Emerging in the early '90s, Shaggy was the biggest crossover success in dancehall reggae. Not only did he become the genre's most commercially potent artist in the international market, he also managed to sustain a successful career in it's own right, over the course of several highly popular albums. Perhaps in part because he wasn't based in Jamaica, he never really needed to have it both ways: virtually ignoring the hardcore dancehall crowd, his music was unabashedly geared toward good times, a friendly persona, and catchy party anthems. He has fairly eclectic tastes, giving his records a musical variety lacking from other dancehall stars. As a result, he has became one of the scant few reggae artists to top the album and pop singles charts in America, not to mention numerous other countries where he's had even greater success.