Dancehall king Sean Paul returns to the scene Sept. 27 with "The Trinity" (VP/Atlantic Records). The album is the follow-up to his 2002 release "Dutty Rock," which has sold 2.5 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
While most would be nervous about living up to such success, Paul tells Billboard that words like "pressure" and "worry" are not even in his vocabulary at the moment. "In school, I felt nervous when I had to deliver a big project or when I used to swim 8,000 meters a day to get ready for a swim meet. That was pressure; this is not," he says.
Though Paul initially teamed up with such mega producers as the Neptunes and reggae hitmakers Sly & Robbie, he chose such lesser-known talents as Black Chiney and the Renaissance Crew, who produced the set's lead single, "We Be Burnin'." The track is No. 24 on the Billboard Radio Monitor Rap chart.
"I did a few demos with the Neptunes and Scott Storch," Paul says. "I realized that those records were all good, but I can't do 'Dutty Rock' again. I decided to turn back to Jamaica to feel the vibe of what's going on there. There's a mixture of young producers and entertainers that inspire me every day."
Among the rising artists inspiring Paul is reggaetón sensation Daddy Yankee. Paul says he is embracing the new genre, which shares much with dancehall.
"Music is supposed to bring people together. I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say I don't love the music. The music is good -- I just don't know what dem saying," he jokes.
While most would be nervous about living up to such success, Paul tells Billboard that words like "pressure" and "worry" are not even in his vocabulary at the moment. "In school, I felt nervous when I had to deliver a big project or when I used to swim 8,000 meters a day to get ready for a swim meet. That was pressure; this is not," he says.
Though Paul initially teamed up with such mega producers as the Neptunes and reggae hitmakers Sly & Robbie, he chose such lesser-known talents as Black Chiney and the Renaissance Crew, who produced the set's lead single, "We Be Burnin'." The track is No. 24 on the Billboard Radio Monitor Rap chart.
"I did a few demos with the Neptunes and Scott Storch," Paul says. "I realized that those records were all good, but I can't do 'Dutty Rock' again. I decided to turn back to Jamaica to feel the vibe of what's going on there. There's a mixture of young producers and entertainers that inspire me every day."
Among the rising artists inspiring Paul is reggaetón sensation Daddy Yankee. Paul says he is embracing the new genre, which shares much with dancehall.
"Music is supposed to bring people together. I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say I don't love the music. The music is good -- I just don't know what dem saying," he jokes.
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