Grammy Award-winning dancehall star, Sean Paul, is all set to receive the Entertainer’s Key to New York City. The world-renowned performer will accept the honour during a Rise Up NYC concert on Saturday, August 24 at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens.
In a special moment of recognition, Sean Paul will be presented with the Entertainer’s Key for his musical contributions to the melting pot city. The key will be presented by New York Mayor Eric Adams as part of the Rise Up New York Concert series, which has 18 summertime events scattered throughout the five boroughs.
For Sean, the honour will be another great NYC moment to add to his memory bank.
“I feel honoured to be able to do something that I love and to help take part in my culture and wear the flag in a big city like New York. I’m giving thanks,” the artiste born Sean Paul Henriques shared. “New York is a very important place for artistes, especially in Dancehall. It’s the first city that I went to that I could do four shows in one night, with all the clubs full.”
Sean Paul acknowledged that New York is a Mecca, like a melting pot of many different cultures, and Caribbean culture, especially Jamaican reggae and dance, which is a huge part of that.
“It feels like people are understanding us in a big city, like that is a great feeling. So, it feels like we’re connecting. That feels like we are bridging the gap between the cultures and The States,” he continued. “NYC is an iconic city, and I feel iconic.”
Sean Paul, widely recognised as a global musical maestro repping dancehall, has dominated the music industry with his infectious rhythms and chart-topping hits. Renowned for his Platinum-earning singles “Get Busy”, “Temperature”, and “Gimme The Light”, Sean Paul’s music transcends boundaries, and brings together artistes and listeners worldwide.
The concert series according to the organisers was “launched to unite and uplift the diverse communities across the five boroughs, this annual event features a series of free outdoor concerts showcasing world-class talent and a wide range of music genres”.
Sean Paul is among awardees for the Rise Up New York Concert Series. They include presentations in Brooklyn to Pattie Labelle; in Harlem to Keith Sweat; in The Bronx to Fat Joe; and in Queens to Sean Paul.
Recently, Sean Paul was also recognised as one of two recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 14th staging of the Jamaica Poetry Festival on August 11. He was also highlighted as one of the 12 dancehall industry players, who supported Spice along her 25 years as an artiste in the genre at the launch of Spice’s “Mirror 25” album.
