Ever since his impressive single debut "Baby Girl" in the spring of 1996 for producer Jeremy Harding on the 2 Hard Records label, Sean Paul has captured the eyes and ears of the Dancehall community as "...the one to watch".

Born to a Portuguese-Jamaican father and a Chinese-Jamaican mother, Sean Paul Henriques grew up known to his friends as the "copper- color Chiney bwoy...", excelling in sports in his teen years. Sean played water polo for the Jamaica National team as well as representing his country in swimming in the 1989 and 1991 Carifta Games.

However his love for the arts was fostered at an earlier age by his mother, a well noted Jamaican painter. "When I was 13 years old , my mother got me this little thirty dollar keyboard. I remember thinking that this was all I needed to make dancehall riddims!"

Nonetheless, it wasn't until 1993 that the then aspiring dancehall DJ from St. Andrew got his introduction to the music business through musicians Carrot Jarret, Cat Coore and Bunny Rugs from Third World, as well as producers Rupert Bent and Paul Castick.

"I am very grateful to those musicians for giving me my first exposure to the business. But I wasn't really feeling the direction they were going in. Dancehall was really the right avenue for me to express myself, to get people to hear me out about how I saw the world".

With a style and voice reminiscent of the great Super Cat, the 26 year old DJ also credits Major Worries, Shabba Ranks, Lt. Stitchie and Papa San as heavy musical influences. After a string of hits such as "Infiltrate" and "Hackle Mi" for producer Jeremy Harding , "Nah get no Bly (One More Try)" for producer Donavon Germain, and "Deport Them" and "Excite Me" for producer Tony Kelly, Sean Paul is currently enjoying the success of "Hot Gal Today" with Mr. Vegas on producers Steely and Clevie's "Streetsweeper" riddim. Sean also appears on the cut "Here Comes the Boom" with Mr.Vegas and rap artiste DMX on the soundtrack to video director Hype Williams' debut film "Belly" on Def Jam Records.

With his debut album for VP Records on the way this fall, Sean Paul says despite his achievements, he still feels like a rookie. "I'm still working on my career, still trying to learn from other artistes and develop my skills and my style. The world still hasn't seen the best of Sean Paul." The DJ has appeared on most of the major music festivals including Sting, Reggae Sunsplash, Reggae Sumfest and Reggae SuperJam, as well as showcases in Great Britain , the Caribbean, and numerous US club and arena venues. Sean has also started his own record label, Bassline Records, to sharpen his production chops and make a greater impact on the reggae industry.

"Not enough time is put into the full production of Dancehall. The talent is there, but we have to look at the rest of the world as a marketplace as well, not just Jamaica. People should stop just trying to make a quick buck and develop the music. Then reggae can move forward again." Sean Paul standing tall...

TEMPERATURE KEEPS RISING FOR SEAN PAUL AS HE RACKS UP SEVERAL AWARD NOMINATIONS

Jamaican reggae phenomenon, Sean Paul, continues to take the music world by storm after receiving a nomination for the American Music Awards under the Pop/Rock Category for Favourite Male Artist for 2006.

This makes him the only reggae artist to be recognized for this year’s awards show on Tuesday, November 21 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The accolades keep coming for Sean Paul, as the reggae dynamo just picked up the MOBO Award for Best Reggae Act for his second single, We Be Burnin off his current platinum album, The Trinity, and in August, was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards.

Sean Paul has also been nominated for two awards for this year’s MTV European Music Awards in Copenhagen on Wednesday, November 1. He has been nominated in the categories of Best Male, alongside Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Pharell, Robbie Williams, as well as Best Hip Hop, alongside Busta Rhymes, Kanye West, Missy Elliott, and P. Diddy. As if that weren’t enough, Sean Paul has also received two World Music Award nominations.

Sean Paul has already garnered a number of prestigious honours, including a Grammy for Best Reggae Album — while redefining the category in the process. He has also won MTV Europe’s Best New Artist, as well as Source, MOBO, Juno, Much Music, and International Reggae and World Music awards.

Showing no signs of slowing down, Sean Paul’s current single, Give It Up To Me, featuring Keyshia Cole, continues to surge on the charts after reaching #5 after 16 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 Charts, and is included on the soundtrack to the summer Touchstone/Disney film, Step Up. Sean Paul is also currently gearing up to release the fourth single from The Trinity, a poignant remembrance to lost ones entitled, Never Gonna Be The Same.

A true international superstar, Sean Paul kicked off the summer with an extensive 4-week European tour, enthralling sold-out crowds in Italy, Germany, Turkey, and Switzerland with his groundbreaking, signature blend of dancehall, reggae, and hip-hop. Sean Paul continued the frenzy by captivating audiences with his explosive, live stage performance while on tour with Mariah Carey for her Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour. Sean Paul performed his chart-topping hits, from his current LP, The Trinity, including Temperature, We Be Burning, Ever Blazin, and Never Gonna Be The Same, along with hits from his 6x-platinum, sophomore album, Dutty Rock, including Get Busy, Like Glue, and Gimme The Light.

Critics and fans alike agreed that Sean Paul brought true reggae rhythm to the stage. The Los Angeles Times wrote that “Sean Paul’s infectious grooves and smooth delivery help make his concerts feel more like a party”, while Time Out New York wrote, “Dancehall crossover king, Sean Paul, deserves his own government post in Kingston: ambassador of groove.”

As the most successful Jamaican artist ever on U.S. charts, Sean Paul continues to break records as his album, The Trinity made history by being #1 on Billboard’s Reggae Charts for 41 weeks, while his sophomore album, the 6x-platinum VP/Atlantic debut, Dutty Rock, sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. Currently in its 51st week, The Trinity continues to soar on national charts, and remains a huge international hit, selling over 1.2 million copies overseas. It is certified platinum in Canada, France, and the Gulf States, and gold in Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Switzerland, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

For more information, contact Jerome Hamilton at 876.754.1526.