Shaggy Tours Europe with Pop Icons:
prepares new album for 2005 release

In an interview recently, Shaggy spoke about the tour which has placed him on familiar turf with a rock and roll legend, a pop diva and a rock pioneer.

"Clothes Drop," according to Shaggy, will contain similar ingredients as "Hot Shots," the album that launched him to international fame, selling millions of albums and scoring numerous hit singles. "Í’m sticking with what works for me. I will continue to do mix music, fusion music, dancehall, reggae, girl tunes, dance tunes and songs about relationships and God. It's going to be one big roller coaster ride," Shaggy said, in reference to what fans can expect of the new album.

Asked how he came up with the title "Clothes Drop," Shaggy said, "Í have a song on the album with that title. The album cover, design and track listing is going to be cleverly done. To get the attention, the title has to be interesting, something that will grab attention."

The Sting International crew, Robert Livingston (who is also Shaggy’s longtime manager), Tony ‘CD’ Kelly, Sly and Robbie, Scott Storch (who produced Terror Squad’s hit single "Lean Back"), and Will-I from the Black Eyed Peas are among those who collaborated on "Clothes Drop." As for artist guest appearances, Rik Rok, Rayvon, Pussy Cat Dogs and the hot European outfit Black Eyed Peas are featured on the album. "Í am sticking to the formula that works for me. I enjoy making music with these people," Shaggy confided.

Since his debut album "Pure Pleasure" was released in 1993, Shaggy has rode a wave of popularity with a string of hit singles. With chart toppers including "Nice and Lovely," "Mr. Bombastic," "Oh Carolina," "In the Summertime," "Sexy Body Gal," "Luv Me, Luv Me" (with Janet Jackson), "Angel" (with Rayvon), "It Wasn’t Me" (with Rik Rok), "Your Eyes" and "Hey Sexy Lady," Shaggy has carved out an enviable track record in pop music culture. His albums have sold in excess 15 million copies worldwide.

Asked if he has achieved his objectives as far as his musical career is concerned, Shaggy said "What else is there? No matter what I set out to achieve, I always do it. The thing is, as soon as you do it, it's never enough for your critics or John Public. It's not that important to me anymore. I have sold millions of records, I have gotten the Grammy, what else is there for me to do?"

With the Night of the Prom tour set to end on December 23 in Germany, Shaggy was quick to point out that this outing was different from previous tours that he has done. "Í have been on this tour since September and I can tell you that we have been getting between 20,000 to 25,000 persons each night. This is different from the other tours that I have done in the past. We are working with a 30-piece orchestra and a big band. I have been enjoying the tour so much. All of the performers have been staying at the same hotels, and it’s a really good hotel, good catering, great people. Almost every night there is a party. Just the other night we went to a party and we were hanging out with Lionel Richie and Sting."

Questioned how he felt sharing the same stage with the acts who are currently on the tour with him, he commented, "Ít's a good feeling in a sense. I am honoured that these people even know my name." He added "The show is like one big performance. I do five songs in the first segment and then there is an intermission. After that I do two songs and at the end of the entire show after everyone has done their set, there is a grand finale at the end."

And, would he consider recording with any of the acts he now on tour with? "The recording process for me is kind of different. I hate recording songs with big superstar artistes. It's just too political and too much drama. When I did 'Luv Me Luv Me' with Janet Jackson, it was a whole lot of politics. Some artistes don’t want to promote the songs that you have done with them. For me to record a song with a big name artiste, we have to really feel the vibe. Cyndi Lauper wants to do something with me. I just did a song with Black Eyed Peas--it's more like a shared project. I am waiting to hear the final product," said Shaggy.

Asked what would he want to be most remembered for if he should depart this earth tomorrow, Shaggy said, "That I made a difference--and [that I was] the guy who is most likely to lose. It's like betting on a race. I certainly wasn’t the favourite."

Kevin Jackson is an entertainment writer and publicist from Kingston, Jamaica. He is a freelance writer for the Jamaica Observer and Excess publications.