Mr. Vegas
Mr. Vegas | |
|---|---|
 Mr. Vegas performing at Ruhr Reggae Summer in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Clifford Smith 29 September 1974 Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels |
|
Clifford Smith (born 29 September 1974), better known as Mr. Vegas, is a Jamaican dancehall singjay.
Career
Mr. Vegas emerged in the late 1990s as part of a wave of Jamaican dancehall artists gaining international attention.[1]
He gained recognition with early recordings including "Nike Air".[2]
His single "Heads High" charted on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[3]
In 2000, he released "Hot Gal Today", which peaked at number 66 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[1]
His single "Pull Up" (2004) reached number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 68 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[4]
His albums have appeared on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, including Damn Right (2001) and Sweet Jamaica (2012).[5]
Retirement
In September 2008, Smith announced that he was retiring from the music industry, citing unhappiness with his work and a desire to spend more time with his children and be "closer to God Almighty".[6] However, he later returned to recording, releasing songs including "Man a Gallis", "Can't Stop Now" (with Major Lazer), "Mix Up Peggy", "Wanna See You Move" (DJ GQ) and "Fi Get Rich".
Return to music
Mr. Vegas released Sweet Jamaica in May 2012.[7]
To mark Jamaica’s 50th anniversary, he recorded material for the project Sweet Jamaica, which featured collaborations with several reggae artists.[8]
In 2012, Mr. Vegas was nominated for Best Reggae Act at the MOBO Awards.[9]
The album debuted at number 7 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.[10]
In 2013, "Sweet Jamaica" was recognised as Song of the Year at the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA).[11]
Reggae Euphoria was released in September 2014.[12]
He featured on a remixed version of Beyoncé's "Standing on the Sun", included on the 2014 Platinum Edition of her self-titled album.[13]
Education
In 2019, he completed his GED and later earned an associate degree from Broward College.[14]
He graduated from Florida International University in 2022.[14]
Discography
- Heads High (1998)
- Reggae Max (1999)
- Mr. Vegas (1999)
- Damn Right (2001)
- Pull Up (2004)
- Hot It Up (2007)
- Sweet Jamaica (2012)
- Reggae Euphoria (2014)
- Lovers Rock and Soul (2015)
- This Is Dancehall (2016)
- ISM (2018)
- Ghetto Reggae (2025)
References
- ^ a b "Mr. Vegas Biography". AllMusic.
- ^ "From Jamaican Roots to "Ghetto Reggae", Mr. Vegas Aims to Make a Mark". Billboard Italia.
- ^ "Mr. Vegas Chart History". Billboard.
- ^ "Mr. Vegas Chart History". Billboard.
- ^ "Mr. Vegas Chart History". Billboard.
- ^ Brooks, Sadeke (25 September 2008). "Mr 'di do' Vegas quits music - Turns to God and kids". Jamaica Star.
- ^ ...
- ^ Cooke, Mel (29 July 2012). "Vegas Goes For Catalogue With 'Sweet Jamaica'". Jamaica Gleaner.
- ^ "Nominations 2012". MOBO Organisation. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ^ "Mr Vegas to share Euphoria". Jamaica Observer. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ^ "Vegas aces GED". Jamaica Observer. 14 July 2019.
- ^ "Mr Vegas to share Euphoria". Jamaica Observer. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ^ "Mr Vegas elated with Beyonce's remix". Jamaica Observer. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ^ a b "My children inspired me – Mr Vegas says after graduating university". Jamaica Gleaner.
External links
- Mr. Vegas at Myspace
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p350422