Shabba Ranks cultivated an image of a smooth and thrilling ladies' man - something he called his "slackness" - which he embodies in "Mr. Loverman." He built such a legend that rappers a generation later used him as the blingy playboy archetype; on A$ap Ferg's 2013 track "Shabba," he rhymes about wearing eight gold rings like Shabba.
The hook and melody are based on the 1988 song "Champion Lover" by the British singer Deborahe Glasgow. Later that year, Shabba released the first version of "Mr. Loverman" with Glasgow doing the female vocals. This version was included on his 1990 album Rappin' With The Ladies. After landing a hit with his 1991 Maxi Priest collaboration "Housecall" in 1991, Shabba released a new version of "Mr. Loverman" the following year, this time with his fellow Jamaican Chevelle Franklyn on vocals. This version that hit #23 in the UK and #40 in the US in the summer of 1992 and the one heard in the video. But that wasn't the end of it... "Mr. Loverman" was released for the third time in the UK in 1993 as the dancehall sound picked up speed in that territory. This re-issue went to #3.
The "Shabba!" vocal that pops up throughout the song came from his song "Housecall," where Maxi Priest shouts out his name. This helped popularize "Shabba!" as a catchphrase that could be used for just about any purpose.
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