Genre:Dance
About
Mr. Vegas, Original Reggae and Dancehall Singjay - #Bruk It Down 2.0 get it September 24,
2013 - available at iTunes.
Biography
To have a single with an ICONIC Multi-Platinum POP artist is the dream of most Jamaican
recording artists. To have two releases with two ICONIC Multi-Platinum POP artists when
you are paving the road on your own merits and with your own imprint is usually un-heard
of. However, Mr. Vegas is standing on the brink of record breaking milestones. Currently his
collaboration “Fruit Juice” with Snoop for Snoop Lion’s ‘Reincarnation’ album and the remix
of “Standing On The Sun” with Beyonce has him poised for his own album release ‘Bruk It
Down 2.0’.
From “Heads High” (1998) to the newest “Party Tun Up” (2013), Mr. Vegas has assembled
an unshakable string of international classic reggae and dancehall releases including
Billboard hits highlighting his career progression for the last two decades. Always looking
forward, Mr. Vegas is also synonymous with the success of the new social media generation
amassing copious amounts of fans, friends and followers across Twitter and Facebook who
appreciates his commentary away from the microphone and millions and millions of views
on YouTube for his high quality electrifying videos.
Born Clifford Smith in Jamaica’s capital city, Kingston. Smith developed a passion for music
at an early age. It was customary for aspiring high school age singers to gather during
lunch break to test new lyrics and share their talents with classmates. Smith’s passion
developed during these sessions when he noted female classmates would regularly attend
without demonstrating any interest in lunch. Still, his first recording session was a dead end
when the mix he had paid for with money that was supposed to be used for an international
visa was never mixed properly and the song went nowhere. Mr. Vegas, however, was
destined to go places.
Although he got his moniker around the same time for his glitzy style on the football/
soccer pitch, Mr. Vegas earned it in the recording studio. His first hit, “Nike Air” (1997),
recorded on the Playground Riddim for Jeremy Harding, only came about because Mr. Vegas
successfully demanded that doctors removed the wiring in his jaw after a serious injury
sustained not long before. Despite nursing the injured jaw, “Nike Air” raced to the top of the
charts.
Mr. Vegas follow up smash hit on the Filthy Riddim, “Heads High”, took the world by storm.
Led by its undeniable hook over the creeping bass line, “Heads High” reached #1 on the
reggae charts in five continents and #69 on the US R&B Chart. The same year, Vegas won
a distinguished MOBO (Music Of Black Origin) Award in the UK. MTV put the “Heads High”
video in heavy rotation and powerhouse dancehall distributor Greensleeves Records signed
on for his debut album the following year. Also called Heads High, the album compiled
additional hit songs including “Jacket”, “Sweet Pineapple” and “Everywhere I Go”, to reach
#5 on the US Reggae Chart.
Vegas’s sophomore Greensleeves Records release, Damn Right (2001), confirmed him as
a leading reggae dancehall artist from Jamaica. Damn Right included the now timeless
favourites ‘Girls Time’, ‘She’s A Ho’ and the monster collaboration with Sean Paul, ‘Hot Gal
Today’, which Vibe Magazine voted one of the best collaborations of all-time and peaked at
#66 on the US R&B chart. Damn Right also reached #2 on the US Reggae chart.The versatile and accomplished Mr. Vegas added yet another achievement to his portfolio
with multiple nominations at the 32nd IRAWMA awards on May 6, 2013. On that day he
copped the title Song of the Year with “Sweet Jamaica” and Video of the Year with “Bruk it
Down”. Thus, proving that he is undoubtedly still a force to be reckoned with turning out
hits after hits of international caliber.Indeed, Mr. Vegas has appeared on all of the industry’s major shows, in Jamaica and
abroad, including Guinness Sting, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest, Reggae Sunsplash, Tobago
Jazz Festival, Best of the Best in Miami, Uppsala Reggae Fest, Summerjam Germany,
Rototom Sunsplash, Amsterdam Reggae Festival and more. Mr. Vegas continues to tour
extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean Islands and North and South
America.