Quotes from Shaggy

I didn't just sit down and write 'Summer In Kingston' from scratch; it came about from a bunch of songs I already had.

America is a symbol of freedom - it's a symbol of democracy - and if that is threatened, we have to take this platform and use it to be a voice for the voiceless.

When I look back at the people who shaped me, that made a difference in my life, most of them were women.

I would never be about waking up early and do morning radio and TV back to back had I not been in the military, where they are throwing a garbage can in the middle of my squad bed at 5 o'clock in the morning for four years straight.

If you look at reggae and dancehall artists in general, there isn't really a big success story. A Shabba Ranks or a Yellowman might have a hit, but there's never a follow up. There's no consistency.

Ireland kind of reminds me of Jamaicans - there are a lot of Irish people in Jamaica. It's the blend of their easy-going nature, cool mentality, and warmth.

I like things that catch your ears.

I'm not big on collaborations with 'superstars.' It generally doesn't work for me.

Making records is not brain surgery.

I constantly tour every year, around the clock. That's how I make my living, and I do very well. Because I have classic songs.

Music, music, music. It doesn't get much better than that! It pretty much consumes my life.

I'm used to people not getting it. I'll make amazing music, but it's convincing people that it's amazing - that's the problem.

I have to be me, which is, don't like a lot of crowds, don't like a lot of attention - kind of being by myself.

There are those women who degrade the name of women, and there are men who degrade the name of women. But for the most part, we can't live without them.

I fought for the U.S. government. I live in New York. I pay taxes in America.

I got the name in primary school because my hair was shaggy. And I didn't like it; I thought it was derogatory.

My career has taken so many directions.

I've always been faced with all kinds of criticism. People were saying, 'Oh, Shaggy is pop. He can't do dancehall,' even though I came from dancehall.

'Fields of Gold' is my favourite record.

When I look at my catalog, most of my songs are about love or relationships. And I'm smart enough to say if it's not broken, don't fix it.

A lot of true Jamaican artists don't understand the importance of radio so tend not to tap into that as a result.

I've been criticized for doing so - crossover music. But I never claimed to be a pure dancehall artist.

The best thing about my house is that I live five minutes from the airport, and since I fly more than I drive, it saves me a lot of time.

I fought for this country.