Reigning Queen of Dancehall Spice made a triumphant appearance at the 2025 MOBO Awards, dazzling audiences with a stellar performance and a striking royal blue gown adorned with crystals and fur. However, beyond the stage presence, the Grammy-nominated artist made headlines offstage by crediting fellow Jamaican star Shaggy with changing the course of her career. In an interview with The Sun, Spice revealed that Shaggy was instrumental in helping her break free from a restrictive contract with VP Records, a battle she had publicly waged for years.
“Shaggy kind of changed my entire life as well,” Spice shared. “I was stuck in a contract, and he was able to get me out. You know, I did the album 10, he produced that album that was Grammy-nominated. So big up to Shaggy for doing that.” Released in 2021, 10 marked Spice’s long-awaited debut studio album after more than a decade in the industry, earning a nomination for Best Reggae Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. The project, featuring collaborations with dancehall heavyweights like Sean Paul and Shaggy himself, was a major turning point in her career.
The singer’s contract dispute with VP Records had been an ongoing issue since she signed with the label in 2009. Despite her undeniable success—including surpassing 120 million views at the time on YouTube for “So Mi Like It” and becoming the first female Jamaican artist to hit 80 million views for a single video—her album remained in limbo. Frustrated by years of delays and empty promises, Spice took matters into her own hands, releasing the 2018 mixtape Captured, which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Reggae Albums Chart. The title track reflected her frustration with being “trapped” in a deal that neither released her music nor allowed her to leave.
Spice’s MOBO Awards appearance also coincided with a historic moment for dancehall, as her longtime collaborator Vybz Kartel received the Impact Award following his release from prison after serving almost 13 years. “We got the King of Dancehall, I’m so elated that he’s out,” she said. “Just to see the joy on his face knowing where he started from, that warms my heart.”
With millions of streams on Spotify and a growing global presence, Spice’s journey from battling label disputes to commanding international stages is a testament to resilience. Now a dominant force in the industry, she continues to push boundaries, proving that even in the face of adversity, the Queen of Dancehall reigns supreme.
