MCA FEELS LUCKY WITH SHAGGY

MCA Records is banking on it as the Jamaican-born, Brooklyn-raised Grammy winner (real name: Orville Richard Burrell) attempts to build on the phenomenal success of his 2000 chart-topper, Hotshot, with his new album, Lucky Day, which hits retail Oct. 29. Hotshot sold more than 10 million internationally on the strength of the worldwide hit singles "It Wasn’t Me" and "Angel," which topped charts in more than 50 countries.

"Our challenge is to get past those who think he’s a one-hit wonder, when he’s really had multiple successes," MCA Sr. VP A&R Gary Ashley explains. "We have to make his fans aware that there’s an album out there, which means consumer marketing and a full radio story. Shaggy is a wonderful tool for everyone when he has a hit record. Those stations who have already given us a shot are being rewarded with positive phones and research."

The first single, the Latin-flavored "Hey Sexy Lady," went to multiple formats last week. A video was recently shot in L.A. with director Annti J. (Will Smith, Brian McKnight).

The album was recorded at Shaggy’s Big Yard Studios in Valley Stream, NY, with such guest collaborators as dance-hall legend Barrington Levy on "Full Control" and R&B diva Chaka Khan, who added her vocals to the track "Party On."

The record is, according to Shaggy, "a very uplifting, pro-woman album," dedicated to "the people who shaped me, that made a difference in my life, most of [whom] were women."

The 14 tracks, all of which Shaggy either wrote or co-wrote, include "Shake Shake," "Hooky Jucky," "Strength of a Woman," "Hey Sexy Lady," "These Are the Lips," "Another Day," "Walking in My Shoes" and "Lost."

Repeating the first album’s huge sales success won’t be easy. Hotshot’s breakthrough came when a Hawaii radio station started playing "It Wasn’t Me" to huge response. And, 11 million albums worldwide later, Shaggy has become a global superstar.

MCA Records VP National Promotion Bonnie Goldner points to that growing visibility as a major reason for radio to play the first single: "Our game plan is for all of radio to see the value in adding a record by an artist of this stature. Airplay runs the gamut from Hot 97 N.Y. to WNCI Columbus to WDRQ Detroit to KBKS Seattle. I expect immediate, significant sales based on his fan base and the fact that it’s a terrific album. Shaggy’s career is on a different level now."

Some of the marketing and promotional gambits surrounding the release include:

* Appeared on Leno earlier this month (9/6).

* A performance to kick off the Toronto International Carnival last month with Rayvon televised on Canada’s Music Music.

* A download of "Hey Sexy Lady" available on mcarecords.com.

* Live performances at WPOW Miami’s Power 96 concert (9/21) and on Hot 97’s Star & Buckwild morning show (10/28).

* Opening for the Rolling Stones in Sunrise and Miami, FL (10/22-23).

* Headlining tour in Japan and Australia (Nov./Dec.).

* Recent stories on Rollingstone.com and allstarmag.com.