Shaggy’s 2000 hit “It Wasn’t Me,” featuring Ricardo “Rik Rok” Ducent, surpassed 1 billion plays on Spotify on Saturday, May 18. This achievement marks Shaggy’s first billion-play track on Spotify and makes it the sixth Jamaican-led song to reach this milestone on the platform.
First released in November 2000, “It Wasn’t Me” was the lead single from Shaggy’s fifth studio album, “Hot Shot,” released under MCA Records. The song became Shaggy’s first to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, following his earlier hit “Boombastic,” which peaked at No. 3 in 1995. In the UK Singles Chart, “It Wasn’t Me” marked Shaggy’s third No. 1 hit, after “Oh Carolina” in 1993 and “Boombastic” in 1995.
- Advertisement -
The song is currently certified 4X Platinum in the UK, with sales and streaming equivalents exceeding 2.4 million units. It is also certified 3X Platinum in Australia and Platinum in Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, as well as Gold in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
According to Shaggy, they knew the song was special as they laughed through its creation.
“The thing about ‘It Wasn’t Me’ is that the subject matter is so relatable; it’s either you’re involved, you know someone involved, or you wish you were involved,” Shaggy added, capturing the essence of Murphy’s routine.
The hook’s origin, Shaggy told Vlad TV, was inspired by an Eddie Murphy joke from his 1987 stand-up comedy “RAW” that featured the line “It wasn’t me.”
Shaggy’s management and record label initially rejected “It Wasn’t Me” as “crap” and refused to release it. Shaggy even attempted to give the song away to artists like Wayne Wonder and the duo Tanto Metro and Devonte against his management’s advice.
Hans Haedelt, a former MCA Records senior director, accidentally heard the demo tape and declared it a hit. Despite initial resistance, Hans recommended completing and adding the song to the album.
“It Wasn’t Me wasn’t even released as a single,” VICE reported. “But a series of happy accidents, some illegal downloading, and sheer determination propelled ‘It Wasn’t Me’ to become one of the first viral crossover hits.”
MCA Records executives were criticized in the documentary for failing to recognize the song’s potential. A radio DJ in Hawaii, Pablo Sato, downloaded the album from Napster after MCA declined his request for a copy. This led to widespread radio play and global popularity.
In 2001, Shaggy topped the US Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart again with “Angel,” another track from “Hot Shot.” The album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and UK Albums charts. It is certified 6X Platinum in the US and has sold over 8 million units nationwide as of March 2023. In the UK, “Hot Shot” is certified 3X Platinum for sales exceeding 900,000 units.
