Mr. Vegas

Mr. Vegas is the stage name of Clifford Smith, a dancehall and reggae artist from Kingston, Jamaica. Born in 1974, he develops a style that combines melodic singing with precision deejaying, and he is known for using a sing-jay approach across his recordings.

Early career and breakthrough

He first comes to wide attention in Jamaica in 1997 with the singles “Heads High” and “Nike Air”. “Nike Air” is the first song to feature the distinctive vocal style he develops after an assault leaves his mouth wired shut. “Heads High” reaches number one in Jamaica, enters the British Top Ten, and receives radio play on urban stations in the United States.

The nickname Mr. Vegas comes from a cousin, who gives him the name because of the neon pink shorts he wears on a football field. Before his recording career takes off, he also shows athletic ability and musical talent.

Albums and collaborations

His 1997 debut album, Heads High, is released on Greensleeves Records and includes “Jacket”, “Sweet Pineapple” and “Everywhere I Go”. The album earns him a MOBO Award for Best Reggae Artist and helps establish an audience beyond Jamaica.

His 2001 second album, Damn Right, also on Greensleeves, broadens his sound with R&B and hip-hop influences. It includes “Girls Time”, “She’s A Ho”, the roots-oriented “Rise”, and a duet with Sean Paul, “Hot Gal Today”.

He later moves to the Los Angeles independent label Delicious Vinyl for Pull Up. The title track is built on Scatta Burrell’s Coolie Dance riddim, enters the Billboard charts, and expands his reach. Another single from the album, “Tamale”, performs well, especially in Europe.

Constant Spring and later material

On Constant Spring, he works across a range of styles, including reggaeton productions by Luny/Tunes on “Johnny” and “Papito”. The album also includes Latin-tinged duets with Don Omar on “Pobre Diablo” and El Medico on “Penicilin”, plus “Burnin”, a collaboration with soca singer Kevin Lyttle.

Richard “Shams” Browne produces several tracks on the album, including “Million Dollar Baby” and “Slow Wine”. Steely and Clevie’s Sleepy Dog riddim underpins the title track “Constant Spring”. Another song, “More Love”, is self-produced and addresses crime and violence in Kingston.

Style and labels

Mr. Vegas is associated with dancehall and reggae, and his recordings also draw on ragga, reggaeton and related Caribbean and urban styles. His listed labels include Greensleeves Records, Delicious Vinyl, Clifford Smith Publishing Designee and Mr. Vegas Music.