People were shocked to learn that Sean Paul never says Sean de Paul in any of his songs

What would a Sean Paul song be without its iconic intro?

I don’t even have to say it, you already know what it is.

We’ve all heard Paul’s raps and many of us would probably have tried them at karaoke, but he always says “Sean da Paul” in the intro to his songs, right? No.

Unlike Jason Derulo, DJ Khalid and other famous artists, Paul does not sing/rap his name.

The legendary rapper revealed what he actually says at the beginning of his songs. (Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Revolve)

The typical introduction, which he spits out at such a speed that it is impossible to understand, is actually a reference to cricket – which I suspect Paul is a fan of.

Cricket is known as a “gentleman’s game”.

I’m not saying that Mr Paul is not a gentleman. I’m just saying that the traditional game originated in the 16th century and was played by the upper classes – rapping would not normally fall into that category.

Although this is certainly the case in modern times, the question arises as to where the connection between the two comes from.

Well, strangely enough, there is one.

So what does Sean da Paul actually say?

Well, during an interview with Vice, the 51-year-old revealed that the true meaning behind the slogan we hear in his best songs like ‘Temperature’, ‘Like Glue’, and ‘Down’, is not really what we think we hear.

After reading this article, you’ll know the lyrics the next time he gets you singing in the audience. (Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage)

In his statement to the publication in 2022 – more than two decades after the release of his first album – he said: “There was a famous cricketer in Trinidad, Shivarine Chanderpaul.

“Everyone said ‘Chanderpaul,’ and yo, the name stuck. And then I just started saying it at shows, and years later I met the guy Chanderpaul, and he said ‘Yo!'”

“But yes, big kudos to Shivarine Chanderpaul.”

So, we have a little music trivia for you – this is sure to come up in a music round at a pub quiz, and if that’s the case, then you’re very welcome.

Some fans have since caught on to this revelation, with one social media user writing on X that he always thought the singer was honoring Chanderpaul in a “weird way” – a theory that was quickly dismissed by others until he found this very interview.

So next time you sing karaoke, you can at least listen to the introduction to the song… before you start babbling and saying a word or two at the end of each verse!