Jamaican Reggae Grammy Winner Shaggy Launches Boombastic Radio on SiriusXM
Grammy-winning reggae singer, rapper, and songwriter, Shaggy, has launched his own channel on SiriusXM radio. Boombastic Radio, named from Shaggy’s hit track, “Boombastic.” The new channel was announced at SiriusXM’s Next Generation Industry and Press Preview in New York.
Sounds Curated by Shaggy
Boombastic Radio features selections of reggae, dancehall, and afrobeats all personally curated by Shaggy. These include rhythms of Sean Paul and Lady Saw, as well as the sounds of Wizkid and Burna Boy. His selections are meant to get everyone dancing and celebrating the vibrant musical traditions of the Caribbean and Africa. Also broadcasting regularly on Shaggy’s Boombastic Radio is his current show, Shaggy’s Yaad, which was first heard on FLY at SiriusXM and is in its third year. Shaggy’s Yaad offers its listeners a mix of rare and classic hip-hop, dancehall, and reggae recordings.
Life and Career
The artist known as Shaggy was born Orville Richard Burrell in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1968. His music career began soon after he moved to Brooklyn as a teenager when he was an emcee in New York City’s rising dancehall scene. He got his first record deal after serving four years with the United States Marines, which included two tours of duty in Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East and was where he developed his signature “toasting” voice. His first hit was the crossover tune,” Oh Carolina” in 1993. Other hits followed, including “It Wasn’t Me, “Boombastic,” “In The Summertime,” and “Angel.”
Awards
Shaggy was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Reggae Album category five times, winning the award twice with “Boombastic” in 1996 and “44/876” in 2019. He was nominated for an American Music Award in three categories in 2002: Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist, Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist, and Internet Fans Award. He was the winner of Billboard’s Male Artist of the Year award and Male Albums Artist of the Year award in 2001. In 2002, he won the Juno Award in the category of International Album of the Year for “Hot Shot.” He also won the Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist of the Year in 2002. In 2007, he was presented with the Jamaican Order of Distinction with the rank of Commander, and in 2022, he was given an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Brown University.
Shaggy and Friends
In 2016, he started his philanthropic organization, Shaggy and Friends, and donated over US$1 million to Bustamante Children’s Hospital in Jamaica. In addition to providing the hospital with financial help, Shaggy has donated equipment and machinery to the facility.
