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Overview
Beenie Man
Moses Anthony Davis better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Jamaican Dancehall deejay
20July
197320 July 1973
Birth
Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973
20July
1990
20 July 1990
Early life
From a young age, Beenie Man was involved in the music industry, starting toasting at age five and winning the Tastee Talent contest in 1981; he gained popularity after being introduced to sound system operators by Radio DJ Barry G and recorded his debut single "Too Fancy" in 1981, followed by his first hit single "Over the Sea" in 1983; however, his music career was momentarily interrupted as he finished school and traveled to the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.
20July
1992
20 July 1992
1990s return
Beenie Man, a dancehall artist, initially had moderate success in the early 1990s but gained momentum after a performance at Reggae Sunsplash in 1992, leading to a rivalry with Bounty Killer over style accusations, later settled with a soundclash, and he achieved his first number one single in Jamaica with "Matie" in 1993, winning the first of eight consecutive DJ of the Year Awards.
20July
1995
20 July 1995
International stardom
Beenie Man's career saw significant growth after collaborating with producers Sly and Robbie and converting to the Rastafari movement in the mid-1990s, which led to critical acclaim and international recognition with albums like "Blessed" and "Maestro." He achieved commercial success in the United States with hits like "Who Am I" and "Girls Dem Sugar" featuring Mýa, and continued to be a prominent figure in dancehall music, later reconciling with rival Bounty Killer and earning further praise for his contributions to the genre.
20July
2004
20 July 2004
Anti-gay lyrics
Beenie Man faced criticism for some of his song lyrics promoting violence against homosexuals and was removed from the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards due to protests from gay-rights activists. He later issued an apology through his record company, and although gay rights group OutRage! suspended their opposition to him after he agreed not to perform songs with homophobic lyrics, protests continued, leading to concert cancellations in certain countries. In 2012, he publicly apologized to the gay community, expressing respect for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation, but in other interviews, he made conflicting statements on the matter.
20July
2006
20 July 2006
Yellowman feud
In 2006, Yellowman criticized Beenie Man for proclaiming himself "King of the Dancehall" and making comments about Yellowman's appearance, leading to a heated exchange where Beenie Man compared Bounty Killer's appearance to Yellowman's, to which Yellowman responded, asserting his popularity among the Jamaican public.
20July
2021
20 July 2021
Legal issues
On 1 January 2021, Beenie Man faced charges for violating the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) and the Noise Abatement Act in Jamaica, as he hosted an event that went against COVID-19 pandemic containment measures.
20July
2023
20 July 2023
Personal life
On 22 August 2006, Beenie Man married Michelle "D'Angel" Downer, but they separated in June 2007. Despite being separated, they released a duet single titled "You Are My First" in March 2010. The couple eventually divorced in 2011.
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