Energy God :: THE BEST OF ELEPHANT MAN

"If you saw me today you are never gonna forget me…my hair, my clothes, my style…I’m crazy man, I’m the Energy God…Father of the Dancehall…" Elephant Man

A true entertainer is versatile and makes music for the world,” says Elephant Man in his scruffy Jamaican baritone. His boisterous demeanor, quick chatting lyricism and unforgettable stage presence have all helped transform this Seaview Gardens local deejay into an internationally recognized reggae phenomenon. Elephant Man’s music has brought a new innovative flavor to the dancehall. His free-spirited vibration leaves you eager to do nothing less than let loose and party, making it blatantly evident that Ele’s mission...(Read more)

Energy God: The Best of Elephant Man: VP Records

Mavado :: SO SPECIAL

David Constantine Brooks December 25, 1981, better known by his stage name Mavado, aka Gully God, is a Jamaican dancehall artist. He was raised in an area known as "Cuba", a micro ghetto within the heart of Kingston, Jamaica's Cassava Piece community. The community was considered dangerous and Mavado was exposed to many different things in his youth. Mavado had two major influences in his life that made him want to pursue a career in music. His grandmother who raised him, brought him to church with her each Sunday, and this helped to ignite his love for music. What kept the flame burning was his second influence in his music; his idol, and current labelmate Bounty Killer.

Get: So Special + Unfinished Business, at VP Records

Busy Signal :: LOADED

Check out Busy Signal in the latest issue of Vibe Magazine online "Clashing and competition are an essential part of dancehall culture, but rather than letting drama and rivalry steal the show, Busy Signal has gotten back to basics. The rising Jamaican star’s second official album Loaded (VP) is easily one of the year’s hottest, showcasing..." -Rob Kenner, Vibe Magazine 11/10/2008

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Beres Hammond :: A MOMENT IN TIME

Born the ninth of ten children; Hammond grew up listening to his father's collection of American soul and jazz music; including Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. He was further influenced by the native musics of ska and rocksteady, in particular Alton Ellis.

Hammond began participating in local talent contests from 1972 to 1973, which led to his first recording, of Ellis' "Wanderer". In 1975 he joined the band, Zap Pow, as lead singer, leading to the hit 1978 single, "The System" under the Aquarius Records label.

Get the album at VP Records

Glen Washington :: DESTINY

Known for smooth lyrics and solid baritone delivery, Glen has thrilled listeners with hits like "Get Close To You," "Kindness For Weakness," and others. A solid stage performer, Glen has built a following in the core reggae community through constant touring in the Caribbean and South Eastern United States.

Hailing from the Jamaican parish of Clarendon, Glen was a drummer before singing his breakthrough hit, Rockers Nuh Crackers, for producer Joe Gibbs back in 1976. After leaving for Canada, he toured with artists like Shinehead before making his comeback as a solo act during the mid-nineties.

Get: Glen Washington :: DESTINY, at VP Records

Gyptian :: I CAN FEEL YOUR PAIN

Born to a Seventh-day Adventist mother and Rastafarian father, Gyptian received his musical calling at the age of seven, when he began singing in the church. Recognizing his talent, his parents introduced him to Mr. Wong, a record producer from Portmore, St. Catherine. "I did not take it seriously," said Gyptian "My family members have always been carrying me to Portmore to see him, but I usually disappear. One day, they dropped me off at his studio and left me and it all began there."

Get the album at VP Records

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Shaggy

Shaggy Orville Richard Burrell (born October 22, 1968, Kingston, Jamaica), better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Grammy-nominated Jamaican-American reggae singer who takes his nickname from Scooby-Doo's companion-—a nickname given to him by his friends during his teenage years because his name bore a similarity to the Scooby Doo character. He is especially notable for his distinctive sub-baritone voice. Speaking on 'This Morning' on August 27, 2008, Burrell states the name Shaggy is a reference to his then hairstyle.

Early life

His family moved to the United States from Jamaica and they settled in the neighborhood of Flatbush, Brooklyn in New York City. Shaggy moved to Valley Stream, New York, and made one of his own recording studios in the town.

Military service

In 1988, he joined the United States Marine Corps as a Field Artillery Cannon Crewman with 5th Battalion 10th Marines. While enlisted in the Marines he served during Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War. It was during this time that Shaggy perfected his signature singing voice, breaking the constant monotony of running and marching cadences with his flair for inflection. It is also where he got the inspiration for his song "Boombastic."

Career

1990s

Upon his return from the Persian Gulf, he decided to pursue his music career and his first hit in 1993: "Oh Carolina", was a dancehall re-make of a ska hit by the Folkes Brothers. The same year, Shaggy appeared on Kenny Dope's hip hop album "The Unreleased Project". He worked together with producers such as Sting Intl., Don One (who cut his first track), Lloyd 'Spiderman' Campbell and Robert Livingston. He had further big hits, including "Boombastic" in 1995, the theme tune of a popular Levi's commercial.

Early 2000s

He then had a major comeback in 2001, featuring worldwide number-one hit singles "It Wasn't Me" and "Angel", the latter of which was built around two song samples - Merrilee Rush's 1968 hit "Angel of the Morning" (which was remade in 1981 by Juice Newton), and The Steve Miller Band's 1973 hit "The Joker". The album Hot Shot, from which those cuts came, would hit number one on the Billboard 200 and UK album chart.
However, his 2002 release Lucky Day, and the 2005 album Clothes Drop failed to match Hot Shot's success, although Lucky Day still went gold. The albums, however, found success in Europe, especially with heavy airplay from the single Hey Sexy Lady.
Shaggy remade the Scooby-Doo theme song on the soundtrack entitled "Shaggy, Where Are You?".
Shaggy recorded the theme for Showtime, a 2002 movie.

Late 2000s

On March 11, 2007, Shaggy performed the official song of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, entitled "The Game of Love and Unity", with Barbadian entertainer Rupee and Trinidadian Fay-Ann Lyons at the opening ceremony at The Greenfield Stadium, Trelawny, Jamaica.
Shaggy left Universal and will be releasing his latest album under his own label, Big Yard Records with distribution by VP Records.
On August 2007, he joined Cyndi Lauper in Singapore for the Sonnet Music Festival, where they performed "Girls Just Want To Have Fun".
On October 15, 2007, he was awarded the Jamaican Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD).
In January 2008, Shaggy performed a concert with Natalia and En Vogue in Antwerp.
In 2008, UEFA chose Shaggy to record the official anthem for the Mascots (Trix and Flix) of the Euro 2008 football tournament held in Austria and Switzerland. The song is called "Feel the Rush".
In the summer of 2008 he appeared on VH1's I Love The New Millennium.

On 4 December, Intoxication was nominated for Best Reggae Album at the 51st Grammy Awards.
On August 23rd 2009 he performed at Ottawa Reggae Festival in Ottawa, Canada.

Source: Wikipedia.org