Dancehall superstar Sean Paul has opened up about the pivotal role Canada played in his journey to international stardom, revealing that some of his earliest opportunities in the music industry came through Canadian artists who embraced his Jamaican sound.
Speaking with Billboard Canada, the Grammy-winning entertainer reflected on his early connection with Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, whom he credits as the first artist to give him a paid musical collaboration.
“Somebody last night, they were like, who was the first person to put you on, give you a collab? And I said, Kardinal Offishall,” Sean Paul recalled.
The dancehall hitmaker explained that Kardinal, who has Jamaican roots and grew up in Canada, recognized his potential long before he became a household name around the world.
“He’s Jamaican, grew up here, but just knows the vibe,” Sean Paul shared. “And he knew I was kind of buzzing in the streets and my work was bubbling up.”
According to Sean Paul, Kardinal’s decision to collaborate with him marked a significant milestone in his career, providing not only his first paid recording opportunity but also an important introduction to the international music scene.
“First person to pay me, first person to put me on a track,” he emphasized.
The collaboration also connected Sean Paul with several influential figures in Canada’s music and entertainment industry, including the Baby Blue Soundcrew, Canadian R&B singer Jully Black, renowned choreographer Tanisha Scott and celebrated music video director Little X, now widely known as Director X.
“Big up Cardi, big up the Baby Blue Soundcrew, Jully Black. It was a dope song,” he said. “I met my choreographer there, Tanisha Scott, met Little X there at that video as well.”
Sean Paul emerged on the international scene with the hit Gimmi Di Light and the music video was choreographed by Scott and directed by X.
“Just a very cool break into the music internationally,” he reflected.
The Temperature and Get Busy hitmaker also praised the Canadian creatives for their understanding of Jamaican culture, noting that their familiarity with dancehall allowed him to remain authentic rather than compromise his identity to appeal to a new market.
“These people knew Jamaican vibes,” he explained. “And so they weren’t trying to put me in a situation where it didn’t look natural or it didn’t feel natural. The whole song just worked.”
His reflections highlight the longstanding musical and cultural ties between Jamaica and Canada, particularly Toronto, where Jamaican influences have helped shape the city’s hip-hop, reggae, dancehall and R&B scenes.
