Fresh off his Billboard Latin Music Awards opening performance with Wisin of their song “Baby Danger,” Jamaican dancehall and reggae superstar Sean Paul joined us backstage to discuss everything from his latest album, “Full Frequency,” to his musical heroes.
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“Wisin has always expressed wanting to work with me and we just didn’t have the time to work with each other,” Sean Paul told Billboard’s Justino Aguila at the April 24 event. “The right song came along and it was great to be on his album and to be opening these awards. It’s one of them big dreams come true.”
Sean Paul launched his sixth studio album this year, titled “Full Frequency,” featuring guest appearances by Damian Marley, Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj and 2 Chainz, among others. He holds one top 10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, and three No. 1s on the Hot 100: “Get Busy,” as a featured act on Beyonce’s “Baby Boy,” and “Temperature.”
“It’s me going in all different kinds of directions,” Sean Paul said of the album, noting his love for hip-hop, trap and dance music. “The album is my attitude right now — ‘Full frequency’ — I’m going in all different directions trying to hit all bases.”
Sean Paul also took time to reflect on such musical heroes as Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe. “There’s a sample of Willie Colón in something I did with Major Lazer the other day; it’s a song called ‘Come to Me,’ he said. “He’s somebody I looked up to in the business.”
The artist also noted his appreciation for the late Selena. “There are a few songs on her English album that really broke through to us that I knew,” Sean Paul says. “I’ve looked up to a lot of people over the years, and I’m amazed to be here at the Billboard Awards working with some of the greats.”