By the time my first album was out, I had been out in Jamaica three or four years, but I had hits out at that time that were bona fide hits.
— Sean Paul
I remember being a bathtub singer. You know, the type that sings and everybody's like, 'Shut up.'
'Time Rolls On' is my most political piece so far. It's not on my album because people didn't support it.
Most people are fortunate enough to stay two, three years in this game. I've been in it for seven years, and I feel like now, I'm just beginning.
On 'Sufferer,' I'm talking about the younger generation that has no other option for success than to find a gun somewhere. I try to appeal to them: 'I know you a sufferer, but it doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't expect any better.' It's a lot different than from what I usually say, like, 'Get busy, shake that thing.'
Every time you think a negative thought, it's one step in the wrong direction, for me.
The world still hasn't seen the best of Sean Paul.
Please remember we all come from the same one and we will all return to that one, so there is no reason for fighting.
Sometimes you have to take a break from being a crazy kid. You can't be doing that all the time. Sometimes you just have to pay respect to your own simple-ness.
I think kids should have a mentor and a role model, but that they shouldn't take one person's opinion to be what we call final assessment or judgment about how life is supposed to be.
My flow follows sometimes what's going on in the hip-hop industry even though I'm speaking Jamaican patois.
I like music when it makes you feel.
It's about ladies, as usual. I'm telling the ladies I got the right temperature to keep them warm.
I don't want to do something unproductive with my time, so I decided to do something musical. So it felt good to say, 'Yeah, I'm producing.' It gave me a fresh vibe - inspiring in a different way.
I feel like I have things to say. And that's what I'm looking forward to.
With everything that's thrown at you, whether it be problems at home, problems at work - whatever - basically, if you remain positive, you can see your way out of that.
I've been approached by many different people, but I don't really want to be known as a collaboration dude.
Music is your own talent and is an important tool. Even if you don't want to be a role model, get ready to be in the public eye. Energy is there, you just have to use it.
Dancehall is just like hip-hop in that it doesn't always talk about bling; it talks about conscious issues.
My lyrics come from my experiences growing up in life, trying to find out and express who I am. That's basically it. I'm not trying to be a prophet or anything like that. I'm just reflecting on life.
I'm a big hip-hop fan since being a kid. It was the first music that spoke to me and made me feel like, 'Yeah.'
I know some very political people who rap, and they say very political things and they'll never get a deal.
I love the idea of the street vibe, having folks together, out in the street at midnight.
'Rent-a-tile' means when you go to a dance hall, some people take the middle of the dance floor and do their thing.
Music tells you about the artist and what they were thinking about at the time, because the person has to think about it to sing it.
I'm still working on my career, still trying to learn from other artistes and develop my skills and my style.
I see dancehall reggae and hip-hop as fused together, When I was a kid, they were the two kinds of music that spoke to me and said 'Move!'
I would like to work with anyone in the business who wants to give respect back to the Jamaican vibe.
I do feel I have a responsibility to the youths. For real.
