2 months ago
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The early 2000s was a golden era for dancehall and at the centre of it all was Sean Paul. With the release of his début album, Stage One, featuring anthems like Haffi Get Dah Gal Yah (Hot Gal Today) and Deport Dem, Sean Paul wasn’t just representing Jamaica, he was spearheading a global take-over. Those tracks still send crowds into a frenzy, igniting the same energy that made dancehall a defining sound of the decade.
Released in March 2000, Stage One marked the beginning of Sean Paul’s journey from Kingston dance halls to global charts. But the story started years earlier.
“At that time I was trying to compete with whoever was hot in the dancehall space. Back then, me and Mr Vegas were hustling, trying to make money. We decided we should join forces and do a song ... Hot Gyal Today ... together. We were both big names being called as artistes that year or two years before,” Sean Paul recalled. “A lot of those songs were done between ‘96 to ’98. The album came out later in 2000, and it shows how long it takes for dancehall’s home-built tracks to become international [so] when they were released on Stage One, it was fresh to the world, even though they existed before locally.”
Crafted alongside producers like Tony Kelly, Steely & Clevie, and Jeremy Harding, Stage One was a manifesto. With more than 75 tracks to choose from, Sean Paul picked the ones he believed could compete with the biggest names in the dancehall scene.
“Dancehall just had a prolific vibe and it reach a point where it was bubbling over. I was in the right place at the right time.”
The album’s interactive elements, skits inspired by the hip-hop culture, videos on the CD-ROM, and even pioneering digital recording techniques, set it apart.
“There was no way for me to get on a channel like MTV at the time, so, basically we thought anybody who bought the Stage One CD could get a piece of that interaction with the dancehall acts, and it got people talking about it. We were the only people using a computer to record – Nuendo was the software. Everything before was 24-track tapes. Jeremy [Harding] brought that back, [and] taught us about it, after going to school in Canada. It was the newest thing available in sound production, and because of that our whole camp received a hype from it.”
Slicing into the big apple
New York’s dancehall-loving diaspora embraced Sean Paul and the city became a crucial launching pad for his international career. His first New York performance at Warehouse in Brooklyn in 2000 remains etched in his memory.
“The whole wooden parquet floor – when Shabba Ranks’ Love Punany Bad played – it moved,” he exclaimed.
It was a sign of things to come.
“Between New York and Miami, those were the first places I would perform overseas... just as a young artiste doing singles. It was sort of a pass-through style of deejaying to a crowd inside small clubs, cash in hand and just hoping for the best response. I was competing with what was happening in the dancehall space with big acts like Beenie Man, Bounty Killer and Baby Cham and though we’re the same age, I was considered fairly young, so every song I did I was trying to be on their level. In studios… I was a fly on the wall, just there to observe as I was also very shy.”
Today, Sean Paul’s performances are on a different scale, backed by a full band, dancers, and a crew of nearly 20 people.
“Back then, it was just me and a DJ. Now, it’s a whole production,” Sean Paul explained.
Returning the love
During his recent New York visit, Sean Paul brought his signature vibe to Good Day New York and Good Night New York on Fox5. But he didn’t just sit for interviews; he flipped the script, giving viewers a freestyle while anchors Christal Young and Ryan Kristafer received a crash course in patois.
The lively exchanges showcased not just his music, but the language and culture of Jamaica and his love for New York.
The highlight of the trip was his performance at the Rock Away Valentine’s Concert, sharing the stage with Beres Hammond and Shaggy. Capping off his NYC run, Sean Paul received a custom hockey jersey from the concert’s organisers.
Reflecting on his journey, Sean Paul isn’t ready to call it stage two, “because we nuh play two, we ah play three”, he said with a laugh.
“ Stage One was just [the] first instalment and Dutty Rock was beyond anybody’s dream. I mean, it is named Dutty Rock for a reason – for being a diamond in the rough and the success from my first album was a breakthrough to meet some of my musical heroes and some of the big-name rappers and producers, but I still think the best is yet to come.”
English (US) ·