CD Reviews

Shaggy

Intoxication | Big Yard/VP

By BEN WESTHOFF | December 10, 2007

3.0 Stars

Even though he’s sold some 20 million albums, labels have kept Shaggy on a short leash over the years. Not too long after his first American smash hit, “Boombastic,” Virgin dropped him, and despite back-to-back charttoppers at the beginning of the decade — “It Wasn’t Me” and “Angel” — things didn’t work out with Geffen, either. And so the Kingston-born reggae/pop singer’s latest effort is out on Queens indie VP Records, with no big-name production or guest rap credits other than Akon. Nonetheless, it should appeal to American and international fans alike. From “Intoxication” (a tale of sexual regret) to “Church Heathen” (about hypocrisy in the church), the lyrics are more stimulating than your typical dancehall fare, and the beats are elegant and catchy. The first single, “Bonafide Girl,” with his “It Wasn’t Me” collaborator Rik Rok, is as sweet and seductive as anything Shaggy’s done.

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Topics: CD Reviews , Akon, SHAGGY

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