Orville Richard Burrell (born October 22, 1968), better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American pop singer and rapper. He is known for his hit singles "Boombastic", "It Wasn't Me" and "Angel". He is said to have taken his stage name from his shaggy hair.

Burrell was born in Kingston, Jamaica. At the age of 18, he and his family moved to the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York. In 1987, he took singing courses in Brooklyn and was discovered a year later, while singing in the streets with friends

Military service

Shaggy during his military service with the United States Marine Corps.

Shaggy during his military service with the United States Marine Corps.

In 1988, Shaggy enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as a Field Artillery Cannon Crewman with "I" Battery, 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines, with which he served during the Persian Gulf War. It was during this time that Shaggy perfected his signature singing voice, breaking the constant monotony of running and marching cadences with his flair for inflection. It is also where he got the inspiration for his song "Boombastic