Thirty years ago Shaggy walked away winner at the 1996 Grammy Awards in the Best Reggae Album category for his commercially successful album Boombastic.

The Grammy win capped off a great year for Shaggy, who scored multiple hits on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to the 14-track Boombastic album, which features the chart-topping title track, the charted singles In the Summertime featuring Rayvon, Why You Treat Me So Bad, Day Oh, and the double-sided hit Something Different/The Train is Coming.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Thursday, Shaggy said Boombastic was created at a time when he felt inspired and motivated to be different.

“No one can really anticipate the outcome of any project. I just know that at that time I was in a place where I was inspired and motivated to be different. Oh Carolina was different and Boombastic was different. This was risky because the wave at that time in dancehall sounded nothing like what I was making, but I liked the sound and knew the song (Boombastic) was special,” Shaggy recalled.

The album was nominated alongside Rasta Business by Burning Spear, Hi-Bop Ska! The 30th anniversary Recording by The Skatalites, Live it Up by Third World, and Free Like We Want 2 B from Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers.

Asked to describe the feeling when he learnt of his first Grammy nomination, Shaggy said: “Frankly I took it all for granted, everything happened so fast, even being at the Grammys felt surreal. I just think it wasn’t that big a deal; I felt like every year I’m gonna win one of these until reality kicked in and I had a ton of nominations and no wins, lol.”

Released via Virgin Records in July 1995, the album Boombastic peaked at #34 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, #37 on the UK Albums chart, #35 in Switzerland, #43 in Sweden, #10 in New Zealand, #24 in Germany, #25 in Austria, and #11 in Australia.

The 14-track set features production work by the likes of Tony Kelly, Robert Livingston, Bobby Digital, Shaun “Sting International” Pizzonia, and Phillip Smart.

Despite having had strong commercial success, Shaggy said: “I wasn’t expecting anything, I was just happy to be there. I knew I was the favourite in that category, because no one had the success I was having that year,” he said.

More than the gains by the album, the now international superstar said: “Everything about creating music in those times was inspired by fun; it didn’t feel like work, we played music and run jokes and laughed.”

He said winning the Reggae Grammy that year didn’t really do much for his career.

“It was just another accolade added to the brand. I didn’t think it really moved the needle financially nor opened any particular doors. Maybe if I was in another genre that might have happened, but that wasn’t my experience. Don’t get me wrong, it feels good to be recognised amongst your peers, and it shows that you’re in the game, but that’s it,” Shaggy disclosed.

Boombastic has been certified platinum in America, as well as gold in the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, and Brazil.

The 2026 Grammy Awards are scheduled for today, Sunday, February 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in California, USA.

The Best Reggae Album nominees are Treasure Self Love by Lila Ike, Heart and Soul by Vybz Kartel,
Blxxd & Fyah by Keznamdi, From Within by Mortimer, and No Place Like Home by Jesse Royal.

Boombastic, the album.