Garfield Spence aka Konshens is a Jamaican dancehall artist a past student of Excelsior High School.

Biography[link]

Konshens' hits have included "Winner", "Rasta Impostor", "This Means Money", "Good Girl Gone Bad", "Gal Dem A Talk", "Realest Song", "Represent", "Do Sumn" and "Forward".^[1]

His 2005 single "Pon Di Corner" was a major hit in Japan, and led to a month-long tour of the country and a Japan-only album release.^[2]

He made a guest appearance on Tarrus Riley's Contagious album, deejaying on "Good Girl Gone Bad", which was also released as a single.^[3]

During 2009 and 2010 he toured extensively outside of Jamaica.^[1][2] He has a large fanbase in Guyana and Europe, where his "Gal Dem Talk" single was a major hit, and he performed at Guyana's National Stadium in May 2011.^[2]

His album, Real Talk, was released by Japanese label Koyashi in 2010.^[4] A second album was also announced to be released in Jamaica on Tad Dawkins' Tad's International label.^[4] Konshens also launched his own Subkonshus label in 2010, working with new acts including his brother Delus.^[4]

In May 2011, he was one of several high-profile Jamaican celebrities to take part in a march in Torrington Park calling for an end to political rivalry in the area, commemorating a fire in May 1980 at the Eventide Home which killed over 150 elderly women, for which politically motivated arson was suspected.^[5]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• ?? (2006) - Japan only
• Real Talk (2010), Koyashi
• Mental Maintenance (2012), Subkonshus Music

Singles[link]

• "Pon Di Corner" (2005) - with Delus
• "Rasta Imposter"
• "This Means Money"
• "Good Girl Gone Bad" (feat. Tarrus Riley)
• "Winner" (2008)
• "Realest SONG" (2010)
• "Gal Dem A Talk" (2010)
• "Realest Medz" (2010)
• "Weak"(reggae) (2010)
• "Represent" (2011)
• "Forward" (2011)
• "Buss A Blank" (2011)
• "Bounce Like A Ball" (2011)
• "Jamaican Dance" (2011-Just Dance 3)
• "Gal A Bubble" (2012)
• "Do Sum'n" (2012)
• "Shat A Fyah" (2012)

References[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2008)

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

Biography[link]

Smith was born in Kingston in 1974.^[1] The moniker "Mr. Vegas" was given to Smith by his schoolyard football-mates, who thought that he kicked the ball like a Las Vegas dancer. In his early years as a singjay, Vegas sang covers of Jamaican hits at local parties and shows, and acquired a reputation as a troublemaker. During a scuffle over stolen master tapes, Vegas was hit in the face with a crowbar and had his jaw wired shut for six weeks. Vegas claims that, after hearing Beenie Man's hit "Who Am I", he immediately demanded that his still-healing jaw be unwired, changing his speech pattern but allowing him to practice toasting.

He found fame in 1998 with hits such as "Yu Sure", "Jack It Up", and "Latest News".^[1] For his first major hit, Vegas played off of^{[clarification needed]} "Who Am I" to create "Nike Air", which became a huge hit in Jamaica.^{[citation needed]} The next single, "Heads High", followed its success in Jamaica with a chart run in the UK and a #69 peak on the US R&B chart, and Vegas became increasingly in demand as a guest artist by acts such as Sean Paul.^{[citation needed]}

In 1998 his debut album, Heads High, was released, which hit #5 on the US Reggae chart. Vegas won a MOBO for Best Reggae Artist for the Heads High album as well. 2000's single "Hot Gal Today" was a minor hit on the US R&B charts, peaking at #66. In 2001, he issued Damn Right, featuring guest appearances from Shaggy and Big Yard; this album went to #2 on the US Reggae chart. 2004 saw the release of the Pull Up LP, and the title track scraped the bottom of the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #98 (as well as #68 on the R&B chart). In 2006 he did a Soca collaboration with Machel Montano, Dance With You on Machel's B.O.D.Y. album. His latest, 2007's Hot It Up, featured the Jamaican hits "Hot Wuk", "Taxi Fare" and "Tek Weh Yuhself". In 2008 Mr. Vegas also recorded "On The Floor" with Trinidadian artiste Destra Garcia on her album, Soca or Die.

Retirement[link]

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". Although he had been suffering from ill-health for some time, he denied that this was a factor in his retirement.^[2] However, in 2009 and 2010 Mr.Vegas has made new songs such as Man A Gallis, Can't Stop Now ( Major Lazer ), Mix Up Peggy, Wanna See You Move ( DJ GQ ) and Fi Get Rich

Discography[link]

• Heads High (Greensleeves Records, 1998)
• Reggae Max (Jet Star, compilation, 1999)
• Mr. Vegas (VP Records, 1999)
• Damn Right (Greensleeves, 2001)
• Pull Up (Delicious Vinyl, 2004)
• Hot It Up (Universal Records, 2007)
• The Hits (Greensleeves Records, 2008)

References[link]

Footnotes

Further reading

• Mr. Vegas at Allmusic

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Mr. Vegas at Facebook
• Mr. Vegas at MySpace