Mr. Vegas

Clifford Smith earned the moniker Mr. Vegas when classmates observed his soccer style resembled a Vegas showgirl’s high kick. As a dancehall singjay who blended melodic singing with rapid toasting, he first attempted cover versions of Jamaican standards and met with scant notice. Locals nonetheless regarded him as formidable. Seeking a master tape he believed belonged to him, he visited a neighborhood producer’s residence only to be struck across the jaw with a crowbar; the injury forced him to consume liquids through a straw for the next six weeks. While recuperating he heard Beenie Man’s “Who Am I,” prompting an immediate trip to the doctor to have the facial hardware extracted. Although his jaw regained partial mobility, he still could not open his mouth fully when he arrived at Jeremy Harding’s studio to request access to the same riddim.

His approach had always favored smooth vocals, yet the injury compelled greater emphasis on toasting. Working over the “Playground” riddim that underpinned Beenie Man’s hit, he cut the frenetic “Nike Air,” which quickly topped Jamaican charts. “Heads High” followed and achieved widespread success both locally and in the United Kingdom. Producers consequently enlisted him to back vocalists such as Sean Paul, assuming his skills lay solely in forceful delivery. He revealed his romantic register on the 1998 Greensleeves debut Heads High. Damn Right arrived in 2001 featuring guests Shaggy and Big Yard alongside increased R&B and hip-hop elements. The Eastern-tinged “Pull Up” became his next major single and lent its name to the 2004 Delicious Vinyl album. “Hot Wuk” and “Taxi Fare” later appeared on the 2007 set Hot It Up.

In 2008 Mr. Vegas declared his retirement, citing a desire to prioritize family and deepen his faith. He resumed activity in 2012 by founding MV Music and issuing Sweet Jamaica, a set of reggae and dancehall classics timed to mark fifty years of Jamaican independence. Reggae Euphoria followed in 2014, and the covers collection Lovers Rock and Soul appeared the next year. After releasing This Is Dancehall: The Grand Finale in 2016, he publicly announced his conversion to Christianity in Jamaica. The 2017 album Soul Therapy reflected that shift with its gospel focus.