August 23, 2003
Rapper Sean Paul makes up for late start

TORONTO -- Sean Paul wanted to give Toronto fans a short but very sweet taste of his country and his music last night at the Molson Amphitheatre.

Although having been involved for years in reggae and more recently dance-hall reggae, the 30-year-old rapper has struck gold with his new album Dutty Rock and its smash Like Glue.

And for the crowd that filled three-quarters of the seats and chunks of the aisles, he came though on his promise -- albeit a bit later than expected.

Originally slated to start at around 9 p.m., Paul sauntered onstage a tad after 10. Backed by an actual four-piece group, he began his set with Gimme The Light from the new album.

Looking as if he just stepped out of a Kingston souvenir shop with his colourful headband and Bob Marley T-shirt, Paul seamlessly worked from one song to the next. The energy of the show was also quite apparent, as Paul's vocals were more than up for the arduous and rapid raps.

The majority of the early portion was a trip back to earlier hits and his last album, Stage One, which featured hits such as Hot Gal Tonight and Infiltrate. Paul also pulled out his 1996 hit Baby Girl, which seemed to only add more fuel to the dancing crowd's fire.

Paul was backed by two other rappers, but despite the pace of the set, he didn't seem to need them much. Whether dancing around from side to side or suggestively moving alongside one of his four female dancers, Paul nailed tunes such as Deport Them, Punkie and Junkin Punny, the latter two from the new album.

"That's the one thing I love about Canada," Paul said during one of the few breaks in the show. "It's the most interracial country in the world. This is the way the world is going to look like 3,000 years from now."

The dance-hall rhythms were in abundance for the set, but at times there were mixtures of bhangra beats and some old-school reggae, particularly on the relaxed pace of I'm Still In Love With You. The tune had most waving their hands to and fro as instructed by the star.

Opening the show were two great urban homegrown acts. Kardinal Offishall had the crowd up to "Level 5," as he called it, with songs from his new album Firestarter Volume 2: F-Word Theory and older hits like Husslin'. In Essence, a five-member band that sings better a capella than with the back beats behind it, performed tracks from its debut album including I.E. and Friend Of Mine.

Melanie Durant, previously seen at the 50 Cent and Jay-Z show, also performed a few songs. (More on Sean Paul)

JAM! Rating: 3.5 out of 5