In a new documentary for BBC iPlayer, 1Xtra’s Yasmin Evans follows Sean Paul from Jamaica to the UK to discover more about the man behind the music and how his catalogue of hits brought Dancehall to the mainstream.

Yasmin learns more about Sean’s ambition to be an Olympic swim champion, the influence of Jamaican riddims on his music and why, in Jamaica, the dance moves that accompany a song are almost as important as the song itself. Sean Paul: A Life in Riddims brings viewers backstage for Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Middlesbrough this summer and features an exclusive performance at Tuff Gong International studio, founded by music icon Bob Marley.

With a career spanning 20 years in the music business, Sean Paul has collaborated with some of the world’s biggest pop stars, sold over 26 million records and has established himself as one of Jamaica’s most successful recording artists.

Featuring contributions from Anne-Marie, Jax Jones, David Rodigan, Annie Mac, Trevor Nelson, Seani B, Idris Elba, Toddla T, Jake Gyllenhaal & more.

Sean on how his story started at the National Stadium Pool in Jamaica:

“It’s blood sweat and tears that you put into the water. Every night, you die out there…you feel the endorphins flowing and it’s definitely a big part of who I am. Even when the Sean Paul ‘superstar cape guy’ as you said is in full effect, he’s really this kid who was trying to be a swimming champion most of his life right here. I think it taught me humbleness, it taught me how to set goals, teamwork…”

“I grew up here, I think my mother and father met and made me in this pool, you know what I mean!”

“I wanted to go to the Olympics…when I was a kid I was swimming 5000 metres a day here, on hard days it was 7000-9000 metres.”

On creating hits based on Jamaican riddims:

“If you ask any DJ or any Jamaican rapper how they come up with those lyrics, it’s the riddim tells ya. It’s so interesting. It tells you how to flow on it, and what you must say on it.”

On winning a Grammy award for his album Dutty Rock:

“When I started the career I didn’t ever think about a Grammy…I wanted to spit and I wanted my own country to appreciate my music…Sitting at school or the stadium, beating on the desk and making this riddims, spitting is a pastime, everybody does it, I just never think I’m going to take this and win a Grammy with it”

On the lyrics of his track Temperature:

“It was January 2005 and it was cold for Jamaica, a cool climate, but also, it was really cold in terms of how we were treating each other in Jamaica, a lot of people were dying by the gun. I wanted to write a song where it was like, it’s cold right now, but let me have all the girls and take care of them.”

On where he gets his bliss outside of the studio:

“It’s not all jet plane trips…there are a lot of moments but those are the times I can be the humble person and reconnect back with my fam or the people at the stadium…I long for the times I can take a friend to the beach and get him some Hellshire fish”

Sean Paul: A Life in Riddims is now available now on BBC iPlayer –https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p07k6ltw/radio-1-meets-sean-paul-a-life-in-riddims