By Tanya Batson, Staff Reporter
WHEN SHAGGY'S Hot Shots sold diamond, it was more than evident that he had reached the top. However, superstar status is not really confirmed until somebody is willing to write a book about you. That is when you know that you are really big. Shaggy: Dogamuffin Style, written by Micah Locilento and published locally by Ian Randle Publishers, has confirmed Shaggy's superstardom.
For hardcore Shaggy fans, the must-have segment of this book is the photographs inserted in the centre. The book features nine pictures which show him either in 'Mr. Lover-Lover' poses, goofing around or in performance. Several of them are guaranteed to have the females drooling, even if they are not exclusive pictures.
Although the book is being presented as a biography of the megastar and that seems to be the most appropriate way to describe it, the biographical nature of it is a mere technicality. Shaggy: Dogamuffin Style is not a tell-all book wherein Shaggy has revealed all his deepest, hairiest secrets from his early life to now. Actually, it does not reveal much about his early life, just giving the already known details.
'Already known details' are really the core of the information included in the book, as most of it comes from interviews that Shaggy has given. These interviews range from sources such as The Gleaner, Rudegyal.com, Billboard and Denver Rocky Mountain News. This does not entirely detract from the content however. The information is used to try to create a semi-detailed picture of the deejay. Like a re-mix, the various interviews are cut and spliced to explain Shaggy's motivations, his road to stardom and what he thinks about his music and the music industry. Some attempt at giving an inkling of the person behind 'Shaggy' is also made, although the picture does not quite make it to three dimensions.
A part of what makes this book interesting though is the fact that it links a history of reggae to the discussion of Shaggy. If it is viewed in this context, Dogamuffin becomes a much more interesting book. It is, however, nowhere near exhaustive in the information it gives about the history of the genre. Persons making their first excursion into the history of Jamaican music and have therefore not yet read books such as Reggae Explosion, A Rough Guide to Reggae, Reggae Bloodlines and Wake The Town and Tell The People should find it an interesting introduction since it is filled with quite a few details.
Additionally, the language used in the text is light, making it reader-friendly. Where it falls short yet again however, is that in its summary of the history of reggae, its lack of analysis allows it to make some questionable (and sometimes faulty) statements. For example, it makes reference to deejays deserting reality and culture to talk only about the guns, sex and entertainment. By so doing it
