………and who is in charge of making that call ?
Now before you go thinking this is hatred on Mr Davis, you may know I have been around the reggae industry for a similar time and without checking and although Moses may have another 10 years on me, I am not here hating on the man. I still reload the old time Moses Vs Rodney clashes and while Miss Ivy Last Son echoes “talk your poor lyrics” backed by his extensive and I mean idiotically deep catalogue of tunes and lyrics, Beenie Man is not exactly short of a hit or two, a lyric or few…. yup, the man called Moses has a ridiculously deep cavern of hit after hit too.
And that’s where the question starts to really open a tin of worms. 2bobclark
Rest assured, my job has never entailed hating on reggae music. Since I started and regularly visited Mr Palmer and Jetstar all those years ago, my sheer love of good quality reggae music always had people wanting my opinion. I know, I’m a white guy, but I am a white guy who fell in love with reggae music. I had gotten to know all out clients here in the midlands and got feelings on how much of certain songs to take and avoid the records being stuck behind the shelves with backstock. I actually loved being respected for what I thought…
Is Beenie Man the king of the dancehall ? remember the word “undisputed”.
Many times it will have been said and I have heard it myself that Beenie is NOT the king of the dancehall. Each to their own opinion. You have to admit, it can be hard to take a man seriously when he blows his own trumpet and that’s not an welcomed trait in Jamaican culture either ~ “self praise is no recommendation”.
But I have never said No, he is NOT the king of the dancehall.
Beenie Man has been at the top of HIS game since the very early days. That is not to be disputed. Anyone who disputes it, is an idiot, or a hater. These are simple facts. So what’s the issue ?
The issue is the undisputed part. This is where i have a huge problem and that is to say that Beenie Man is better than every other dancehall artist. WAIT !!! There is no one better than him, that is for sure.
But there are MANY who are 100% there at the top of their game, who came before him and after but that is no loss to Beenie Man. No stripes torn off. No disrespect at all. I will argue all day week month year long that Bounty Killer is no lesser dancehall artist. Worse….. yea, you got it. Bounty is also not the only one.
Here’s an invisible list of artists :
………and every single one of them are kings in the dancehall, fully qualified with a humungous catalogue that will mash up any dancehall.
It’s a humble thing to accept this, because it’s the truth. And it comes at absolutely no cost to any artist who has all the qualities of a dancehall king. Now all that remains is how to accept that all of these artists are at the top of their game, have fully succeeded in the reggae world and all of them, are undisputed.
If you can do that, you truly do love reggae music. No folly thing.
The outcome means that Beenie Man is not THE king of dancehall, but IS undisputedly one of MANY kings of the dancehall. My respect for them is higher than a pedestial.
