Born Clifford Smith in Kingston, Jamaica, he was given the nickname Mr. Vegas by his cousin for the neon pink shorts he wore on the football field; in addition to his athletic skills Mr. Vegas also demonstrated musical talents early on. However an unfortunate dispute over the ownership of a DAT resulted in Vegas being hit in the jaw with an iron pipe; after the assault Vegas' mouth was wired shut so he was forced to create a unique method of vocalizing through his teeth. That style was first heard on "Nike Air", the song that initially positioned Vegas on the dancehall charts. Characterized by uplifting lyrics aimed (especially) at young women, he followed "Nike Air" with another affirming and very appealing tune "Heads High" which reached number one in Jamaica, hit the British Top Ten and found its way onto several urban stations across America.
Vegas' 1997 debut album "Heads High" (Greensleeves Records) further displayed his captivating vocal capabilities on songs like "Jacket", "Sweet Pineapple" and "Everywhere I Go"; it also earned him a British Mobo Award as Best Reggae artist, while establishing his fan base beyond the Jamaican dancehall.
However Vegas demonstrated even greater versatility on his 2001 sophomore release "Damn Right" (Greensleeves) which featured a stronger R&B and hip-hop flavor on the hits "Girls Time" and "She's A Ho", sensitive singing on the roots rocking "Rise" and a sensational duet with Sean Paul "Hot Gal Today".
With his move to the Los Angeles based independent label Delicious Vinyl Vegas released his third CD "Pull Up". The title track was recorded on Scatta Burrell's wildly popular Coolie Dance riddim, entered the Billboard charts and took Vegas' music into previously uncharted territory. Another single from "Pull Up" "Tamale" also did well, particularly in Europe.
Vegas has just completed his fourth and finest CD so far "Constant Spring" which presents an amalgam of styles including reggaeton productions by the red hot duo Luny/Tunes on the tracks "Johnny" and "Papito" and Latin tinged duets with Don Omar ("Pobre Diablo") and El Medico ("Penicilin"). Another scorching combination "Burnin" features soca sensation Kevin Lyttle. Vegas' long time associate Jamaica's Richard "Shams" Browne produced several tracks including "Million Dollar Baby" and "Slow Wine" while veteran dancehall hit makers Steely and Clevie's Sleepy Dog riddim scampers under Vegas' current Jamaican chart topper, the CDs title track "Constant Spring". Another Jamaican hit that is currently finding popularity throughout Europe is Vegas' self-produced, uncharacteristically contemplative "More Love", his emotive singing lamenting Jamaica's upwardly spiraling crime rate but the song's lyrics are applicable to many troubled territories throughout the world:
"I walk these Kingston streets, everyday a bare a beat/I can't get no sleep all I hear is AKs when they speak/ I walk Spanish town all I hear is people get gunned down, when I look around all I see is bodies on the ground. My shadow's afraid to even walk beside me, my shadow's afraid to even walk this city gun dawg and his friend full the morgue in Kingston city/too many guns in town."
"Crime, violence, war, it affects everyone," Vegas says, "and there is nothing in that song that doesn't relate to what is going on everywhere, especially Kingston. We want this album to be versatile so a Latino person a hip hop person, urban kids or all nationalities will listen to it."
Reflecting the ongoing changes within the music industry, Vegas and his manager Leslie Cooney of the Los Angeles based company Addict Management will be taking a very different approach regarding the release of "Constant Spring": they will not be signing to just one label. "We have found that as an independent artist Vegas can better exploit his appeal in every territory without the expectations and limitations of being signed to one label," says Ms. Cooney. "Instead, we will directly supply his fans with music worldwide and will seek licenses with different labels in their respective territories. Whether by an actual record or digital distribution, if there is a demand for Vegas it can now be met without waiting for the record label machinery to spring into action. We are taking matters in our own hands and Vegas is planning his own future."
