Grammy-winning Dancehall superstar, Sean Paul and prominent American label, Atlantic Records have severed ties after more than a decade together.
According to reports, Atlantic recently dropped the multi-platinum selling deejay/singer, with the label’s chairman and CEO, Craig Kallman confirming to the Jamaica Observer in an email over the weekend that the entertainer is ‘no longer’ with them. Kallman did not elaborate on why the split took place.
Sean Paul joined Atlantic in 2002 as part of a joint deal with independent Reggae/Dancehall label, VP Records and enjoyed a highly successful run with the Los Angeles based record label. He subsequently released his first album under the label, Dutty Rock in November of that year, which went on to sell over six million copies worldwide and featured two Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers: Get Busy and Baby Boy (alongside Beyonce).
He then released his second studio album under the label, The Trinity, which set a record for most albums sold by a Jamaican Reggae/Dancehall act in its debut week with 107,000 copies sold. That compilation, which featured hits such as We Be Burnin and Temperature, sold over 4.3 million copies worldwide.
Since joining with the label, Sean Paul also secured collaborations with top international acts such as Rihanna, Kelly Rowland, Keyshia Cole and Enrique Iglesias, among countless others.
Sean Paul’s last two projects released via Atlantic, however, were much less successful in the United States. His fourth album, Tomahawk Technique, sold just over 1,200 copies in its first week in the U.S., though it enjoyed much more success in Switzerland, being certified gold while selling over 25,000 copies.
His latest album, Full Frequency sold just over 2,000 copies in its first week.
