Fact Check: Reggae Artist Shaggy Faked Jamaican Accent, Is U.S. Military Veteran – Moguldom
Reggae sensation Shaggy, renowned for his distinctive voice and hit tracks like “Angel” and “It Wasn’t Me,” recently shocked fans by revealing a surprising truth about his iconic Jamaican accent. In a TikTok video, the Grammy Award-winning artist, born Orville Richard Burrell, disclosed that his Jamaican accent, which has become synonymous with his music, is actually a product of his time serving in the United States Marine Corps, Fox 10 Phoenix.
While Shaggy was indeed born in Jamaica, he migrated to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 18, where he later enlisted in the military. His journey into the Marines unfolded in 1988, where he served as an artilleryman stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
During his time in the military, Shaggy revealed recently that he developed his distinctive accent by mimicking drill instructions as a form of camaraderie among his fellow soldiers. His stint in the Marines included a deployment to the Middle East from December 1990 to April 1991 as part of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
“I got this voice by mocking drill instructions in the military,” he said. “And I would mock them as a form of joking because it motivated your platoon.”
Despite achieving the rank of lance corporal, Shaggy faced challenges during his military tenure, including instances of unauthorized absence (UA), attributed to his pursuit of a burgeoning music career. He also said he performed at free concerts for military personnel worldwide following his discharge in 1992.
He spoke about how the accent helped one of his singles break through–and the rest is history.
“I just sang that song in that voice because it sounded cool and all of a sudden ‘Oh Carolina’ blew up and I’m faced with this situation that I’m going to have to sing every song like that,” he explained.
Some of his hit songs include “It Wasn’t Me,” “Clothes Drop,” “Intoxication,” “Summer in Kingston,” “Out of Many, One Music,” “Com Fly Wid Mi,” “Hot Shot,” “In The Summertime,” “Oh Carolina” and “Angel.”
In 2007, he was awarded the Jamaican Order of Distinction with the rank of Commander. In 2022, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Brown University.
Military photo, U.S. Department of Defense, https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/3676842/rapper-shaggy-served-as-a-marine-corps-artilleryman/Shaggy, Instagram screenshot, https://www.instagram.com/p/C4aekN-uXiq/
