Shaggy’s viral interview spotlights Caribbean music’s foothold in radio - Jamaica Gleaner

When DJ Mr Famous sat down with Grammy winner Shaggy on Roadblock Radio’s Island Mix, one line from the dancehall legend went viral on social media: “There’s no one king for a genre.” “Beenie Man is a king. Kartel is a king. Shabba is a king,” Shaggy said, then grinned and added, “I’m a king.” But the conversation was about more than who deserves the dancehall crown. It pointed to something bigger, Jamaican/Caribbean music now having a foothold on prime-time American radio. Every Sunday from 7 p.m. to midnight, urban Power 96/Roadblock Island Mix dedicates a full five hours to reggae, dancehall, soca, konpa, Afrobeats, and the classics that never get old on a mainstream platform. And given Shaggy’s own career, it’s hard to think of a better voice to underscore just how significant this is. “When I started, there was no radio station that played dancehall or reggae,” Shaggy told Mr. Famous. “There’s no reggae budget. I realised that I was in the underground, so I had to work 10 times harder with 10 times less budget, 10 times less sleep, and make my records 10 times better.