Grammy Award-winning dancehall artist Sean Paul isn’t running to participate in the social media-born event “Verzuz,” yet the “Temperature” musician isn’t entirely opposed to the idea either. However, during a recent interview, he revealed that Shaggy was the only entertainer worthy of the musical challenge.
During an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” with co-host Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy, and Angela Yee, the 49-year-old admitted that he still “didn’t feel the vibe” when it came to doing a “Verzuz.” And it wasn’t the first time the rapper expressed unwillingness if offered the opportunity.
“I have like niche space in the business almost,” Sean said as he explained why it would be unfair for him to go up against anyone. “And so, for me, it’s kind of weird to battle somebody from my own genre, and I’m one of the most successful there. It’s kinda little weird, at this point, being one of the elder statesmen.” Furthermore, Sean said, “the stance on it is just kind of a unity thing for me.”
When asked by Angela whether he’d be open to doing a strictly dancehall center event, Sean then referenced one of the most talked-about showdowns between Beenie Man and Bounty Killer in August 2020. Angela agreed, adding, “We need more of those,” to which Sean asked, “So, you want see me go with Shaggy then?”
He continued, “He my big bro. He’s one of my good friends in the business.” Still, he doesn’t think it would be a fair match. “I got 19 songs in the top 20…” When asked about Shaggy, Sean claimed he only had three but noted, “He sold 15 million. I didn’t sell that.” He reiterated, “For me, it’s unfair. It’s like putting Mike Tyson with his boss — Muhammad Ali — it’s different time frames.”
Many people agreed with the singer even after some alleged Sean was taking jabs at Shaggy by sharing his career highlights. One Instagram user wrote, “He didn’t say it to be shady if you watch the video. But he definitely makes points.” They added, “It would be hard to put him against anybody simply because he transcends Jamaica and has pop hits.”
