Sean Paul’s Tiny Desk Concert dropped Friday (May 31) and it’s as good as you’d expect.
The legendary reggae superstar took over the NPR offices and transformed them into a good old-fashioned bashment from the jump. Although there was no daggering or whining to be seen, Paul sounded just like he did when he made the tracks that made him an international phenomenon during the early 2000s. With a set list including “Gimme the Light,” “Get Busy,” “Infiltrate,” “I’m Still in Love With You,” “Deport Them,” “Like Glue,” and “Temperature,” Paul proved just how many of his songs have aged well and can still get a party rocking.
He got help from Nigel A. Staff (keys/musical direction), Dan Policar (keys), Kemar “Spanky” Liking (drums), Davol “FletchaBass” Fletcher (bass), Shaun “Copper Shaun” Anderson (DJ), Terrence “Farenizzi” Harold (vocals), and Kerissa Spencer (vocals).
About 15 minutes into his set, after performing 2000’s “Deport Them,” he had to take off his orange Palm Angels track jacket before jumping into “Temperature” — which gave him an opportunity to show off all the ice he had on, including a crazy diamond fang grill. The star also managed to get the NPR staff involved throughout his set, with the small crowd nailing the call and response, a very important part of any dancehall set.
Sean last released an album in 2022 with Scorcha. He’s still working it, though, releasing the video for “Gyal Chasin” this past March. Hopefully his Tiny Desk can help revitalize the bashment party scene.
Check out Sean Paul’s full Tiny Desk set above.
