Beenie Man

Beenie Man (born Anthony Moses Davis August 22, 1972 in Kingston, Jamaica), is a well established DJ.

Early career

He was involved in the music industry from a young age when he won the Teeny Talent contest and recorded a single, "Too Fancy", with record producer "Junjo" Lawes. By 1983, Beenie Man was recording with heavyweight DJs, such as Dillinger and Fathead and released a debut album, The Invincible Beenie Man and single, "Over the Sea".

Scandals

After a break, Beenie Man returned in 1992 at Reggae Sunsplash, where he made waves by insulting Bounty Killer on the grounds that the elder performer had stolen his catchprase, "people dead". In 1993 Beenie Man was booed off stage at a show celebrating the visit of Nelson Mandela to the island and left Kingston for a year. Upon his return, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer settled their differences and recorded an album together, Guns Out. This was followed by a single, "No Mama No Cry", a rehash of the Bob Marley classic "No Woman No Cry", speaking out against violence and inspired by the murder of Pan Head, another popular DJ. Partially as a result of prodding from his producers, Sly and Robbie, Beenie Man soon converted to the Rastafari movement.

Releases

Jamaican

Beenie Man released a series of early 1990s Jamaican hit singles, including "Praise him" and "World Dance", as well as multiple LPs, such as Defend It and Dis Unu Fi Hear. After signing to Island Records in 1994, he released the critically acclaimed album, Blessed.

United Kingdom

In 1995, Beenie Man released a remix of Barrington Levy's "Under Mi Sensi" in the United Kingdom, and collaborated with Dennis Brown and Triston Palma to release Three Against War and Lt. Stitchie on Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man. He took another step up the ladder in 1996, releasing the seminal Maestro, produced by Patrick Roberts and shot him to UK fame. During the period from the mid to late '90s, Beenie Man dominated the Jamaican charts to the extent that he perhaps had a good claim to the crown of "Dancehall King", a title only bestowed previously on Yellowman in the early 1980s.

American

In 1998, Beenie Man signed to Virgin Records to release albums in the United States. His first American offering was The Doctor (1998). In 2000, Beenie Man teamed up with Arturo Sandoval and Wyclef Jean (The Fugees) to release The Art & Life. During the late 1990s, Beenie Man began his conquest of America with the hits, "Romie", "Who Am I" and "Girls Dem Sugar", which featured American R&B singer, Mya.

In 2002, he had a sizeable hit with a duet with Janet Jackson called "Feel It Boy", but his biggest break in America came in early 2004 with the release a remix of "Dude", featuring guest vocals by fellow Jamaican Ms. Thing, as well as rhymes by Shawnna.

Controversy

Like many Jamaican dancehall reggae artists, some of Beenie Man's songs include anti-gay lyrics that include explicit calls for the lynching of gays and lesbians; this has caused various controversies and boycotts coinciding with recent tours in North America and Europe. In July 2006, a group of black gay and lesbian bloggers and activists protested the artist's inclusion in a HIV/AIDS concert put on by LIFEbeat, the music industry's AIDS organization. After three days of protests, the concert organizers canceled the event and apologized. MTV had plans to include Beenie Man in their roster of performers at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, held in Miami, Florida, but due to adverse publicity, threats of protests and boycotts over the anti-homosexual lyrics in some of his songs, MTV decided to exclude Beenie Man ^*. Virgin issued apologies on his behalf, but many critics have claimed that the artist himself remains unrepentant.

External links

Beenie Man | Beenie Man

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