Of Jamaican descent but born and raised in the U.K., Maxi Priest released his first album, You're Safe in 1985, but it wasn't until his 1988 self-titled breakthrough with its reggae-inflected cover of Cat Stevens's "Wild World," that Maxi Priest gained significant attention. Fusing elements of R&B, Pop, and Reggae into a smooth, radio-ready concoction, Maxi Priest is regarded as one of the best latter-day practitioners of lovers rock. The artist released a number of albums throughout the '90s and into the 2000s. As a British Reggae artist, Maxi Priest achieved the rare feat of landing a number-one slot on the American Billboard chart with his 1990 single, "Close to You."