Born Anthony Moses Davis 22nd August 1973 in Kingston's Waterhouse ghetto the child prodigy began deejaying at the age of five and his youthful dreams of super stardom became a reality when he won the Tastee Teeny Talent Show in 1981. The radio deejay, Barry G, introduced him to a number of local sound systems and Beenie Man worked live and direct on Lee's Unlimited (alongside Papa San) and Black Star (alongside Tiger) before recording his debut single, 'Too Fancy', later that year for the hottest producer of the period Henry 'Junjo' Lawes. He released his first long player in 1983, the aptly titled 'The Invincible Beenie Man: The Ten Year Old DJ Wonder', produced by the omnipresent Bunny Striker Lee before he hit again with his 'Over The Sea' single for producer Winston 'Niney The Observer' Holness(Winston 'Niney' Holness). But the young man wisely decided to complete his studies and finish school but found time to travel to the USA, Canada and the UK during this fallow period.
In 1989 Beenie Man began work with producer Patrick Roberts' Shocking Vibes label and, as the new decade dawned, he recorded for every top producer in Kingston including Bobby Digital(Bobby Dixon), King Jammy(Lloyd James), Xterminator, Donovan Germain, & Black Scorpio. Reggae artists have to "voice out"... it's an economic necessity... but Beenie Man never merely handed in a performance and every release was superb; the lyrics flowered and flowed and demonstrated his versatility and unerring ability to ride the rhythm like a veteran mic. master... while still in his teens. 'Matie' for Bobby Digital gave Beenie Man his first Jamaican Number one single in 1993 and a show stopping performance at that year's Reggae Sunsplash festival further enhanced his burgeoning popularity: that year he was also awarded the prestigious Deejay Of The Year Award... the first of eight consecutive awards. His much publicised feud with Bounty Killer began after Bounty began using Beenie's "people dead" catch phrase and the two rivals clashed on record the following year on the 'Guns Out' album.
In 1994 Beenie Man's timely update of Bob Marley's 'No Woman No Cry' for Sly & Robbie's Taxi label entitled 'No Mama No Cry', gave the young deejay yet another Jamaican Number One and its insightful anti gun lyrics were a fitting tribute to Panhead... a deejay lost to Kingston's internecine violence. Two further superb Bob Marley adaptations in combination with vocalist Luciano, 'Running Away' and 'Crazy Baldhead', for the Taxi label followed. That same year he was accorded an album release for London based Jet Star's 'Gold' series an accolade usually reserved for established artists. The set helped to introduce Beenie Man to the wider world away from the Jamaican dance halls and pre-release seven inch single aficionados who had been busy snapping up his every release in the specialist shops for the past five years. He now signed to Island Records and 'Slam' for Dave 'Rude Boy' Kelly(Dave Kelly)'s Mad House set up, the dance hall anthem for 1995, featured on Beenie Man's Island Jamaica album 'Blessed'.
For the rest of the decade Beenie Man remained at the pinnacle of success, dominating the charts and the dance halls, and his status was reflected when he appeared as himself in the 'Dancehall Queen' film in 1997. He became known as the 'King Of Dance Hall' which later led to altercations with Yellowman who had won the same title in the eighties. In the spring of 1998 Beenie Man finally cracked the UK National Charts when the Greensleeves release, 'Who Am I', produced by Jeremy Harding for his 2 Hard label made it to Number Ten and the "Zim Zimma, who's got the keys to my Bimma" hook line was on everyone's lips. The 'Many Moods Of Moses' album included 'Who Am I' alongside tracks every bit as good including the Sly & Robbie production 'Foundation' and Shocking Vibes' 'Oyster & Conch'. 'Money', his combination with London based soul songstress Jamelia, hit the Number Five position early in 2000 in the UK National Charts and Beenie Man signed a five album deal with Virgin Records.
The hits never let up and 'Girls Dem Sugar' with Mya, 'Feel It Boy' with Janet Jackson, 'Street Life', 'Dude' with Ms Thing and the self explanatory 'King Of The Dance Hall' all graced the UK National Charts in the New Millennium. His albums for Virgin were a super synthesis reaching out to a new audience whilst never forgetting his Kingston dance hall roots and 'Art & Life' contained Dave Kelly's 'Haters & Fools' and guest appearances from Wyclef Jean and won the coveted Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2000; 'Tropical Storm' featured combinations with London's So Solid Crew and dance hall favourites Lady Saw And Sean Paul.
Beenie Man has always had all bases covered from light hearted releases such as the adventurous 'Nuff Gal' through dance hall favourites 'Blackboard' and 'Romie' to serious social insight on diatribes such as 'Murderer' and international commentary on 'World Gone Mad' and he continues to do so. Looking forward to more top quality releases from Beenie Man is not wishful thinking but a justified expectancy cultivated by his incredible longevity and his matchless standards. As far back as 1999 he was awarded a higher degree in deejaying on his VP long player 'The Doctor' but his doctorate has long been superseded and Beenie Man must surely now be regarded as the Dean of the Dance Hall.
Nov 25, 2014 (Nov 28, 2014 Update) Text by Harry Hawks
