Shaggy “didn’t want to overstay [his] welcome” in music.
The singer, who is best known for his 2000 hit “It Wasn’t Me,” has enjoyed major success in showbiz over the course of the last 30 years but has turned his attention away from music in recent times. He explained that the decisions to do other things is all part of a plan to achieve “longevity” in the industry.
“I’ve been lucky to have gone through this multiple times,” he told “E! News.” “I was lucky to go through that roller coaster ride of the fanning-out, the craziness. Everything for me is strategic. You go to your aunt’s house, and she’s happy to see you. She’s making your bed; she’s cooking for you. You stay there for two weeks, [then] she’s like, ‘All right, you’re cooking for yourself; you need to take out the garbage.’ You don’t want to overstay your welcome. That’s part of what’s known as longevity — and this is why I’m here.”
Away from music, the “Angel” hitmaker — whose real name is Orville Richard Burrell — starred as Sebastian in Disney’s The Little Mermaid Live! in 2019 and explained that he hopes to continue doing more theatrical work. However, he said he will return to his roots when the time is right before admitting that he is always aware of where both his audience and he are within the market.
“I’ll take myself away from the scene, do some theater,” Shaggy said. “And then we’ll come back in when the time is right. You just kind of know where you are, you look at the market — the market is always changing. The game is always changing. You always look at where your audience is.”
