Renowned rapper Shaggy recently revealed a long-standing misconception surrounding his popular track ‘It Wasn’t Me.’ For years, fans have misunderstood the true meaning of the song, and Shaggy is setting the record straight.
Orville Richard Burrell C, known by his stage name Shaggy, has established himself as a veteran in the rap scene. Over the years, the 54-year-old artist has earned numerous accolades, including two Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album in 1996 and 2019, as well as a Brit Award for Best International Male Solo Artist in 2002. While some of his most well-known hits date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as ‘Boombastic’ and ‘Angel,’ Shaggy continues to captivate audiences with his latest tour.
The highly anticipated tour officially commenced on June 1st, with Shaggy sharing the stage with talented artists like TLC, En Vogue, and Sean Kingston throughout the summer. Expressing his excitement, Shaggy mentioned, “Well, these are all people I personally have worked with before and know. Sean and me—that’s my island boy. I’ve known him for years. It’s really great to be on the bill with these wonderful ladies. I’ve performed in Europe with En Vogue on two occasions. As for TLC, I did eight shows with them in America last year, and the turnout was massive. I think Live Nation liked the idea of us and them together.”
Undoubtedly, one of Shaggy’s most iconic and instantly recognizable songs is the 2000 hit ‘It Wasn’t Me,’ which many fans mistakenly believed to be about infidelity. However, this misconception persists despite the fact that Shaggy has been happily married to Rebecca Packer for nearly a decade, and they share three daughters. When asked by People if people assume he is a ‘player’ due to the song, Shaggy clarified, “It was a big misconception with that song because that song is not a cheating song. It’s an anti-cheating song. It’s just that nobody listened to the record to the end.”
He further explained, “There’s a part in the record where it’s a conversation between two people, and you have one guy, which is me at that point, giving that bad advice, like, ‘Yo, bro, how could you get caught? Just tell her, ‘It wasn’t me,’ and then at the end, the guy says, ‘I’m going to tell her that I’m sorry for the pain that I’ve caused.’ ‘I’ve been listening to your reasoning, it makes no sense at all. Going to tell her that I’m sorry for the pain that I’ve caused. You might think that you’re a player, but you’re completely lost.'”
Shaggy emphasized, “Nobody hears that part! That’s what the song says.”
It’s clear that the true essence of the track has eluded many listeners, and Shaggy hopes to rectify this misunderstanding, shedding light on the anti-cheating message conveyed in ‘It Wasn’t Me.’
Who knew!
