Reggae Star Shaggy album to Release February

KINGSTON (Observer): SEVEN months after its digital release, Summer in Kingston, deejay Shaggy's 10th studio album, is set for re-release next month. It coincides with the dancehall star's fourth nomination for Best Reggae album at next month's 54th Grammy Awards.

In an interview with Splash, Shaggy said the re-release has two additional songs and a new version of a key track.

"Initially we released the album digitally with eight songs and sold it at a fan appreciation price for a limited time. Now we are releasing the physical copy with a total of 10 songs, so it's now a full-length album," Shaggy explained.

The two new songs are She Gives Me Love (co-produced by Sly and Robbie and Sting International) and Hurting. There is also a new version of the track Dame featuring Kat Deluna.

Said Shaggy: "Dame was initially a song we were trying to get finished in time for the summer and we had a different female singer on the track. But now it's a far better production and we have Kat Deluna on the single. We are now pushing it as the second single from the album."

Summer in Kingston debuted at number one on Billboard's Reggae Album chart last July. Led by the single, Sugarcane, the digital version has so far sold 10,943, according to sales tracker Soundscan.

The artiste will be attending the Grammys which will be held on February 12 in
Los Angeles.

"It's the fourth time that I have gotten a nomination. Being nominated for a Grammy, it all works as far as the publicity is concerned," he pointed out.

Shaggy's sole Grammy win came in 1995 for Boombastic, an album which sold two million copies in the United States. His 2000 album, Hot Shots is his biggest seller to date, moving some eight million copies in that country.

Shaggy is completing an album with Sly and Robbie which he expects to be released by summer. A US tour is planned for that period.