Backstage ahead of his Wireless set on July 12, the Jamaican icon Sean Paul discussed working with Ice Spice, the resurgence of dancehall through sampling, and his foray into producing.
Sean Paul shared his excitement about performing at Wireless, describing it as an “amazing feeling because to me, Wireless is the epitome of what’s happening right now.” He proudly affirmed his status as a dancehall legend, defining the genre as “a son of reggae, a brother of hip-hop, and a cousin of reggaeton and afrobeats.”
“It’s a mixture of music and, like our people in the Caribbean, very spicy. I’m proud of it and glad to be someone who brings forth some of the new stuff,” Paul said.
The Kingston-born deejay reflected on his career mission to “emulate the big music” he grew up with from legends like Bob Marley, Super Cat, Shabba Ranks, and Third World Band, and to “add to what they gave [him].”
Paul noted the resurgence of the ‘Diwali Riddim,’ an instrumental created by Steven “Lenky” Marsden and popularized by his 2004 global hit “Get Busy.” Recently, artists like Kehlani have sampled this riddim, as seen in her single “After Hours.” Paul expressed his excitement about dancehall’s re-emergence into mainstream pop, likening it to how hip-hop once heavily sampled James Brown.
“The entire hip-hop genre at one point sampled a lot of James Brown, and that just proved that his music at a different time was very influential and very flavorful and very awesome,” Paul explained. “So now that people are sampling [the] ‘Diwali [Riddim’] – that made me feel like the shit, sorry, but it does.”
He also spoke about Ice Spice’s new track “Gimme A Light,” which samples his 2002 hit “Gimme The Light.” Paul recounted how the collaboration came about in February and praised Ice Spice’s talent and current popularity.
“She’s a great artist. She’s out there performing tonight. Everybody was screaming. So I feel good about the vibe. Big up to Ice. Big up to everybody who loves dancehall and reggae culture and who may want a sample or use it or whatever,” he said.
He added, “It just proves that people like me, people like [fellow dancehall pioneers] Charly Black, Busy Signal, we have potency in what we do and big up to everybody else who has contributed to the genre. Beenie Man, Bounty Killer – all the greats, big up.”
Despite being “an elder statesman,” Paul admitted that performing can be challenging but keeps him “youthful.” He referenced a study suggesting that attending concerts regularly can extend one’s life, joking, “I’m gon’ live forever!”
The “Dutty Rock” superstar emphasized that performing keeps him “fresh” and “young.” He loves that concerts and live performances create “a synergy and a gathering of like-minded people who want to party and have fun, forget the stresses of their present life and that’s an awesome thing.”
Looking ahead, Sean Paul revealed that he has new music coming out with fellow Jamaican star Jada Kingdom and Latin pop singer Becky G. He also shared his enthusiasm for producing, describing it as “awesome” and offering insight into the business side of music.
“I’m getting to see why those music execs are so stingy,” he said. “I’m trying not to be one of the stingy ones, but it takes money to make money. You’ve got to believe in the product, and I believe in these guys who work with me.”
Paul also praised rising Jamaican stars Farenizzi and Chi Ching Ching and mentioned working on new music with his cousin Quan-Dajai Henriques and Ras Ajai, who played young Bob Marley and Claude Massop, respectively, in the Bob Marley: One Love biopic.