Sean Paul's "Dutty Rock" is the favorite for the 2003 Grammy for Best Reggae Album!

The album Dutty Rock, with strong Hip-Hop influences from Dee Jay Sean Paul, is the big favorite for the 2003 Grammy for Best Reggae Album. The nominees for the 46th Grammy were announced the day before yesterday in Los Angeles. Sean Paul was also nominated in two other categories: "Best New Artist" and "Best Solo R&B/Rap Album". The other nominees for best Reggae album are: Wayne Wonder: No Holding Back Buju Banton: Friends For Life Burning Spear: Free Man Third World: Ain't Givin' Up. The failure to nominate singer Sizzla with the album "Da Real Thing", one of the most popular albums released this year, was heavily criticized. On the other hand, the nomination in the "Punk/Ska Group" category for No Doubt with the famous Dancehall singer Lady Saw was widely praised, also competing for the award for "Best vocal performance – group or duo". VP Records did well, with 3 label artists nominated (Sean Paul, Buju Banton and Wayne Wonder). Burning Spear's album Free Man is distributed by "Spear's Burning Productions", while Third World's was released by Shanachie. Of the five nominees, only Burning Spear has already won a Grammy. He took home the Best Reggae Album award in 2000, with "Calling Rastafari". Third World and Buju Banton have been nominated before, but have never won. "Free Man" and "Ain't Givin' Up" are still little known, while the other nominees have been racking up hit after hit. Sean Paul's album, for example, has already sold more than 2 million copies. This reflects the new direction Reggae is taking, with artists who play traditional Roots Reggae being increasingly forgotten by the media at awards like this. No Holding Back and Friends For Life were released in March, with the first reaching number one in the R&B category on Billboard. "Whatcha Gonna Do" (featuring singer Nadine Shuterland) from the album Friends For Life was not as successful in the USA. Reggae only began to gain recognition at the Grammy in 1984, with Anthem by Black Uhuru winning in the category in 1985.

GRAMMY SURFOREGGAE SPECIAL

Click here and discover the entire journey of Jah's rhythm at the world's most important music awards.