Beenie Man

Beenie Man, born 22 August 1973 in the Waterhouse district of Kingston, Jamaica, is a dancehall deejay, singer, and songwriter. He started toasting at age five and won the Tastee Talent contest in 1981. His debut album, The Invincible Beenie Man: The Ten Year Old DJ Wonder, came out in 1983 when he was a child. After a break to finish school, he returned in the early 1990s and rose alongside figures like Ninjaman and Shabba Ranks. His first Jamaican No. 1, “Matie,” came in 1993. He also had a well-known rivalry with Bounty Killer, which began that year.

His international career took off in the late 1990s. He signed with Island Records and released Blessed (1994) and Maestro (1996), then reached the US with “Who Am I” (1997). He signed to Virgin Records and released The Doctor (1998), with hits including “Romie” and “Girls Dem Sugar” featuring Mýa. His album Art and Life (2000) won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album. In the 2000s he had UK hits with “Feel It Boy,” a duet with Janet Jackson, and “Dude,” and was called “king of the dancehall reggae scene” by the Associated Press. He was crowned King of the Dancehall at Reggae Sumfest in 2009. In 2020 he and Bounty Killer, long-time rivals, took part in a Verzuz battle on Instagram that drew wide attention.