By Joe Walker
The New Citizens Press
Sean Paul is proud to be a reggae and dancehall performer from Jamaica. He’s proud to bring the music of his homeland to the world. So it doesn’t bother him to hear someone from another country imitate a Jamaican accent.
“That’s cool to me,” Sean Paul said. “That just lets me know that our whole culture is getting more broad-based internationally. It lets me know that our country is very widely spread across this earth, and that’s a good thing because we’re such a small country.
“Even if the person does it and it’s not represented properly,” Sean Paul continued, “it lets me know that we’re being thought of and that people recognize us differently.”
One may not be able to help but notice Sean Paul. The Kingston-born singer took the world by storm with his 2002 album release, “Dutty Rock.” The album sold six million copies world wide, taking Sean Paul to various parts of the world for tours and promotions. Two of the six million albums sold were in America, where Sean Paul received a Grammy Award.
“I’m still touring off of [Dutty Rock],” Sean Paul said with a laugh. “I’ve been to Japan, Australia, America and several different countries in Africa. I’ve been to so many different places, so the album is still going strong. But I don’t think we’re going to drop any singles off of it anymore.”
“Dutty Rock” produced five hit singles – “Gimme The Light,” “Get Busy,” “Like Glue,” “I’m Still In Love With You” and “Baby Boy” featuring Beyonce of Destiny’s Child.
“I think that the Jamaican aspect of how we produce music, there’s always going to be singles all the time,” Sean Paul said. “We produce music very quickly. I think people know me for that, and I give thanks to GOD every day for the six million people who bought the album.”
Sean Paul is hoping for similar results wit his latest release, “The Trinity.” The title stems from the merger of reggae, dancehall and hip-hop music, all forms of which Seal Paul has experienced success.
“I’m still attacking my music the same way,” Sean Paul said. “I try to go and expand with it also.”
While he still looks to make his fans around the world dance and have fun, he said he also wants to expand on himself creatively and emotionally through his music.
“Things have changed,” Sean Pal said. “There have definitely been a lot of things that have happened in my life that were not there before.
“I had a lot of party tracks on my first two albums, and on this new one there is more conscious issues that I’ve concentrated on,” Sean Paul said. “I’m trying to keep my fan base by attacking the same way, but I’m trying to gain new fans by staying on the deeper side of things.”
