Shaggy is a Grammy-winning dancehall legend who will be awarded an honorary doctorate to recognize his immense contribution to dancehall. Brown University, a well-respected research institution of the Ivy League, will bestow the honorary doctorate.
The university will award the doctor of fine arts degree to the “It Wasn’t Me” singer at its Providence, Rhode Island campus later this month. The special recognition and honor will be shared with nine other distinguished candidates.
This is a significant achievement for the veteran musician who started in music almost 40 years ago. He also demonstrated how perseverance and tenacity have paid off considering he started his music career in Jamaica in 1987, singing on the streets with his friends.
Shaggy, who is actually Orville Richard Burrell, was nominated seven times for the Grammy Awards. He has twice won Best Reggae Album with Boombastic (1996) and 44/876 together with Sting (2019). In 2002, he won the Brit Award as International Male Solo Artist.
He eventually moved to New York City as a “Mad Mad World” singer, where he was recognized as a lyrical deejay. He is unique because he left his career and joined the US Marines where he served four years. He served in Operation Desert Storm, two tours of duty in Iraq and the Middle East during those four years. He was then able to sign his first record deal. This allowed him to cement his position in dancehall music when “Oh Carolina” ruled the airwaves.
Shaggy is the only dancehall artist to have sold more than 40 million albums. To give you an idea of his incredible ability to sell records worldwide, Shaggy has sold over 40 million albums to date. He has eight singles on Billboard Hot 100, seven albums on Billboard 200, and four of his top 40 hits.
His popularity continues to grow, even among the younger generation dancehall fans. This is evident in his status as one of the top three streaming reggae artists on Spotify.
Shaggy is well-known for his Jamaican heritage and offers advice to younger artists trying to break into the global market.
In 2009, the Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation was founded. It is well-known for its many Shaggy benefit concerts and Friends benefit concert. These concerts usually raise millions for the Bustamante Hospital for Children of Kingston.
When he receives his honorary degree, the “Church Heathen” deejay will be joining a prestigious company. According to a Brown University release a Commencement speech is expected to be delivered both by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, and a Baccalaureate address given by Dr. Seth Berkley (CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance).
According to the university, the honorary degree is a Brown tradition that dates back to 1769. It also states that the annual award of honorary degrees “offers the opportunity for our community to recognize and celebrate the achievements leaders from many backgrounds.”
Christina H. Paxson (Brown President) stated that the honor goes to individuals who have made a significant impact in politics, public health and science. He year’s distinguished recipients are a great example for our newest graduates, she said.
Congratulations to the “Boombastic!” deejay.
