This Time Around, Shaggy Is Going To Make Up For His Cancelled Tours

The Jamaican icon Shaggy (aka Orville Burrell) advanced reggae-fusion in the '90s, popularising dancehall in the urban scene and beyond. He made way for Sean Paul, Rihanna and Major Lazer. Nearly three decades on and dancehall is international – with the omnipresent Drake absorbing Caribbean sounds. And Burrell is being heralded as a gamechanger.

The charming Burrell is keen to plug an Australian co-headlining tour with Sean Paul, his supposed challenger, in late January – unusually calling direct. "I'm just in a restaurant," he says, unnecessarily apologising. "I'm in a little corner… I just finished. Actually, I have a show tonight, so I'm grabbing a quick bite and then going back to the venue."

The star is basking in the afterglow of an appearance at his friend Sting's Rainforest Fund 30th Anniversary Concert, We'll Be Together, in New York alongside Bruce Springsteen, a reunited Eurythmics, and more. The evening's Music Director was Narada Michael Walden – super-producer to Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey – with Robert Downey Jr as MC. Burrell covered Eddy Grant's bop Electric Avenue, befitting an '80s throwback theme. 

"It was amazing," he enthuses. "For me, it felt like a mini-Live Aid, because of the fact that you had Bob Geldof that was there and he kinda brings that whole mood to it. It's the Eurythmics – it's the first [time] they're getting back together in so many years; it was an epic performance. Of course, you had Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, who were somewhat like rivals, in a way, back in the day; sharing the stage together, singing on each other's songs. Debbie [Harry] was great; from Blondie. Ricky Martin gave a stellar performance… We were all in rehearsal for two days before that – hung out, we drank, we ate. It was a really great feeling, 'cause Trudie [Styler, Sting's partner and the event's producer] really makes you feel like a million bucks, and Sting makes you feel like a million bucks."

Burrell was born in Kingston, Jamaica but gravitated to NY as a teen. He served in the US Marines prior to launching a career as a deejay (MC). In 1993, Burrell relished his first hit with Oh Carolina, an update of the Folkes Brothers' ska classic. Mid-decade, he established himself as a reggae superstar with his third foray, Boombastic, winning a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. Yet Burrell's zenith arrived with 2000's Hot Shot, which spawned the global chart-topping anthems It Wasn't Me and Angel.

Mr Boombastic is at ease with his role as an elder statesman in dancehall – and, yes, urban. (Fascinatingly, his son Richard is the Floridian cloud rapper Robb Bank$.) Nonetheless, Burrell continues to release credible music. He was praised for 2013's Out Of Many, One Music, a collaboration with the dub-reggae crew Sly And Robbie. Burrell spotted Cardi B early, putting her on a remix of Boom Boom with Popcaan. He teamed with Sting himself for 2018's implausible 44/876, upstaging the former Police frontman. (Burrell took home another Grammy.) This past May he presented Wah Gwaan?! (a Jamaican patois salutation for "What's goin' on?") with Burrell's old cohort Rayvon is among the features. And Burrell is already mulling over future moves. 

"Well, the album with Sting was a great success. I really loved it because no one was expecting it. I [also] did the Wah Gwaan?! album. It was my last album with 300 [Entertainment]. I did it and dropped it and just went on tour with it. Next year will be the 20-year anniversary of Hot Shot, so we might be doing something where that is concerned… maybe a couple of tours around it. Then I might figure out what I wanna do after that… I'm producing a dancehall artist by the name of Spice [who stars in Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta]. I'm doing her new album. I'm writing and producing for that – and I'm excited about that."

Burrell could cut a second LP with Sting, the pair recently airing the festive Silent Night (Christmas Is Coming). "I don't rule that out because Sting and I are so close together. We speak almost every week… So there's always things that we're gonna do. I don't know what it is yet. But we'll cook something up, I'm sure."

Today dancehall is bigger than ever. The music has inspired buzz offshoots, ranging from the post-EDM tropical house to Afrobeat. However, Sean Paul has criticised the likes of Drake, Justin Bieber and Major Lazer's Diplo for appropriating dancehall. Generally, Burrell isn't perturbed by 'culture vultures', preferring to focus on the potential exposure engendered by cross-exchange over erasure. Still, he understands the consternation of those reggae originators not benefitting. (Ironically, Burrell graced a remix of Drake's Kanye West-helmed Find Your Love back in 2010, pre-One Dance, and later cameo-ed on Major Lazer's Free The Universe.) 

"I don't know what Sean's view is – I have no idea. But I know what I'm about – and I'm about getting as many people to do this artform as possible. One of the ways that we got it to cross over and become popular was having other people from other genres and other nationalities and other cultures embrace it. I remember when [the UK's] Apache Indian did dancehall, it introduced it, and introduced me, to the Indian market. I remember when Nahki did it in Japan; it opened up the market. Now what is happening – and why a lot of people are probably a little bit annoyed about it – is you're seeing less and less Jamaican artists, and authentic dancehall artists, getting recognition within the field. It's a competition. 

"It's a competitive field. You gotta kinda step your game up! These guys are doing it; you gotta be competitive. You gotta be in the game of it. I like the fact that other people do the music. I like the fact that there's no barriers. I like the fact that there are hybrid versions of it. I like all of that. I'm sorry – I mean, there's a lot of people who don't, but I do. I think it helps to expand the culture further. But I do get when they say that a lot of the authentic guys are not getting their due on it. But a lot of them are not working as hard, either!"

A consummate showman, Burrell is anticipating his return to Australia this summer – he and Paul playing the sold-out One Love Festival on the Gold Coast and side-gigs nationally. Indeed, after 2017's Raggamuffin All Stars was cancelled, Burrell was billed for last year's RNB Vine Days, but had to pull out because of the Grammys. Burrell wants to make it up to fans personally. "I saw how pissed off people were that we didn't come," he volunteers. Do Burrell and Paul have any special live plans? 

"I really haven't thought that far about it, to be honest with you," he admits. "I haven't spoken to Sean about it – yet. I know he's on it. I remember him asking if I was taking a band and I said yes. I know now that he's taking a band also… I'm sure when him and I sit down we'll probably come up with some great ideas or something like that. Sean and I are very cordial; very cool. We have a mutual respect for each other. [But] I'm happy to be in Australia 'cause I've missed it twice so far – and I'm happy to be finally coming! It's one of the highlights of the year that I'm looking forward to."