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
We nuh want nuh friend
Mr. Vegas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mr. Vegas
Dai du
Mister, (mister), mister, (mister), mister, (mister), mister (mister),
Chorus:
We nuh want no fren from dem,
We nuh want no fren from dem
We nuh want no fren from dem,
We nuh want no fren from dem
A fassy dem
Tell dem we nah beg no fren
Any wey we see dem, bullet strap to dem
Mi na no know ah which duppy send dem
But dey caan dis TG and Backto dem
Dem mek de hype get to dem
But any wey we see dem, we ah step to dem
Dem see me cousin and ah send tret to dem
But ah life fi we and ah death fi dem
(Chorus)
Murderer, murderer, dem ah eediat murderer
Murderer, murderer, dem ah wannabe murderer
Dem ah kill off de pickney dem
Kill old woman and de sickly dem
Rise up de tall up quickly den
Mek dem get nine shot like Fifty dem
(Chorus)
So, come check it:
Gamble wit yo life, de gangsta dem tek it
Power fi we
De gay man, dey war come wreck it
Watch it, mek mi pop off, intro and tek it
Draw back and selec' it
Well, if ah war dem war, so me ready fi dem
Light up d head spliff, hol' ah medi fi dem
Rise up d AK, hol' it steady fi dem
From ah medi fi dem, ah go deady fi dem
(Chorus)
In "We nuh want nuh friend,” Mr. Vegas is expressing a strong sentiment of not wanting to associate with people he perceives as fake and disingenuous. The chorus clearly states that he does not want to be friends with a certain group of people who he calls "pussies" and "fassies." He is declaring his independence and his intent to not be swayed by those who may try to sway his loyalty.
The verses reveal more about the situations that led to this strong stance. Mr. Vegas says that he and his group are not seeking out new friends and that they are ready to defend themselves against anyone who would try to threaten them. He implies that there are people who are not happy with their success or popularity and may try to attack them. He talks about seeing his cousin being threatened, and how he is willing to fight to protect himself and his loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell dem we nah beg no fren
We don't need any friends who we have to beg for.
Any wey we see dem, bullet strap to dem
If we see our enemies, we have guns ready to shoot them.
Mi na no know ah which duppy send dem
I don't know who sent them.
But dey caan dis TG and Backto dem
But they cannot disrespect TG and Backto.
Dem mek de hype get to dem
They let their own hype go to their heads.
But any wey we see dem, we ah step to dem
But if we see them, we confront them.
Dem see me cousin and ah send tret to dem
They threatened my cousin without reason.
But ah life fi we and ah death fi dem
But our life is for us and their death is for them.
Murderer, murderer, dem ah eediat murderer
They are foolish murderers.
Murderer, murderer, dem ah wannabe murderer
They want to be murderers, but they aren't.
Dem ah kill off de pickney dem
They are killing innocent children.
Kill old woman and de sickly dem
They are also killing the elderly and the sick.
Rise up de tall up quickly den
We rise up and take care of them swiftly.
Mek dem get nine shot like Fifty dem
We shoot them nine times like 50 Cent.
Gamble wit yo life, de gangsta dem tek it
If you mess with us, you'll be gambling with your own life.
Power fi we
We have the power.
De gay man, dey war come wreck it
Gay men are trying to disrupt our power.
Watch it, mek mi pop off, intro and tek it
Watch out, I'll shoot and take control of the situation.
Draw back and selec' it
We'll pull back and choose our targets.
Well, if ah war dem war, so me ready fi dem
If they want war, we're ready for them.
Light up d head spliff, hol' ah medi fi dem
We'll smoke weed and medicate ourselves before going into battle.
Rise up d AK, hol' it steady fi dem
We'll rise up with our AKs and hold them steady.
From ah medi fi dem, ah go deady fi dem
With the medication and our guns, we'll kill them.
Chorus:
Repeating the chorus.
We nuh want no fren from dem,
We don't want any friends from them.
We nuh want no fren from dem
We don't want any friends from them.
A pussy dem
They are weak.
We nuh want no fren from dem,
We don't want any friends from them.
We nuh want no fren from dem
We don't want any friends from them.
A fassy dem
They are foolish and incompetent.
Contributed by Evan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@merciless41582
Mr Vegas haven't came this hard since heads are high
@jiatomy1200
MR Vegas is cool it always repeats in my head.
@vincention21
Big up mr Vegas braaaaaaap
@RINEMA59
love this song !! make me very happy :p
@tralisehuggins22
My tune Throwback
@bkyzfynest
SELLLLLLL OFFFFFFFFFFFFF!
@RajBhagwandin-qv4wy
Mr vegas
@itslolababy
tek weh yuself...ill be doing that @ DC carnival
@sherrithorntonwarner5951
Love it
@sheneebreeden5913
Ayeeee