Sean Paul facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sean Paul OD
Paul in 2023
Born	Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (1973-01-09) 9 January 1973 (age 52) Kingston, Jamaica
Occupation	Musician singer deejay songwriter
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Jodi Stewart ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	Dancehall reggae hip-hop R&B
Labels	VP Atlantic Dutty Rock Island
Associated acts	Jay Sean Shaggy The Saturdays Fuse ODG Clean Bandit Anne-Marie J Balvin Alexis Jordan Sista Sasha

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques OD (born 9 January 1973) is a famous Jamaican dancehall musician. He is a singer, songwriter, and deejay. Sean Paul became well-known around the world with his music.

His first album, Stage One, came out in 2000. He became internationally famous with his second album, Dutty Rock, in 2002. The song "Get Busy" from this album became a number one hit in the United States. His song "Temperature" from his third album, The Trinity (2005), also reached number one.

Sean Paul often uses the nickname "Chanderpaul." This name comes from how his first two names sound like the cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul. He started using this name in his shows and recordings.

Many of his albums have been nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album. His album Dutty Rock even won this award! Sean Paul has also been featured in many other popular songs. These include "Baby Boy" with Beyoncé and "Rockabye" with Clean Bandit. His songs "Cheap Thrills" (with Sia), "Rockabye", and his own song "No Lie" (2016) have been viewed over 1 billion times on YouTube. "Rockabye" has over 2.7 billion views!

Early Life and Interests

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on 9 January 1973. His mother, Frances, is a painter with English and Chinese Jamaican roots. His family also has Portuguese and Afro-European heritage.

Sean Paul grew up as a Catholic. He also went to a Jewish private school in Jamaica called Hillel Academy. Many people in his family are good swimmers. His grandfather was on Jamaica's first men's national water polo team. His father also played water polo and was a long-distance swimmer. His mother was a butterfly swimmer.

Sean Paul played for the national water polo team from age 13 to 21. He then decided to focus on his music career. He studied commerce at the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, which is now the University of Technology. In 1992, he worked as a bank teller and studied hotel management.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out (1994–2000)

In 1994, Sean Paul appeared in a music video called "Nice Time." A producer named Jeremy Harding heard Sean Paul sing and thought he sounded like the famous deejay Super Cat. Jeremy met Sean Paul, and they recorded a song together called "Baby Girl." Jeremy then became Sean Paul's manager and producer.

Sean Paul spent a lot of time at the studio, and they made more songs. When they recorded "Infiltrate," they knew they had a hit for the radio. As Sean Paul became more known locally, Jeremy helped him with everything.

In 1997, Sean Paul worked with singer Spanner Banner on "Ladies Man." He also appeared in the 1998 film Belly and sang "Top Shotter" for its soundtrack with DMX and Mr. Vegas.

In 2000, Sean Paul released his first album, Stage One, with VP Records. He also worked with Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall and singer July Black on the song "Money Jane."

Global Success (2001–2015)

Sean Paul performing in 2005

In 2001, Sean Paul released the song "Gimme the Light." It became a huge hit in Jamaica and then worldwide in 2002. It reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This success helped him sign a record deal with Atlantic Records. "Gimme the Light" was on his second album, Dutty Rock, released in November 2002. The music videos for his songs were played often on MTV and BET.

In 2003, his song "Get Busy" became his first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first time a dancehall song reached the top spot! Dutty Rock sold over six million copies worldwide and won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2004. Sean Paul also sang on Beyoncé's number-one hit "Baby Boy" and Blu Cantrell's "Breathe." These songs helped make dancehall music more popular around the world.

His third album, The Trinity, came out in 2005. It sold 4 million copies worldwide. This album had five big hits: "We Be Burnin'", "Ever Blazin'", "(When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me" (with Keyshia Cole), "Never Gonna Be the Same," and the number-one hit "Temperature." "Temperature" became one of his most famous songs. The video for "(When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me" was in the movie Step Up in 2006. He won an American Music Award for this song.

Sean Paul in 2007

Sean Paul's fourth album, Imperial Blaze, was released in 2009. The first song, "So Fine", was produced by Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor. The album had 20 songs, including party tracks like "Press It Up" and love songs like "Hold My Hand" (with Keri Hilson).

He also appeared in Shaggy's video "Save a Life" to help raise money for a children's hospital. In 2010, he performed at the premiere of Big Brother Africa: All-Stars.

His fifth album, Tomahawk Technique, came out in 2012. The first song, "Got 2 Luv U", featured American singer Alexis Jordan. The second song, "She Doesn't Mind", was also a big hit. Tomahawk Technique was nominated for Best Reggae Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2011, Sean Paul started his own record label, Dutty Rock Productions.

