Sean Paul

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques^[1] OD (born: January 9, 1973 (1973-01-09) [age 52])^[2] is a Jamaican rapper and singer who is regarded as one of dancehall and reggae's most prolific artists.

History

Early life

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques was born on January 9, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica.

Paul played for the national water polo team from 13-21, but he abandoned the sport to pursue his musical career.

Career

In 1994, Sean Paul, a 21-year-old, made his debut in Carrot Jetter's music video "Nice Time".^[3]

In 2000, Paul released his debut album, Stage One, with VP Records.

In 2001, Paul collaborated with Jeremy Harding and released the single "Gimme the Light," which became a nationwide success in Jamaica and a worldwide hit in 2002. The single reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Paul secured a record deal with Atlantic Records and VP Records, and the single appeared on his second studio album, Dutty Rock. All of his hit singles received heavy airplay and rotation on MTV and BET.

In early 2003, Paul's second single, "Get Busy," became his first number-one hit and the first ever dancehall song to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Paul is a character in the video game Def Jam: Fight for NY, playing alongside Snoop Dogg's crew, and in the sequel, Def Jam: Icon.

In 2011, Paul released his debut riddim, "Blaze Fia Riddim," under his own label, Dutty Rock Productions.^[4]

Paul signed a new record deal with Island Records in July 2016.^[5]

In October 2016, Clean Bandit released "Rockabye," featuring Paul and Anne-Marie.^[6] The song reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, number one in the UK Singles Chart for nine consecutive weeks, and gained the Christmas number one.^[7] It became a global hit in 2017, reaching number one in 18 other countries.

On November 18, 2016, Dua Lipa released "No Lie," the lead single from his EP Mad Love the Prequel, marking his first project with Island Records.^[8] The song became a global phenomenon, reaching the top ten in 10 countries and becoming his most streamed song. The music video, directed by Tim Nackashi, also surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube in April 2022, making it his most popular music video.^[9]

Channel

On April 23, 2009, Sean Paul created his YouTube channel. The first video would be uploaded on August 7, 2009, titled "Imperial Blaze Album | Promo".^[10]

Content

Sean Paul usually makes music.

Philanthropy

In 2016, Paul donated $1 million JMD to Bustamante Hospital for Children.^[11] In 2020, he founded the "Sean Paul Foundation" to aid underprivileged Jamaican communities with groceries and tablet computer distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[12]

Discography

• Stage One (2000)
• Dutty Rock (2002)
• The Trinity (2005)
• Imperial Blaze (2009)
• Tomahawk Technique (2012)
• Full Frequency (2014)
• Live n Livin (2021)
• Scorcha (2022)^[13]

Trivia

• He has 2 children, Levi Blaze and Remi Leigh Henriques.^[14][15]
• He is the most subscribed and viewed channel from Jamaica.

References