Born Clifford Smith in Kingston, Jamaica, he was given the nickname Mr. Vegas by his cousin for the neon pink shorts he wore on the football field; in addition to his athletic skills Mr. Vegas also demonstrated musical talents early on. However an unfortunate dispute over the ownership of a DAT resulted in Vegas being hit in the jaw with an iron pipe; after the assault Vegas’ mouth was wired shut so he was forced to create a unique method of vocalizing through his teeth. That style was first heard on “Nike Air”, the song that initially positioned Vegas on the dancehall charts. Characterized by uplifting lyrics aimed (especially) at young women, he followed “Nike Air” with another affirming and very appealing tune “Heads High” which reached number one in Jamaica, hit the British Top Ten and found its way onto several urban stations across America. In 1998 his debut album, Heads High, was released, which hit #5 on the US Reggae chart. Vegas won a MOBO for Best Reggae Artist for the Heads High album as well. 2000's single "Hot Gal Today" was a minor hit on the US R&B charts, peaking at #66. In 2001, he issued Damn Right, featuring guest appearances from Shaggy and Big Yard; this album went to #2 on the US Reggae chart. 2004 saw the release of the Pull Up LP, and the title track scraped the bottom of the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #98 (as well as #68 on the R&B chart). In 2006 he did a Soca collaboration with Machel Montano from Trinidad and Tobago Dance With You on Machel's B.O.D.Y. album. His latest, 2007's Hot It Up, features the Jamaican hits "Hot Wuk", "Taxi Fare" and "Tek Weh Yuhself". In 2008 Mr.Vegas also recorded a Soca groovy-song title 'On The Floor' with Trinidadian artiste Destra Garcia on her album Soca Or Die. In September 2008, Smith announced that he was retiring from the music business, citing unhappiness with his work and a desire to spend more time with his children and be "closer to God Almighty". Although he had been suffering from ill-health for some time, he denied that this was a factor in his retirement. Ever since Mr. Vegas catapulted his way to the top in 1997 with Nike Air and the follow-up smash Heads High, the singjay has never looked back. Heads High, with its lyrically creative message of resistance, found instant favour with the females. It received heavy rotation on mainstream media outlets, including MTV, and even secured a spot on the Billboard charts for quite a few weeks. Throughout the years, Vegas has continued to release well-crafted singles which have ensured his status as one of the most consistent and in-demand acts in the business. Tek Wey Yuhself, Hot Wuk and Nuh Friend From Dem, from his 2007 Hot It Up album were chart toppers, with Hot Wuk dominating all the major American, Caribbean and European charts. The single even made an entrance on Billboard’s Hot R&B/ Hip Hop Singles chart. His 2008 Daggering packed a wallop in the dancehall, and in true Vegas style, come 2009 and he again demonstrates his versatility with the gospel-flavoured I Am Blessed and Up Deh. This singjay has appeared on all of the Reggae industry’s major shows, including Guinness Sting, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest, Fully Loaded and Reggae Sunsplash. In additional to blasting his way through the Caribbean, Mr. Vegas has also thrilled fans in Europe and the U.S. and Japan with highly rated performances. He catapulted to the top of the Jamaican charts in 1997 with the dancehall boomshots “Heads High” and “Nike Air”, his distinctive vocals fusing melodious singing with precision deejaying (rapping). Since then he has built an international fan base with hit singles like “Pull Up”, “Tamale” and “Hot Gal Today” but it is on his latest CD “Constant Spring” that Mr. Vegas’ spectacular sing-jay approach and cleverly crafted lyrics dazzle with the intensity of an evening in, well, Las Vegas.