Reggae Singer Shaggy Hits No. 1 Spot With `It Wasn't Me'

Jet, Feb 26, 2001

Shaggy is dancing up the charts with his funky, reggae-flavored hit, It Wasn't Me.

The tune features Ricardo "RikRok" Ducent and has hit the No. I spot on record charts.

Music lovers are drawn to the song because of its catchy beat that makes you want to get up on the dance floor. They also are pulled to the song because of its funny lyrics about a guy who gets caught by his girlfriend with another woman. Though he has been caught "red handed creeping with the girl next door," he tries to convince his girlfriend "it wasn't me."

It Wasn't Me is on Shaggy's multiplatinum CD Hot Shot which was written or co-written by Shaggy.

"I'm a tongue-in-cheek writer," he says. "I want my songs to tell a story, to be fun and funny at the same time.

"This album is a roller coaster ride," he says of Hot Shot, which instantly qualifies as one of the most upbeat and sexy party records of the year. "I wanted to show many different sides of my musical personality."

The album's second single, Angel (based on the 60s classic Angel of the Morning), is getting strong airplay and has become another bonafide hit.

Other highlights on the CD include the title track, Leave It To Me, Lonely Lover and a new version of Shaggy's hit Luv Me, Luv Me, originally featured on the How Stella Got Her Groove Back soundtrack, with superstar Janet Jackson. The new version features vocals by Samantha Cole. The production team Jimmy Jam and. Terry Lewis produced the tunes, Lonely Lover and Dance and Shout.

A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Shaggy, 32, was born Orville Richard Burrell and was nicknamed "Shaggy" by childhood friends after the popular cartoon character, Scooby Doo.

He arrived on the American music scene with his 1995 hit Bombastic, which won him a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.

Looking ahead he notes, "I just want to continue making an impression on people. You don't have to come aboard from day one; as long as somewhere along the line, you do. If you don't know me yet, come to a Shaggy concert. I guarantee, when you leave, you'll be a Shaggy fan!"