Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 28, 2026

Mr. Vegas

Clifford Smith, better known as Mr. Vegas, is a Jamaican dancehall singjay.

Last revised
Jul 28, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
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Wikipedia ↗
Mr. Vegas
Mr. Vegas performing at Ruhr Reggae Summer in 2010
Mr. Vegas performing at Ruhr Reggae Summer in 2010
Background information
Born
Clifford Smith

(1974-09-29) 29 September 1974
Kingston, Jamaica
Genres
Years active1997–present
Labels

Clifford Smith (born 29 September 1974), better known as Mr. Vegas, is a Jamaican dancehall singjay.

Career

Mr. Vegas emerged in the late 1990s as part of a wave of Jamaican dancehall artists gaining international attention.1

He gained recognition with early recordings including "Nike Air".2

His single "Heads High" charted on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.3

In 2000, he released "Hot Gal Today", which peaked at number 66 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.1

His single "Pull Up" (2004) reached number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 68 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.4

His albums have appeared on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, including Damn Right (2001) and Sweet Jamaica (2012).5

Retirement

In September 2008, Smith announced that he was retiring from the music industry, citing unhappiness with his work and a desire to spend more time with his children and be "closer to God Almighty".6 However, he later returned to recording, releasing songs including "Man a Gallis", "Can't Stop Now" (with Major Lazer), "Mix Up Peggy", "Wanna See You Move" (DJ GQ) and "Fi Get Rich".

Return to music

Mr. Vegas released Sweet Jamaica in May 2012.7

To mark Jamaica’s 50th anniversary, he recorded material for the project Sweet Jamaica, which featured collaborations with several reggae artists.8

In 2012, Mr. Vegas was nominated for Best Reggae Act at the MOBO Awards.9

The album debuted at number 7 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.10

In 2013, "Sweet Jamaica" was recognised as Song of the Year at the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA).11

Reggae Euphoria was released in September 2014.12

He featured on a remixed version of Beyoncé's "Standing on the Sun", included on the 2014 Platinum Edition of her self-titled album.13

Education

In 2019, he completed his GED and later earned an associate degree from Broward College.14

He graduated from Florida International University in 2022.14

Discography

  • Heads High (1998)
  • Reggae Max (1999)
  • Mr. Vegas (1999)
  • Damn Right (2001)
  • Pull Up (2004)
  • Hot It Up (2007)
  • Sweet Jamaica (2012)
  • Reggae Euphoria (2014)
  • Lovers Rock and Soul (2015)
  • This Is Dancehall (2016)
  • ISM (2018)
  • Ghetto Reggae (2025)
References

References

  1. "Mr. Vegas Biography". AllMusic.
  2. "From Jamaican Roots to "Ghetto Reggae", Mr. Vegas Aims to Make a Mark". Billboard Italia.
  3. "Mr. Vegas Chart History". Billboard.
  4. "Mr. Vegas Chart History". Billboard.
  5. "Mr. Vegas Chart History". Billboard.
  6. Brooks, Sadeke (25 September 2008). "Mr 'di do' Vegas quits music - Turns to God and kids". Jamaica Star.
  7. ...
  8. Cooke, Mel (29 July 2012). "Vegas Goes For Catalogue With 'Sweet Jamaica'". Jamaica Gleaner. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. "Nominations 2012". MOBO Organisation. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  10. "Mr Vegas to share Euphoria". Jamaica Observer. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  11. "Vegas aces GED". Jamaica Observer. 14 July 2019.
  12. "Mr Vegas to share Euphoria". Jamaica Observer. 16 August 2014. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. "Mr Vegas elated with Beyonce's remix". Jamaica Observer. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  14. "My children inspired me – Mr Vegas says after graduating university". Jamaica Gleaner.
External links