a return of an in person staging. For this reason, coupled with the ongoing Black History Month celebrations, Cassidy is pulling out all stops to make the event memorable.

“I never imagined in my wildest dreams that this concept would capture the imagination of so many people so profoundly with so much emotion,” he says of Pass the Mic, which has featured more than 200 music stars singing along to their hits over the past couple of years. “It’s as if we are literally singing along with our musical heroes. There’s never been something so intimate, yet so epic at the same time.”

Cassidy’s Pass the Mic special airs on February 26 at 10 p.m. EST/PST immediately following the 53rd NAACP Image Awards on BET.