Sean Paul in June 2012

In 2013, Sean Paul worked on his sixth album, Full Frequency, released in 2014. It included songs like "Other Side of Love" and "Entertainment 2.0" with 2 Chainz and Juicy J. He also released a remix of "Entertainment 2.0" with Nicki Minaj. The album featured other artists like Damian Marley and Iggy Azalea. In 2013, Sean Paul was featured on "What About Us" by the British girl group The Saturdays. This song became a number one hit in the UK.

In 2014, Sean Paul was the main international artist at Fiestas Palmares in Costa Rica. He also worked with Enrique Iglesias on the English version of "Bailando." This song became a top 10 hit in the United States. He also collaborated with Major Lazer on "Come On to Me" and with Nigerian singer Timaya on a remix of "Bum Bum."

New Label and More Hits (2016–Present)

Sean Paul became an independent artist in 2014. In 2016, his career became even more successful when he was featured on Sia's song "Cheap Thrills." This song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was a global hit, reaching number one in over 15 countries.

After this success, Sean Paul signed a new record deal with Island Records in July 2016. In October 2016, Clean Bandit released "Rockabye" with Sean Paul and Anne-Marie. This song was number one in the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks and became a huge global hit in 2017.

In November 2016, he released a new song "No Lie" with Dua Lipa. This song was the first single from his EP Mad Love the Prequel, released in 2018. "No Lie" became a top-ten hit in many countries and is his most streamed song. Its music video has over 1 billion views on YouTube. Another song from the EP, "Mad Love" with David Guetta and Becky G, also became popular worldwide.

In 2018, Sean Paul was featured in a remix of CNCO's song "Hey DJ" with Meghan Trainor.

Latin Music and Latest Projects (2019–Present)

In March 2019, Sean Paul worked with Colombian singer J Balvin on a song called "Contra La Pared." This song was a hit on the Hot Latin Songs chart and in Spain.

Sean Paul has said that Jamaican musicians who use a lot of "hardcore patois" (a mix of English and other Jamaican languages) might find it harder to become successful in the United States and the United Kingdom.

In October 2019, he received the Order of Distinction (OD) from the Jamaican government. This award was for his help in making reggae music popular around the world. In August 2019, he was nominated for Favorite Crossover Artist at the 2019 Latin American Music Awards.

In March 2021, Sean Paul released his seventh album, Live n Livin, under his own label, Dutty Rock Productions. He also worked with fellow Jamaican artists Spice and Shaggy on "Go Down Deh." They performed this song on TV shows like Good Morning America and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The song was called the "dancehall track of the year" for 2021 by NPR.

In May 2022, Sean Paul released his eighth album, Scorcha, through Island Records. In September 2022, he appeared on The Voice as Gwen Stefani's coach advisor. In April 2023, he worked with Colombian singer Feid on "Niña Bonita," which was a hit in several Latin American countries. In October 2023, he was nominated for Crossover Artist of the Year at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Other Ventures and Giving Back

In 2011, Sean Paul started his own record label, Dutty Rock Productions. In 2017, he signed Jamaican artist Chi Ching Ching to his label. In 2022, to promote his album Scorcha, he released his own brand of Jamaican patties called the "Scorcha Patty" and hot sauce. He did this with a UK-based Jamaican restaurant called Port Royal.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

In 2016, Sean Paul gave $1 million JMD to the Bustamante Hospital for Children. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he started the "Sean Paul Foundation" in 2020. This foundation helps families in Jamaica who are less fortunate. They donate groceries and give tablet computers to primary school students.

Caring for the Planet (Activism)

Sean Paul has spoken out about climate change. In 2015, he went to the United Nations Climate Change conference. He talked about his worries about pollution and how beaches in Jamaica are eroding. He also mentioned that athletes in Jamaica sometimes have to "run in smog." He supports reducing waste, using solar power, and driving electric cars.

He worked with artists like Paul McCartney and Natasha Bedingfield on a song called "Love Song to the Earth." This song helped spread awareness about climate change. In 2018, Sean Paul was named an ambassador for climate change in the Caribbean. In 2022, he shared that he made his whole house solar powered to help fight climate change.

Personal Life

In 2012, Sean Paul married Jamaican television host Jodi Stewart. They announced they were expecting their first child in August 2016. Their son was born on 26 February 2017. Their second child was born on 20 August 2019.

Discography

• Stage One (2000)
• Dutty Rock (2002)
• The Trinity (2005)
• Imperial Blaze (2009)
• Tomahawk Technique (2012)
• Full Frequency (2014)
• Live n Livin (2021)
• Scorcha (2022)

Filmography

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Documentaries

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

Other Awards

Images for kids

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  Sean Paul in 2023

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  Sean Paul performing in 2005

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  Sean Paul in 2007

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  Sean Paul in June 2012

See also

In Spanish: Sean Paul para niños

• List of UK top-ten singles in 2017