Dutty Rock was recently certified double platinum by the Record Industry Association of America, signifying sales in excess of two million pieces. It made the top 10 in the Billboard album list, top five in the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and was number one Reggae Album for a record 45 weeks. It gave Sean Paul American Music Awards nominations for Favorite Male Artist Rap/Hip-Hop and Favorite Album Rap/Hip-Hop as well as the Source Award for Best Dancehall-Reggae album of the Year.
The album has so far produced three hit singles. These are Gimme the Light, which made the top 10, the number one selling Get Busy, and Like Glue, another top 10 singles list. Waiting in the wings is a fourth, I’m Still in Love with You, featuring Sasha. The song should have already made the top 10 or even number one but it has been sidelined for the moment by Baby Boy, which was propelled to the top by the stellar combination of Beyonce and Sean, two of the hottest artists today. The song’s irresistible beat and that steamy video where Sean is seen buried in loads and loads of smooth, glistening flesh turned it into a huge hit.
Dutty Rock has become one of those rare albums with five hit cuts and something like that does not happen everyday or to just any artist. It is proof that reggae appeals to everyone, that it is a great beat to dance to and that Sean Paul’s kind of staccato rapping has attracted a huge international following. Even Pinoy kids are dancing to his music and making with the reggae moves. I will not be at all surprised if one of these days, a local rapper or two comes around doing his thing rapid-fire style like Sean Paul.
Dutty Rock is Sean Paul’s first seller of such-wide-ranging dimensions but he did crack first into the international market three years ago with the album Stage One. This came about after he notched one hit single after another in his native Jamaica and later in New York’s trend-setting dance circuit. Although trained in hotel management, he found songwriting and performing more rewarding that he decided to pursue this in earnest. It looks like he made the right choice.
Dutty Rock has 23 cuts, some of them short skits that show off Sean Paul’s sense of humor. The rest are hard-pounding rap tunes mainly produced with dance floor grooving in mind but also laced with Paul’s kind of loving rap. Tunes included are Shout, Gimme the Light, Like Glue, Get Busy, Top of the Game, G**Ja Breed, Concrete, I’m Still in Love with You, International Affair, Can You Do the Work, Punkie, My Name, Jukin’ Punny, another version of Gimme the Light, Bubble, Shake That Thing, Esa Loca, It’s On, Punkie in Spanish and the bonus track Samfy I.
The top 10 singles are Baby Boy by Beyonce featuring Sean Paul; Shake Ya Tailfeather by Nelly, P.Diddy & Murphy Lee; Get Low by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins; Right Thurr by Chingy; Damn! by YoungBloodz featuring Lil Jon; Stand Up by Ludacris featuring Shawnna; Frontin’ by Pharrell featuring Jay-Z; Here Without You by 3 Doors Down; Into You by Fabolous featuring Tamia or Ashanti; and P.I.M.P. by 50 Cent.