Sean Paul has revealed that he’s not actually saying his own name in his music, as commonly believed. Instead, Paul says that he sings “Chanderpaul,” referencing a famous cricket player named Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
“There’s a famous cricketer in Trinidad [named] Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Everybody was like, ‘Sean da Paul,’ and that name stuck,” Paul explained in a new documentary for Vice.
He continued: “Then I just started to say it in shows and met the dude Chanderpaul years later, and he’s like, ‘Yo!’ But yeah, big up to Shivnarine Chanderpaul.”
The Vice documentary is centered around the making Paul’s making of his 2003 hit “Get Busy.” The track topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks during its peak. It is featured on his second studio album, Dutty Rock.
“If u didnt kno ~ now you kno: big up #Chanderpaul,” Paul wrote on Twitter in response to a clip posted from the film. A fan had shared the video after theorizing that Paul was actually saying “Chanderpaul” years earlier.
Elsewhere in the documentary, Paul discusses still living in Jamaica. Paul was born in Kingston back in 1973.
“A lot of people ask me why I still live here,” he said. “These people made me. They built me into what I am today.”
The documentary comes after Paul performed at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For his first appearance at the annual event, he performed alongside fellow Jamaican artist Ziggy Marley.
“Thanksgiving in NYC is always a Vibe!!! Honored to be apart of @macys Parade representing for dancehall and Jamaica,” Paul captioned a video from the event on Instagram afterward.
Check out Sean Paul’s recent tweet regarding the Vice documentary below.
If u didnt kno ~ now you kno:
big up #Chanderpaul
I know I know… He’s from #Guyana
https://t.co/qWmR9alK0h
— Sean Paul (@duttypaul) December 16, 2022
[Via]