Shaggy launched himself on to the musical scene with the irrepressible Oh Carolina back in 1993 and he hasn't looked back since, scoring eleven UK top 20 hits and a worldwide multi-platinum album in the form of Hot Shot.
A former marine with a truly distinctive vocal and huge star quality, Shaggy is guaranteed to brighten up your day. We caught up with the great man ahead of his appearance at the Liverpool International Music Festival, where more than 200 acts representing 20 countries - including the likes of Foxes, Ella Eyre, Jess Glynne and Boy George - will provide over 150 hours of live music.
Check out Shaggy's choices for his Ultimate Playlist and the stories behind them below.
Liverpool International Music Festival runs from Wednesday August 13 to Sunday August 31st - for tickets and information, click here
Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify here
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Favourite Song From A Movie Soundtrack
"I think Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise. I just thought it was just...the message of what it was saying, and it related to the movie...and it was one of those breakout records that was just iconic, to this day."
Favourite Sad Song
"Favourite sad song? Shit...I try not to listen to those! I'll go with Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel. Beautiful. I mean, I wouldn't say it's a sad song though, but it's certainly is that...it's a song that talk about a chick trippin' and shit and he's like 'yeah, don't go changing, I like you just how you are'. It's brilliant, it's one of the most brilliant compositions ever written, that you can relate to as a person. Because so many people, when they meet people, they try to change...to fit them, y'know. Don't try to change to please me...I talk to you because I like the fact that you're a quirky fuckin' weirdo!"
Favourite Club Anthem
"This is gonna sound crazy, but the song that normally gets me once it drops in the club, I think is Timbaland - The Way I Are. That just drops so heavy. It's just one of those that just hits, and I'm like wow."
Favourite Song That No One Else Knows
"Grandma's Hands by Bill Withers. It's great songwriting, great composition, things that I can relate to. I was raised by my grandmother...I understand...she went to church with you, and it's all of that - everything he says in that song, I lived."
Favourite Wedding Song
"Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady - Lionel Richie & The Commodores. It don't get much better than that! A great songwriter."
Favourite Current Song
"Here Comes Trouble - Chronixx. I like the act...one of my favourites right now and I call him the injection that reggae needs right now. He's doing it. Kranium is another one that...he's got a song called Nobody Has To Know, which is also one of my favourites."
Favourite Song From Your Childhood
"One that sticks out to my mind, I don't know who the artist was - a song called Going to the Chapel. I don't know why it sticks in my mind but my grandma used to play the shit out of that!"
Favourite Lyric From A Song
"He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day" - Bob Marley. Sounds a little cliché I know, but yeah."
Favourite One-Hit Wonder
"Return of the Mack. It is dope. If it comes on in the club, it kicks. I was hoping to hear more from Mark, 'cos he had such a great sound, I met him and thought he was a great artist, but it just didn't pan out. And funnily enough when he came with it they didn't call him a one-hit wonder - they thought he was gonna be big - but they called me a one-hit wonder [laughs]...they were my headlines when I came with Oh Carolina - "oh he's a one-hit wonder" - and here I am 25 years later!"
Favourite Song From Your Own Music
"I think it would be Mr Boombastic. It was the second one, but it was the one which really solidified what Shaggy is and to this day still stands out. "They call you Mr Lover Lover, Mr Boombastic"...people could not believe that this record was such a huge hit because it was a unique sound, the style was different...the record company and I got into an argument at that time - they wanted me to do another Oh Carolina sound and I refused...and then I wrote Mr Boombastic. And then it happened and debuted at no.1 and I was like, "see? you should always listen to the artist, I know what the fuck I'm saying!" I didn't have a fucking clue! Just one of those stories...all good!"
(Images: Rex)
