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By Venesha Johnson | Associate Writer
Did you know that there are quite a few international artists that were born and, or raised right here in Jamaica? Probably more than you think. I’m talking about the likes of Sean Paul, Shaggy and many others. Well, today I want to talk about another popular artist that is well known and well-loved that you may know, Sean Kingston.
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Sean Kingston became very popular back in 2007 when he released his debut single, Beautiful Girls. That song is still a hit in the clubs today. He was just 18 years old at the time, quickly becoming one of the fastest-rising stars back then. Beautiful Girls was just the beginning, though. Sean followed up with two more top ten hits, “Me Love” and “Take You There,” songs I can still sing word for word even today.
By early 2008, Sean Kingston’s self-titled debut album had been certified Gold by the RIAA, and he was a sought-after collaborator, even featuring on Natasha Bedingfield’s hit “Love Like This.” With millions of digital singles sold and tours alongside big names like Gwen Stefani, Chris Brown, and Kelly Clarkson, Sean Kingston was well on his way to pop stardom.
But who is Sean Kingston? Where is he from? I am happy to say he is rooted right here in Jamaica. His full name is actually Kisean Jamal Anderson and he was born on February 3, 1990, in Miami, Florida. But while he wasn’t born here in Jamaica he still has a deep connection to us, as he spent a significant part of his early childhood in Kingston, Jamaica, hence his stage name.
You see growing up in Jamaica highly influenced Sean's chosen musical style. He was surrounded by the rich sounds of reggae, dancehall, and the vibrant culture of our island. As a matter of fact his grandfather, Jack Ruby, was a legendary Jamaican producer, so I guess you could say Jamaican music is in his blood.
By the age of six, Sean and his family had moved back to the United States and settled in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Despite the move, his love for music, especially reggae, stayed with him. Which was mad easy, as Fort Lauderdale has a high population of Jamaicans and wherever you find Jamaicans you will also find the sounds of reggae and dancehall. By his early teens, Sean was performing at local talent shows and developing a unique style that blended his Jamaican roots with the typical American hip-hop and pop sound.
Sean didn't become a star overnight and his life was certainly no fairytale. Life was pretty tough for him growing up, especially around age 15 when both his mother and sister were sent to prison. Music became his solace and a way out of his troubled home life. He began uploading his music to MySpace. You remember Myspace right? It was a hot social media platform in the early 2000s. This was how he caught the attention of a producer called J.R. Rotem. Sean finally got his big break when Rotem signed him to his label, Beluga Heights, which led to the creation of “Beautiful Girls.”
Things aren’t looking so great for Sean these days. The singer and his mother, Janice Turner, have been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a $1 million fraud scheme in South Florida. They made their first appearance in federal court after a grand jury formally charged them with the charges.
If convicted, they are looking to face up to 20 years in prison on each of the six counts they face. The scheme involved defrauding multiple businesses, including a jeweler, a luxury furniture maker, a high-end auto dealer, and a TV and entertainment system company. Kingston and Turner bonded out of jail on June 4, 2024, days after being booked for allegedly committing more than a million dollars worth of fraud alongside his mother.
We might not be sure of what the future holds for Kingston and these charges certainly allude to a questionable character, but what we know for sure is that there was a time when he gifted us with music that we will be vibing to for years to come.
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