Born Clifford Smith in 1974, he immediately grew a love for music and gained a stage name worthy of the big-time. During his childhood days, Smith acquired the name Mr. Vegas due to his tendency to kick a football like a Las Vegas dancer. Smith took on the moniker and began singing covers of Dancehall/Reggae hits at parties and events; creating some buzz amongst his peers.
However, Smith's career was nearly cut short when, during a fight over stolen mixtapes, he was hit in the face with a crowbar. Smith suffered a broken jaw and had said jaw wired shut for nearly two months. This injury threatened his progress but, in awkward sort of way, built his confidence as he soon changed his speech patterns and deejaying style once his jaw continued healing.
In 1997, Mr. Vegas teamed up with prominent Dancehall producer, Jeremy Harding, where despite not having fully recovered from his injury, recorded his first mainstream single, Nike Air. The song became an instant hit on local Dancehall charts as he gained clout within the industry; particularly amongst female fans.
However, it was in 1998 when Mr. Vegas established himself as a permanent figure within Dancehall history with the release of his internationally-acclaimed hit, Heads High. With chart-topping success in Jamaica, Heads High also featured on the Billboard Top 100 R&B Charts in the United States as well as charts in the United Kingdom. Following the unveiling his debut album, Heads High that same year, Mr. Vegas earned even more acclaim as the project garnered chart-topping acclaim while earning a British Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Award for Best Reggae artiste in 1999.
Vegas then followed that up in 2000 with a classic collaboration alongside fellow breakthrough artiste, Sean Paul for the single, Hot Gal Today which also earned great success internationally; also appearing on the U.S. Billboard Charts. That single featured on Vegas' sophomore album, Damn Right in 2001; a project that featured other hits such as She's A Ho and Girls Time as well as a guest appearance from Shaggy. The album reached number two on the U.S. Reggae Charts that year.
Mr. Vegas continued to elevate his status in 2004 as he released his third album, Pull Up. The compilation featured several international hits such as the sexually charged, Tamale, Hands in the Air and the title track, Pull Up, which sneaked onto the Billboard Charts.
For the next two years, Mr. Vegas continued to experiment with his sound as he combined with Trinidadian superstar, Machel Montano for the single, Do You Know. In 2006, Mr. Vegas scored a huge collaborative effort with fellow Dancehall superstar, Mr. Lexx (then Lexxus) for Taxi Fare; another single dealing with issues amongst females. By this point, Vegas firmly established himself as a sex symbol amongst his female fans. He re-affirmed that status with the release of his retro-themed single, Constant Spring, produced by legendary duo, Steelie & Clevie.
2007 showcased Mr. Vegas' range within the Dancehall/Reggae industry as he unveiled the sensual duet, You're Gonna Need Me alongside singing sensation, Jovi Rockwell. A Reggae-themed remix of Dionne Warwick's classic single, You're Gonna Need Me showed a more sensual side of Vegas never previously witnessed. However, he soon returned to his more familiar image; capitalizing on the "Daggering" era with the release of the chart-topping smash, Hot Wuk (featuring Hottaball and Opal). Additionally, he jumped into the dance market with the release of reputable hits such as Raging Bull (featuring Ovamars) and Tek
Weh Yuhself which soon caught on at sessions across the island.
2008 became a quite eventful year for Mr. Vegas, who stamped his authority on Dancehall once more with the release of his thought-provoking singles, Daggering and Hot Gal Nuh Fight Ova Man; both songs which did well on local Dancehall charts.
However, 2008 nearly saw the end of Vegas' prestigious career as he announced an early retirement from music. Citing distaste for the industry as well as the desire to spend more time with his children and get closer to God, Vegas considered leaving the only career he ever knew. But, after taking some time off to gather his thoughts, Vegas changed his tune; returning to tour on the RETV High School Tour that year while slowly re-embedding himself back into the Dancehall framework.
With his batteries recharged, Vegas returned with a bang in 2009 by unveiling several top ten hits such as I Am Blessed and Gallis, which earned Vegas more international exposure as the song garnered strong airplay across North America and Europe. He also ventured into the soca world once more with singles like Soca No Linga and Dope.
The last two years saw Mr. Vegas maintain his top draw status with singles such as Let Them Talk and Badmind People while also featuring on an emotional tribute single (Can't Even Walk) to former Voicemail member, O'Neil Edwards who was killed during the spring of 2010. In 2011, Vegas scored a near chart-topper with the release of his socially critiquing single, Certain Law which gained him a strong buzz amongst the underground Dancehall fraternity. Furthermore, Vegas teamed with Gyptian and American singer, Teairra Mari for the internationally acclaimed hit, Pum Pum Shorts while joining forces with Shaggy and Josey Wales for the patriotically-themed single, Sweet Jamaica.
In 2012 and beyond, fans can expect more consistency and ingenuity from this lyrical mean machine as Vegas continues to amaze fans with his range and vocal abilities. Going forward, Mr. Vegas will continue to take gambles within the Dancehall industry as he seeks to build on a seemingly legendary status.
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