Shabba

Album: Trap Lord (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Ferg pays homage to the legendary Jamaican Dancehall artist Shabba Ranks on this track over a beat from Snugsworth of Modern Outfit. A$AP Mob spearhead and Ferg's friend since high school, A$AP Rocky, takes the second verse.

    Shabba Ranks is a Jamaican singer whose gravel toned, rough-sounding voice made him one of the most popular dancehall artists of his generation. Ranks began his music career in 1980 as Jamaican DJ Don, building up a strong following on the island. His biggest hit single outside of the Caribbean was the reggae fusion smash "Mr. Loverman" which was a Jamaican hit in the late 80s, but had to wait until 1992 for international success in remix form.
  • The video was shot in a Yonkers, New York, mansion. The clip features plenty of Versace and sexy servants, as we see the entire ASAP Mob partying in luxury alongside The Wire's' Felicia "Snoop" Pearson and Shabba Ranks himself. "We found him — it's very rare, man. Our peoples reached out to his peoples and we finally got a hold of the legend," Ferg told MTV News regarding how they recruited Shabba for his cameo.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.