Born on February 3, 1990, Sean Kingston spent his early youth in the Half Way Tree section of his parents' hometown of Kingston, Jamaica – hence his name, before moving to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at age six. By 1996, Sean's love of music led him to a prodigious performance of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", forever changing his path. "My mom heard me, and she started bringing me around to family members. Then, I graduated from singing, and started picking up rapping from listening to Ice Cube and Slick Rick." The gangster raps of Cube and the storytelling of Rick the Ruler had a profound effect on the boy, who also was exposed to heavy doses of Buju Banton, Dennis Brown, and Rakim from his young parents. Not only did their music affect Sean, but so did their traits. "I feel like I'm my father, 'cause I got a hustler's mentality; if I want something, I'm gonna get it. I'm like my mom, because we're picky about what we do, but we're always gonna make the right choice," says the 19-year-old today.
By his early teens, Sean Kingston was performing his raps throughout South Florida. "I did talent shows and showcases, but I never really battled," he says of his effort to get discovered. With Ft. Lauderdale twenty miles north of Miami, Sean has already shared stages with Trina, Pitbull, Ludacris, Pretty Ricky, and Trick Daddy. Like Trick, Sean has definitely felt the allure of street life. Beginning with a breaking-and-entering charge at age 11, Sean has seen his share of trouble. As the youngest of three supportive siblings, this let down the boy's mother, presently incarcerated herself for identity fraud. "I've been through a lot. I did 21 days in jail, been to boot camp, got sent to Jamaica, slept in cars with my family; I had a rough life," says an appreciative Sean today.
Around 2004, Sean began incorporating elements of his Reggae heritage with his rapping abilities. The gifts have allowed Sean's music to have a unique blend of street raps with Caribbean flare and catchy, homegrown hooks. This one-of-a-kind presence eventually led Sean Kingston's music to the ears of chart-topping producer Jonathan "J.R." Rotem (The Game, Rick Ross, Britney Spears, 50 Cent, Rihanna, Dr. Dre, etc.), who quickly saw potential in the teenage rapper. "He sent me two of his early tracks, and I recorded them, and sent them back in two days," says Kingston. Soon after J.R. and Zach Katz signed the artist to their Beluga Heights record label – and subsequently Cinematic Music Group for Management, a three-way bidding war between Warner Brothers, Atlantic, and Epic/Sony developed.
In addition to having J.R. producing the majority of the album, producers Cool & Dre, DJ Khaled, Just Blaze and others are expected to contribute tracks. In terms of guests, Sean looks forward to appearances by Akon, Rick Ross, Baby Cham and Damian Marley.
As hip-hop moves away from the limited expectations of "kiddie rappers," Sean thinks today's young listeners deserve more, "When people hear my music, I want them to be inspired. Whether a White kid or a Black kid, I want them to know, 'Damn, imagine me being in his predicament.' I want to send messages, and I rep for the streets as a real ass n$#%@. It's all about being true." As most 16-year-olds are concerned with getting a job, Sean Kingston is sitting in the driver's seat of hip-hop's future, and like late great Biggie Smalls, he's got a story to tell.
Intro
Sean Kingston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born on 2.3.90
And I must say, my life, I've been through a lot
It hasn't been an easy road for me.
But one day, myspace made history
Hooked up with big homie on the west
JR
You think you really know?
But you have no idea
The opening verse of Sean Kingston’s song 'Intro' is a personal introduction by his friend Kishar Anderson. The verse reveals Kishar’s birth date, which is February 3, 1990. Kishar introduces himself and claims that his life has been full of struggles, but he has managed to persevere. Despite his hardships, Kishar recognizes that his most significant opportunity came when he connected with Sean Kingston on MySpace. Kingston was working with JR Rotem, and the collaboration led to Kingston’s signing with Epic Records. Kishar is excited to introduce Kingston to the world and lets us know that we think we know Kingston, but the truth is we have no idea what his life story entails.
The opening verse of 'Intro' sets the tone for the rest of the album, which is an autobiographical narrative from Kingston. The lyrics are an introduction to the musician and his life struggles, which he navigated by "Surviving the struggle and the pain to be published at last." It is a powerful reminder that success often comes from the most unexpected places and that hardships can become a platform for greatness if we handle them in the right way.
Line by Line Meaning
I go by the name Kishar Anderson
The artist's real name is Kishar Anderson
Born on 2.3.90
He was born on February 3, 1990
And I must say, my life, I've been through a lot
The artist has gone through a lot of struggles and challenges in his life
It hasn't been an easy road for me.
His life has been difficult
But one day, myspace made history
The artist's success started when he posted his music on MySpace
Hooked up with big homie on the west
He connected with a successful artist on the west coast
JR
The successful artist on the west coast is known as JR
Introducing Sean Kingston
JR introduced Kishar Anderson as Sean Kingston
You think you really know?
People may think they know Sean Kingston's story
But you have no idea
However, they do not truly know what the artist has gone through and experienced in his life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kisean Anderson, Jonathan Rotem
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind