5 Questions with Beenie Man

Dancehall artiste, Moses ‘Beenie Man’ Davis, recorded his debut single, Too Fancy, with producer Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes in 1981. His Bunny Lee-produced debut album, The Invincible Beenie Man: The Ten Year Old DJ Wonder, was released in 1983 and that same year, Beenie Man enjoyed his first of many hit singles with Over the Sea, produced by Niney the Observer.

A remarkable part of Beenie Man’s journey involved the production outfit Shocking Vibes, which managed his career for more than a decade. He won the DJ of the Year Award in 1993 and took home the prize for the next eight years. From the mid to late 1990s, Beenie Man dominated the Jamaican charts. The Girls Dem Sugar broke into the United States in 1997 with Who Am I (Sim Simma) which went gold.

Beenie Man signed to Virgin Records to release albums in the United States, and in 2000, he made a great win for dancehall when Art & Life received the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.

Fast-forward to the year 2023 and Beenie Man, now 50, has released Simma, his 17th studio album. The genre-bending Simma showcases dancehall, reggae, Afrobeats and drill music. A collaborative offering, it sees Beenie Man with friends such as Sean Paul, Charly Black, Anthony Red Rose, Louie Culture, Busy Signal, Stonebwoy, Patoranking, Ms Banks, Mya, Hood Celebrityy, Dexta Daps, Shenseea, Bunji Garlin, Shaggy, Popcaan, Dre Island and Morgan Heritage, among others.

On Wednesday, CIGA Records, who currently co-manages Beenie Man’s career, hosted a listening party for Simma at Stone Love HQ on Burlington Avenue. CEO of CIGA Records, Shawn Baptiste, shared that the arrival of the album “marks the evolution of Moses Davis”.

“Beenie Man never left. The success of his music is proof alone that he is a legend of the genre, and what do we do for legends? We celebrate them,” Baptiste remarked.

While at Weddy Weddy, 5 Questions With ... enjoyed a chit-chat with the living legend.

1. How do you feel that now that ‘Simma’ is currently one of 65 albums being considered by the Recording Academy in the Best Reggae Album category? Do you think the album will receive a nomination?

I feel great. When you put out yuh work, you put out yuh work. You do it for it to be appreciated and that is showing that people appreciate the work. When it comes to a nomination ... I don’t know. If it’s there, it’s there. I am just hoping for the best.

2. You have called this album a “labour of love”. What is so special about ‘Simma’?

Ahhh. Simma. It’s all about the death of my mom .... the best friend who I lost and the conversations that we used to have and all these things. Everything inna Simma. Let’s put it this way, Simma is my way to weather the storm.

3. You have spoken about being a living legend. What do you want your legacy to be in the dancehall?

I am the greatest dancehall artiste who ever lived. So that’s my legacy. It have to build and stand firm. It’s not like I am dropping the ball at any time. Everybody just have to understand that I am in it for the long haul ... living legend.

4. Is that why you have been saying that you deserve an Order of Jamaica (OJ), not an Order of Distinction (OD)?

Yes! Mi need a OJ. I am the King of the Dancehall. How yuh fi gimme a OD and I am already the king? I need a OJ. My message to Minister Grange and the authorities is this: If you can give Machel Montano the Keys to the City of Kingston ... just think ‘bout that.

5. What is your contribution to the ongoing conversation about reggae/dancehall losing its status to other, newer genres?

Reggae/dancehall is the greatest music ever. Nobody can go around that. Simma is here to put dancehall which part it suppose to deh. Mi nuh inna no argument with dem, because dem a go sing and do all type a thing, but yuh see when we buck dem outta road .... dead dog dem.

BRAWTA

When it comes to fashion, you have been there raising the bar consistently high. How important is your fashion icon status?

It’s very important for you to look good ... as an artiste yuh haffi mek a bold statement every time yuh go on stage to perform, and also ... very important ... when you are attending events. Yuh have to have a standard. Dancehall is a fashionable place; it have a legacy of well dressed artiste and patrons... who put themselves together. So I continue the trend by being a trendsetter in fashion. If yuh doan look good, yuh look shabby. And when yuh look shabby people seh yuh bruk dung and yuh pop dung and nutten nah gwaan fi yuh. Tonight, mi wear mi hazmat suit ... and mi still look good. Check out mi Simma hazmat suit.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com