Entertainment

Sean Paul’s “Dutty Rock” Album Certified Triple Platinum

by Howard Campbell

NEW YORK – Sean Paul’s Dutty Rock album, which marks its 20th anniversary this month, has more reason to celebrate. In December,  it will be certified triple platinum for sales of three million copies in the United States.

Murray Elias, who was the Grammy-winning deejay’s Artist and Repertoire agent during Dutty Rock’s success, said he got the news from Atlantic Records recently.

“In subsequent years with additional physical sales, downloads and streaming it is now officially triple platinum in the US…three million copies,” said Elias.

Sean Paul Dutty RockDutty Rock, which won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2003, has sold over six million units worldwide. It was distributed/marketed by VP Records and Atlantic Records.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Elias has organized an event, scheduled for November 16 at Webster Hall in New York. It is a joint venture with Hot 97 FM, the influential radio station that helped break songs from Dutty Rock in mainstream music circles.

Dutty Rock was released in November, 2002. However, interest in the dancehall set was inspired by Gimmie The Light which had been a hit earlier that year.

Gimmie The Light was one of five songs from the album that made Billboard Magazine’s Top 10. The others were Get Busy,  Like Glue,  I’m Still in Love With You (with Sasha) and Baby Boy (with Beyonce).

Get Busy and Baby Boy went to number one.

Elias, a music industry veteran who has worked with many Jamaican artists, credits Sean Paul’s visual charm for Dutty Rock’s remarkable success.

“Sean was a very, very video-friendly artist,  more than any of the reggae artists before him. He was magic on camera and fortunately we had (director) Little X involved in the early stages, so we were able to capture that magic like lightning in a bottle and made videos that are considered classics, ” he explained.

 

 

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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