Grammy Award-winning superstar Shaggy is reinventing himself once again with his latest offering Mi Nuh Know, which sees the Diamond-plus selling artist telling that talk like never before.
The song, with an accompanying music video was premiered last Thursday (March 17) on YouTube, interpolates lyrics from Eek-A-Mouse’s 1981 hit Wa-Do-Dem and his Church Heathen collaborator and friend Ninjaman’s Don, a hit song produced by Steelie and Clevie in the early 1990s.
While the former US Marine may ruffle a few feathers with this one, he was likewise candid in a text chat with World Music Views about the new single, advice for Interscope artist Shenseea and confirmed that he has a new album on the way.
Mi Nuh Know pays homage to Eek-a-Mouse’s Wa-Do-Dem and To Ninjaman’s Don. What was the thinking behind your modern take?
The interpolation of both Eek-a-Mouse and Ninjaman was as strategic as the lyric in the verses, it showcased Dancehall in two different eras…Ninjaman embodies the essence of the core Dancehall style, while Eek-a-Mouse represented Dancehall style on a traditional Reggae riddim.
Who produced it?
The track is produced by our in-house producer Shane Hoosang, who also produced Send It Up on Spice’s Grammy-nominated debut album 10.
Is there a straight Dancehall Shaggy album in the making?
There’s an album coming…
So, everyone saying they never knew Shaggy could curse, have we entered a more edgy Shaggy era?
I’m just having fun with music. Anyone who knows me know that I play around a lot and draw card, we like to keep the energy light with jokes etc. Everyone around me knows I have a bit of a potty mouth.
Where the song is concerned, it was necessary to get the point across and maintain the credibility of the composition.
Do you think features help Jamaican artists climb the charts?
Features do help when the person you’re featured with helps in promoting the project. Most of these collaborators don’t mind doing the feature, ‘cause the genre is cool. But, they don’t go the extra mile to help secure the hit or in some cases don’t even want to compensate the artist properly.
There would be cases where the artist would be the one who reaches out for the feature, then hide behind management and record companies and not do the song.
I have benefitted from features myself. Some of them were good experiences some were not so good, but I’m happy to say that most of my big hits have been with local/ new talent …Rik Rok on It Wasn’t Me, Rayvon on Angel/Summertime , Mohombi, Faydee on I Need Your Love, Conkerah on Banana and of course recently Spice with Sean Paul on Go Down Deh.
What are your thoughts on Shenseea’s debut album?
I congratulated Shenseea on her release both personally and publicly. We should all support anyone of our own that’s trying to maneuver out there in the game.
It’s hard for us as a genre (reggae) with less than 6 per cent of the global market share to compete and get a seat at the table … I liked her album and she is doing an amazing job keeping herself relevant.
What advice would you give her and the other women to better position themselves on international charts?
My advice to Shenseea is to keep on working hard. She is young and new to the game … There’s a lot to learn and the game is always changing, so no one has the correct answers we are all students in this new era. She will have to rely on her instincts.
Shaggy’s Mi Nuh Know is out now on all streaming platforms.
