Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques[4][5] OD (born 9 January 1973)[6] is a Jamaican dancehall deejay. He released his first album, Stage One, in 2000. However, it was in 2002 that he gained international fame after releasing his next album, Dutty Rock. The single "Get Busy" topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, as did "Temperature" (2005), off his third album, The Trinity. Paul frequently invokes the nickname "Sean da Paul", originating from the similarity between his stage name and cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul.[7]
Not to be confused with Sean P.
Most of his albums have been nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album, with Dutty Rock winning the award. Paul has been featured in many other singles, including chart-toppers "Baby Boy" by Beyoncé, "Breathe" by Blu Cantrell, "What About Us" by The Saturdays, "Rockabye" by Clean Bandit, "Cheap Thrills" by Sia, and "Fuego" by DJ Snake.
"Cheap Thrills" and "Rockabye", along with Paul's own "No Lie" (2016), each have over 1 billion views on YouTube, with "Rockabye" having reached over 2.7 billion views.
Early life[edit]
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques was born in Kingston on 9 January 1973. His mother Frances, a painter,[8][9] is of English and Chinese Jamaican descent.[10][11] His Portuguese paternal great-grandfather's Sephardic Jewish family emigrated from Portugal to Jamaica in the 17th century,[12] while his paternal grandmother was Afro-Jamaican.[13]
Paul was raised as a Catholic, though he also attended the Jewish private school, Hillel Academy in Jamaica.[14][15] Several members of his family are swimmers. His grandfather was on the first Sri Lankan men's national water polo team. His father also played water polo for the team in the 1960s, and competed in long-distance swimming, while Paul's mother was a butterfly swimmer.[16] When Paul was 15, his father was arrested on charges of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison; he was released for good behavior when Paul was 19.[12][17]
Paul played for the national water polo team from the age of 13 to 21, when he gave up the sport in order to launch his musical career.[17][18] He attended Wolmer's Boys' School[17] and the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, now known as the University of Technology, where he was trained in commerce with an aim of pursuing an occupation in swimming. In 1992, Paul worked as a bank teller and enrolled in a hotel-management program, learning the basics of French cuisine.[12]
Career[edit]
1994-2000: Early beginnings and rise to fame[edit]
In 1994, Paul appeared in Carrot Jetter's music video "Nice Time".[19][20]
Zachary Harding told his brother, Jeremy, about a singer that he had heard perform live at a small open mic event in Kingston, who sounded a lot like dancehall deejay and toaster Super Cat.[21] Jeremy eventually met the singer when Paul came by his studio to ask for some advice. During the meeting, Paul recorded a vocal over Harding's rhythm track and in the process created the song "Baby Girl".[21] Jeremy subsequently became Paul's manager and producer.
Paul began hanging out at the studio every day, and the pair collaborated on several more tracks. When they recorded "Infiltrate" they decided they had something good enough to get on the radio. As Paul started to attract local attention,[22] Harding began looking after his affairs. He later told HitQuarters that his support of Paul's fledgling career initially led him assuming the roles of "DJ, manager, road manager, and security-guard".[21]
In 1997, Paul collaborated with singer Spanner Banner on the song "Ladies Man".
Paul made a cameo appearance in the 1998 film Belly on stage performing. He made a successful collaboration with DMX and Mr. Vegas, "Top Shotter", to the soundtrack of the film.
In 2000, Paul released his debut album, Stage One with VP Records.
Business ventures[edit]
In 2011, Paul established his own record label, Dutty Rock Productions, along with his production team.[65] In 2017, Paul signed Jamaican artist Chi Ching Ching to the label, making it the label's first signing.[66] In 2022, in promotion of his eighth studio album Scorcha, he released his own brand of Jamaican patties called the "Scorcha Patty" along with its hot sauce in partnership with a United Kingdom-based Jamaican restaurant called Port Royal, which was made available for a limited time.[67]
Philanthropy[edit]
In 2016, Paul donated $1 million JMD toward Bustamante Hospital for Children.[68] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul founded the "Sean Paul Foundation" in 2020, aiding less-fortunate communities in Jamaica with donations of groceries to poor families and distribution of tablet computers to primary schools for students.[69]
Activism[edit]
Paul has spoken out about climate change. In 2015, he attended the United Nations Climate Change conference, expressing concerns over pollution, the coastal erosions of beaches in Jamaica and has said that athletes in the country are having to "run in smog".[70][71] He has advocated for waste reduction, solar power and the use of electric cars. He collaborated with Paul McCartney, Natasha Bedingfield, Bon Jovi, Colbie Caillat, and various other artists on a single called "Love Song to the Earth" to spread awareness about climate change.[72] In 2018, Paul was named an ambassador for climate change in the Caribbean.[73] In 2022, Paul stated in his efforts to help combat climate change; "I have made the move to make my whole house solar powered. From the water to all the lights, and it runs my studio as well".[74]
Personal life[edit]
In 2012, Paul married his long-term girlfriend, Jamaican television host Jodi Stewart.[75] In August 2016, it was announced that the couple was expecting their first child.[76] On 26 February 2017, Paul announced the birth of their son.[77] Their second child was born on 20 August 2019.[59]