And for Mr. Vegas the future appears to be shining even brighter than the flashing neon lights that abound in the Nevada city that is his namesake. www.mr-vegas.com
Heads High
Mr. Vegas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kill dem wit di no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Kill dem wit di, kill dem wit di, kill dem wit di
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Tell dem seh Vegas say so
Me wan' you skin yuh teeth and mek me seet
If you sure from you born seh you never dweet
You a no freak, one man you keep
And him yet complain say yuh deep
You mek yuh vow, you nah answer to yo
And a one man a sample yuh chow chow
Knit up yuh brow, mek a guy know
Seh him fi move him blow-wow
A sing again
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Mek a boy know you a no pappy show
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Tell dem seh Vegas say so
Me wan' hear you scream if yuh mouth clean
No man never rub you in fi in no ice cream
You nuh smell green like Charlene
You wul a fresh, you have a healthy hygiene
From assuming while you keep blooming
Like a pretty likkle lily inna di morning
Yuh not crawling, pressure dem, darling
When yuh rising dem keep falling
So sing again
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
No boy cyaan' tek a you fi pappy show
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Dem n'ave no secret fi you
And sing again
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
No boy cyaan' tek a you fi pappy show
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Tell dem Vegas say so
Me wha you scream, bruk out, whine up yuh body
Hand inna di air cah you a no rae rae
One ship alone can dock pon a bay
And no boy mic you nah DJ
And sing again
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a punk know you nuh blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
No boy cyaan' tek a you fi pappy show
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a punk know you nuh blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Tell dem Vegas say so
Me wan' you skin yuh teeth and mek me seet
If you sure from you born seh you never dweet
You a no freak, one man you keep
And him yet complain say yuh deep
You mek yuh vow, you nah answer to yo
And a one man a sample yuh chow chow
Knit up yuh eyebrow, mek a guy know
Seh him fi move him blow-wow-wow-wow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Mek a boy know you a no pappy show
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Tell dem seh Vegas say so
And sing a long
The song βHeads Highβ by Mr. Vegas is a reggae dancehall hit that was released in 1998. Throughout the song, Mr. Vegas encourages women to have high self-esteem and to not allow men to take advantage of them. The chorus βHeads high, kill them with noβ encourages women to maintain their pride and not be taken down by others. Mr. Vegas also emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself and not compromising one's values.
The lyrics of the song are sung largely in Jamaican patois, which can be difficult for non-Jamaican speakers to understand. However, the message of female empowerment and self-respect is clear throughout the song. The lyrics also reference Jamaican culture and slang, such as βno blow,β meaning not giving in to pressure or temptation.
Line by Line Meaning
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Emphasizes that the singer is absolutely against something.
Kill dem wit di no
Using the word 'no' to reject or eliminate anything negative.
Heads high, kill dem wit di no
Encourages the listener to maintain high self-esteem, while rejecting negative elements.
Just mek a boy know you nah blow
Urge the listener to show confidence, assertiveness, and an unwillingness to compromise their values.
No boy ain't got no secret fi you
The listener is trustworthy and can keep any shared secret.
Tell dem seh Vegas say so
The singer is proud and confident in their words, ideas and actions.
Me wan' you skin yuh teeth and mek me seet
Asking the listener to smile broadly and expose their teeth.
If you sure from you born seh you never dweet
If the listener is sure that they have never acted against their beliefs, they can be confident.
You a no freak, one man you keep
The listener is not a promiscuous person and is loyal to their partner.
And him yet complain say yuh deep
The listener's partner is complaining that they are too tight sexually.
You mek yuh vow, you nah answer to yo
The listener has made a commitment to stay true to themselves.
And a one man a sample yuh chow chow
Despite being loyal, the listener is still confident and has a sexual appetite.
Knit up yuh brow, mek a guy know
The listener should show assertiveness by furrowing their brow.
Seh him fi move him blow-wow
The listener is demanding that their partner gets on with pleasuring them.
Mek a boy know you a no pappy show
The listener will not tolerate being treated as a sexual object.
Me wan' hear you scream if yuh mouth clean
The listener should speak up and express themselves without limitation.
No man never rub you in fi in no ice cream
The listener has never been manipulated or controlled.
You nuh smell green like Charlene
The listener does not have bad breath like Charlene.
Yuh wul a fresh, you have a healthy hygiene
The listener has good hygiene and smells fresh.
From assuming while you keep blooming
Assuming is about self-confidence and self-esteem, and the listener is doing well.
Like a pretty likkle lily inna di morning
The listener is like a beautiful lily in the morning.
Yuh not crawling, pressure dem, darling
The listener is not a pushover; they stand up for themselves and apply pressure when necessary.
When yuh rising dem keep falling
As the listener rises, the negative forces around them fall.
Bruk out, whine up yuh body
The listener should move their body freely and confidently.
Hand inna di air cah you a no rae rae
The listener's hands should be in the air because they are not crazy.
One ship alone can dock pon a bay
The listener is committed to a monogamous relationship.
And no boy mic you nah DJ
No man can control or manipulate the listener.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Haldane Wayne Browne, Clifford Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RecordBoy1
My dad died recently, and he used to listen to songs like this, it makes me think of them me think of him
@jamallhayden2512
R.I.P ποΈ
@skelkankaos
Doesn't matter where you came from, if you're here you have good taste
@bandokaysnan9621
12 from England π
@Ireneseesthru28
Yassss!!
@Ireneseesthru28
USA though over here wish I was in England
@joeKisonue
Tanks mon
@joeKisonue
@@bandokaysnan9621 this song about boning
@Skully01
This song will never get old
@williamrutotv9390
Vegas was and still is a legend in Kenya.. This song used to play in every barbershop and neighbourhood parties. Good times man