THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

311-Sean Paul-Get Busy.

2003-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 0.01. This guy has more words than the Oxford Dictionary of English.

Sean Paul was born Ryan Francis Henriques on January 9th, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica, he is Jamaica’s most successful musical export of the 21st Century, and this was recognised in 2019 when he received the Jamaican ‘Order of Distinction’, (OD) Commander class, for his contribution to the global popularity and promotion of Reggae music. Sean Paul’s major breakthrough occurred after having been recommended to the manager and music producer Jeremy Harding, having been seen singing at an open mic night in Kingston. Harding took Sean Paul under his wing, which led to an association between the two of them from 1997-2011. In 2011, Sean Paul established his own record label called ‘Dutty Rock Productions,’ and in 2016, he donated $1 million JMD toward the ‘Bustamante Hospital for Children.’ During the COVID-19 pandemic, he founded the ‘Sean Paul Foundation’ in 2020, aiding less fortunate communities in Jamaica, with donations of groceries to poor families, and distribution of tablet computers to primary schools for students.

The discography of Sean Paul includes eight studio Albums released between 2000-2022, and 115 singles released between 2000-2025, there is also one extended play, (EP) one mixtape, two official compilation Albums, and one live Album available. In the UK, as the lead artist, 17 of his singles have reached the top 40, with ‘We Be Burnin,” (2005) and ‘She Doesn’t Mind,’ (2011) both peaking the highest at Number 2, while as a featured artist he has had 12 top 40 entries, with four of those tracks all making the Number 1 position. In America on Billboard, four of Sean Paul’s Albums have reached Number 1 on the ‘Billboard Reggae Album’ chart, while as the lead artist, seven of his singles have reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 40, with ‘Get Busy,’ (2003) and ‘Temperature,’ (2005) both making the Number 1 position. As a featured artist he has had a further seven top 40 hits, with two of those tracks making the Number 1 position.

‘Get Busy’ was the second of four singles released from ‘Dutty Rock,’ (West Indian patois for ‘dirty rock’) from November 2002, the song was co-written by Sean Paul, and Steven Marsden, with the production also being by Marsden. The Album ‘Dutty Rock’ has been credited with the mainstream breakthrough of the musical genre of ‘Dancehall’ music to a worldwide audience, and ‘Get Busy’ was the first single of that genre to reach Number 1 on Billboard in America. Steven Marsden who is also known as ‘Lenky,’ is a Jamaican-born music producer and musician, who specialises primarily in Dancehall Reggae music. Steven Marsden is best known for his 2002 Album ‘Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali,’ which is also known as the ‘Diwali Riddim.’ The ‘riddim’ (music) is the same one used to various degrees on all of the tracks on the Album, which includes ‘Get Busy,’ and other well known songs including ‘Never Leave You’ (slightly altered from the original riddim) by Lumidee, (2003-Billboard Number 3 & UK Number 2) and ‘No Letting Go’ by Wayne Wonder (2003-Billboard Number 11 & UK Number 3.)

‘Dancehall’ is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970’s. Initially, Dancehall was a more sparse version of ‘Reggae’ than the roots style which had dominated much of the 1970’s. It wasn’t until the 1980’s when the style was officially named, when the two words ‘Dance,’ and ‘Hall,’ (where the music was mainly played) were joined to make one word ‘DanceHall.’ Dancehall saw initial mainstream success in Jamaica in the 1980’s, and by the 1990’s it had become increasingly popular in Jamaican diaspora communities. In the 2000’s, Dancehall experienced worldwide mainstream success, and by the 2010’s, it had begun to heavily influence the work of established Western artists and producers, which helped to further bring the genre into the Western music mainstream. Three of the major elements of Jamaican Dancehall music are the use of digital instruments, particularly the ‘Casio Casiotone MT-40’ electronic keyboard, the ‘Oberheim DX drum machine,’ and the use of riddims, instrumentals, to which lyrics are added.

The lyrics to ‘Get Busy’ don’t appear to break any new ground. Basically Sean Paul get the ladies excited with his riddim, and the ladies get Sean Paul excited with their dance moves. Sean Paul has described ‘Get Busy’ as ‘Mainly a party song. It’s not all about smoking weed.’ He has also said that before he entered the studio to record this song, his girlfriend (later his wife) Jodi and her friend Cana asked him to mention them. ‘I went in there, did the song, and I was trying to find an intro, and usually in Jamaica, we kind of talk an intro out and introduce the song. Well, this time I just decided to sing. I was like ‘I’m going to put their name in it and freak them out.’ I did do it and to this day they’re still good friends.’

Yo sexy ladies want par wid us inna di car wid us. Inna di club dem wah flex wid us, to get next to us.’