Hotshot
In 1993, when Shaggy successfully reworked thePrince Busterska  classic "Oh Carolina," he was  on the cusp of creating a hot, new ska/pop fusion. Unfortunately, he opted to  become a pop-reggae novelty  act like Snow. Shaggy's fourth album certainly won't win over new fans or appeal  to reggae purists andCapletonenthusiasts, but  that's fine by him. While  there are no immediate club anthems in the "Boombastic" or "Oh Carolina" vein,  Shaggy's coarse vocal  delivery shines on the sweet, Latin-music-inspired "Chica Bonita." Likewise,  "Not Fair"--where he boasts  that he'll take a woman "to the clouds without going downtown"--has Hit Single  written all over it. On the  downside, Shaggy's rap-reggae flow doesn't match the production values of the  R&B production duo  Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. On "Lonely Lover," Shaggy andNext's T-Lo bastardize a  classicMain Ingredientsong, while  on "Dance and Shout,"  he distorts theMichael  Jacksonlegacy by  sampling "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)."--Dalton Higgins