Wed | Nov 13, 2024

Sean Kingston hails Grammy nomination as ‘a blessing’

Co-writer on Chris Brown’s ‘Sensational’

Published:Tuesday | November 12, 2024 | 12:07 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
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Sean Kingston performing at Chris Brown and Friends concert held at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday, August 27, 2023. ‘It is Sensational to be Grammy-nominated as a songwriter,’ he said of his recent nomination for the Chris Brown song ‘Se
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Sean Kingston performing at Chris Brown and Friends concert held at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday, August 27, 2023. ‘It is Sensational to be Grammy-nominated as a songwriter,’ he said of his recent nomination for the Chris Brown song ‘Sensational’, which he co-wrote.
In this August 2023 file photo, Janice Turner, Sean Kingston’s mother, was seen in Jamaica to witness her son’s performance at the Chris Brown and Friends Concert. She arrived with Sean and other members of his team on a private flight.
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In this August 2023 file photo, Janice Turner, Sean Kingston’s mother, was seen in Jamaica to witness her son’s performance at the Chris Brown and Friends Concert. She arrived with Sean and other members of his team on a private flight.
Chris Brown in performance at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday, August 27, 2023. His song, Sensational, featuring Davido and Lojay, and co-written by Sean Kingston, has been nominated for the Best African Music Performance at the upcoming Grammy
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Chris Brown in performance at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday, August 27, 2023. His song, Sensational, featuring Davido and Lojay, and co-written by Sean Kingston, has been nominated for the Best African Music Performance at the upcoming Grammy Awards.
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Sensational, Chris Brown’s Afrobeats song, featuring Davido and Lojay, has been nominated for the Best African Music Performance at the upcoming Grammy Awards. This is not surprising, given that the song from his 11th studio album 11:11, entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at 96 in January and in March Sensational topped Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. It was also nominated at the MTV Video Music Awards, and at the BET Awards.

The song, which Billboard described as a “sugary anthem”, was written by Chris Brown, Sean Kingston, Davido and Lojay.

Jamaican-American rapper Sean Kingston is over the moon and in a quote to The Gleaner, he referenced his recent trials and tribulations in emphasising how significant this nomination is for him.

“Being nominated as a co writer on Sensational is such a blessing. With all I’ve been through this year and to now be a songwriter on a Grammy-nominated project is sensational,” Kingston said.

Kingston, 34, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner, made headlines earlier this year when they were arraigned on fraud and theft charges in the US. In a Broward County court in Florida last August, they both pleaded not guilty to organised fraud and charges of defrauding multiple businesses of more than US$1 million. Details of the accusations, as outlined on the arrest warrants, reportedly include defrauding a jewellery business, a luxury bed company, a used luxury and exotic car dealership, and a luxury microLED TV company since October 2023. Bond had already been set at $90,000 in a previous hearing.

While the charges from the state include fraud, grand theft and criminal use of identification, CBS News reported that Kingston and his mother also appeared in federal court, where they pleaded not guilty to wire fraud charges.

“Kingston and Turner each face one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. If convicted, they could spend decades in prison,” a CBS News report said.

An Associated Press report stated that Kingston was originally arrested in Fort Irwin, California, in May on a warrant issued by the Broward Sheriff’s Office after a SWAT team raided his home in Southwest Ranches.

MUSICAL PRIZE

Keeping his focus on the musical prize ahead of him, the Beautiful Girls singer told The Gleaner of his happiness at Sensational’s far-reaching effect.

“It also feels great to know that the song has crossed the globe … to be nominated in the Grammy for Best African Music Performance is really amazing . So I wanna give a big shout-out to the Nigerians Davido and Lojay who are on the record. Chris Brown has been a close friend to me for many years and I’m happy for him that his album was also nominated for Best RnB album at the Grammys, and grateful that he put the song on the album,” Sean Kingston told The Gleaner.

Sean Kingston broke into the music scene in 2007 while still a teenager — he was only 17 — with the hit Beautiful Girls, which peaked at the top the Billboard Hot 100. His bio states that his eponymous debut studio album in 2007 peaked at number six on the Billboard 200, and spawned the top 40 single, Take You There. Tomorrow, his 2009 follow-up album, was supported by the top five single Fire Burning. He subsequently released his top 20 duet, Eenie Meenie, with Justin Bieber. His 2013 Back to Life did not make the charts; however, the single Beat It, featuring Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa, enjoyed some success.

Sean Kingston will appear next year on producer Contractor’s Billboard Album Series, T ropical House Cruises to Jamaica: The Middle East Edition with a single titled Show Me, a collaboration with UK rapper Lady Marga Mc and American rapper Kali Ranks.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com