Orville Richard Burrell, better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American singer who scored hits with the songs "Boombastic," "It Wasn't Me," and "Angel."

Shaggy was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 22, 1968. When he was seven years old, his parents, Lorraine and Clinton, relocated their family to Brooklyn, New York City.

In 1987, when Shaggy was a student at Erasmus Hall High, he began taking singing lessons. The following year, he was discovered while singing with his friends on the streets of New York City. 

However,  Celebrity Net Worth reported that in the same year, the Jamaican-American reggae singer joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was assigned the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of 0811 Field Artillery Cannon Crewman.

According to Military Times, Shaggy enlisted as an artilleryman and served mostly with the 5th Battalion and 10th Marines, which he deployed with to Saudi Arabia for the liberation of Kuwait in 1991.

He served in the military for a while, reaching his highest rank of Lance Corporal, but his rank was reduced twice. In an interview with the Military Times in 2011, the "In The Summertime" hitmaker said his "greatest problem was being AWOL." 

"I was driving up to New York every weekend to make music. Sometimes I got back late. And I'm a guy with a big mouth, and I mouthed off a lot. So, you know, things like that will get you busted," he added.

READ NEXT: Jamaica: 4 Fascinating Jamaican Traditions and Customs That Make the Country Unique 

Shaggy Net Worth 2022

After serving as a US marine, Shaggy went back to singing and became the sound of modern dance reggae during the '90s.

He became famous for his song "Oh Carolina," a remake of a John Folkes song from 1958 that the Folkes Brothers made famous.

"Original Doberman," his second album, came out in 1994, but not much of a success. However, his third album, "Boombastic," reached number 34 on the US Billboard 200 and was a huge hit.

His song "Boombastic" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Later, the song was used in the movies "Barnyard" and "Mr. Bean's Holiday."

In 2000, the Jamaican-American musician released his fifth album, "Hot Shot," and found new success. It held the top spot on the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart.

Over the following few years, Shaggy released several albums, including "Intoxication" (2007), "Shaggy & Friends" (2011), "Summer in Kingston" (2011), "Rise" (2012), and "Out of Many, One Music" (2013).

He has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards and won twice for Best Reggae Album with "Boombastic" in 1996 and "44/876" with Sting in 2019.  

According to Wealthy Gorilla, Shaggy's net worth is roughly $14 million as of October 2022.

Jamaican-American Singer Shaggy Urges Young Jamaican Artists to Learn "Music Business"

Shaggy claimed that he has grown because of his past blunders and was now more adept at navigating the music business and taking advantage of available financial opportunities, DancehallMag reported.

He noted that music business education is key to an artist's success.

"Education. Education. I have seen artists who have gotten prime opportunities and because of hustle mentality decided that they not gonna take it," Shaggy said.

"If you get a manager who don't know how to build a career - they just know how to collect a money - then you goin have a problem," he added.

The Jamaican-American singer advised younger Jamaican musicians to work hard to understand the business side of the music business so they do not miss out on many great financial opportunities like what happened to him in the past.

READ MORE: Indiana Woman Jumps Out of a Moving Car, Man Charged With Kidnapping 

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Shaggy Explains Why Reggae Isn't More Widespread | Life is Beautiful 2022 - From Rolling Stone