Billboard chart-topping artist Sean Paul is now formally recognized as Dr. Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques, OD, following his receipt of an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTECH). The prestigious honor was conferred during a ceremony on Saturday at the Alfred Sangster Auditorium.
The “No Lie” singer shared his gratitude on Instagram, writing: “Honored to receive the Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa from UTech Jamaica 📜📖🙏🏾 TNX U 2 everyone for the support and let’s keep spreading JA 2 the world!!! 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲.
The Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa (D.Litt. Honoris Causa) is an honorary degree awarded by a university to recognize a person’s significant contributions to a specific field, such as literature, arts, culture, or other areas of scholarship and public life.
The term “Honoris Causa” is Latin for “for the sake of honor,” meaning the degree is conferred as an honor rather than through academic achievement.
Sean Paul, whose career began 30 years ago was given the degree for his role in promoting Jamaican heritage globally through music.
In 1994, he first appeared in Carrot Jetter’s video “Nice Time” before connecting with manager Jeremy Harding, with whom he recorded early tracks like “Baby Girl” and “Infiltrate.” By 1997, Sean collaborated with Spanner Banner and appeared in the 1998 film Belly, performing “Top Shotter” with DMX and Mr. Vegas. His debut album, Stage One (2000), laid the groundwork for his breakthrough with Dutty Rock (2002), which earned a Grammy and included hits like “Get Busy.” The album is certified 3x Platinum in the US.
Paul’s third album, The Trinity (2005), featured the Platinum-certified hit “Temperature.” Subsequent albums include Imperial Blaze (2009), Tomahawk Technique (2012), and Full Frequency (2014). A resurgence came in 2016 with collaborations like Sia’s “Cheap Thrills” and Dua Lipa’s “No Lie,” both achieving massive streaming success. His 2018 EP, Mad Love the Prequel, and later works such as Live n Livin (2021) and Scorcha (2022) feature high-profile collaborations, including several Platinum-certified singles.
Beyond music, Paul runs Dutty Rock Productions, a food brand in the UK, and the Sean Paul Foundation. He is an advocate for climate change awareness and was honored with Jamaica’s Order of Distinction in 2019.
