Words by Jesse Serwer—
After watching two thirds of the video for A$AP Ferg’s “Shabba”, we were starting to think we’d been duped. We’d heard about Shabba making a rare appearance in the clip for the single he’d inspired, but could the sources we’d heard from have possibly mistaken the 20-something impersonator who turns up periodically in the same video for the real Emperor of Dancehall? Then…boom…at 4:25, there he is—a surprise guest at a party, interrupting a convo between A$AP Rocky (who also features on the song) and Felecia “Snoop” Pearson from The Wire—who, naturally, shout “Shabba!” in unison, then run.
Turns out that the old-world, taxidermy-filled mansion where the A$AP Mob are flossing actually belongs to Shabba—in the plot of the clip, that is. Is that A$AP’s way of bigging up their inspiration, and admitting they are still young in the game, and Shabba ah di real boss?
Watch the video below, and judge for yourself, and look out for more on the intersection of Shabba and hip-hop on LargeUp later this week. And, we hear there might just be a nice surprise for fans of the real Shabba, on an upcoming remix.