From Bob Marley To Nirvana: Sean Paul Reveals His Biggest Musical Influences
Dancehall superstar Sean Paul has shared a playlist of tracks from the artists who have inspired him. Curated for BBC Sounds, the handpicked selections featured “big tunes from Bob Marley, Shabba Ranks and more… including a few curveballs,” according to the streaming service.
“It is really flattering to have my very own collection, so thank you to the BBC. So basically I had to choose some big chunes for anybody who is a fan of my music. I have included some of the legends who have influenced me in my career,” Sean Paul said.
The Grammy Award winner singled out Bob Marley and deejays Tiger and Shabba Ranks as major influences in the ‘Artist Icons’ program, which is described as “a career-spanning celebration of the world’s best-loved music acts”.
“Now Bob to me is a national hero; he is an icon for our culture,” Sean Paul said. “Shabba Ranks one of my biggest influences. One of my favorite entertainers from the Dancehall industry, his name is Tiger.”
“Plus, some curve ball choices that you may not be expecting: the Beatles themselves – these melodies, these crazy lyrics, to be so prolific and ahead of their time form back in the 60s to now. You can still listen to their music,” he added.
Sean Paul’s 15-track BBC Sounds playlist
- Natural Mystic – Bob Marley & The Wailers
- Ting-A-Ling – Shabba Ranks
- When – Tiger
- Boops – Super Cat
- Who Say Me Done – Cutty Ranks
- Strange – Papa San
- Moonshadow – Cat Stevens
- Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles
- Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
- Shen Yeng Anthem – Shenseea
- Roast Or Fry (Breadfruit) – Chi Ching Ching
- Boom – Sean Paul & Busy Signal
- Toast – Koffee
- Nice Up The Dance – Kabaka Pyramid
In February this year, Sean Paul had also listed veteran deejay Little Twitch’s Respect Due and Louie Culture’s Ganga Lee as the top two songs from which he took his life cues, which along with Buju Banton’s Bogle and Beenie Man’s Old Dog, had an indelible impact on the Dancehall genre and his own career.
In an interview with Red Bull’s Will Lavin, Sean said that the lyrics of Respect Due (1987), had inspired him to always be respectful of others, and that even always considered himself a respectful person, “when I first heard this song I knew I was on the right path in life”.
He also said that Louie Culture’s Gangalee, which was a monster hit in 1994, also served to empower him in the years prior to him becoming a global superstar. According to him, the song was a very powerful track and was “quite unique, because at the time Dancehall tracks were mostly about partying, and it was a conscious song on a party riddim”.
As for Bogle, Buju Banton’s 1992 hit, Sean had pointed out that the song paid homage to the most popular dance move created by Gerald “Bogle” Levy one of Dancehall’s most flamboyant figures. Buju’s song, which was produced by iconic producer Dave Kelly, was responsible for setting a trend in Dancehall where songs were made about these dance moves.
The Dynamite artist had also said that in relation to Beenie Man’s Old Dog, which was released in 1996, it was the beat of the Dave Kelly-produced song that captivated his attention. Old Dog was co-written by legendary Dancehall producer Dave Kelly and his then protégé Cham who, among other things, penned the song’s hook.