Beenie Man

Firstly, Beenie has been recording since 9 years of age. Its now 20 years of music. He was crowned DJ of the year in Jamaica numerous times including a five-year streak in the 1990s. He has won nearly every major award in reggae or Caribbean music, from MOBO to Tamika, to Grammy. Its impossible to capture such a reign on ONE CD. So I must give them credit for undertaking such a difficult task. This is an excellent package filled with hardcore hits and good video footage.
The CD places the chosen hits in chronological order, which is useful for charting the success of Jamaica`s most seasoned danchall ambassador. "Who Am I", featured first, was his international breakthrough, earning him reviews in Newsweek magazine--a first at that time for a danchall entertainer. The Punaany ridim is featured here in 2 variations in Romie and Girls Dem Sugar which put Beenie firmly in the international limelight. Those singles galvanised his urban popularity in the mid to late 90s, being featured in a variety of remix styles. "Slam" introduced a different meaning to an old word and now in dancehall circles the word has only one mischeivous meaning. Other favorites here include " Row Like A Boat" which signalled Beenies return to local chart topping after international and crossover success on Art and Life. This DJ is known for his versatility on stage and in the studio and "Nuff Gal" proves why. "King of the Dancehall" a more recent hit, displays Beenies talent for sexually outrageous lines. Dave Kelly, the ace dancehall producer, teamed up with Beenie in 2004 to produce the massive hit "Dude" also featured here. After a lukewarm start to the millenium, this hit put Beenie back at the top of his game.
This CD reverberates with energy and attitude, and is a good tribute to a veteran artiste who after 2 decades is still thrilling audiences worldwide. Seen strictly from an artistic or entertainment viewpoint, this CD will certainly not disappoint.

Disclaimer:
Dancehall is not for everyone. Dancehall fans know that if you listen for a while you will hear calls to burn the Vatican, assassinate world leaders and shoot those who cooperate with the police. Sounds a lot like its cousin rap music, doesn`t it? So homosexuals should not feel they are getting any special hate. And neither Beenie, NOR DANCEHALL, is singularly guilty of these now so-called lyrical crimes.

By the way, moderators, isn`t it a contravention of the rules here that certain reviews do not even address the content of the CD they are supposed to be reviewing?

Taken from amazon.com...

"What to include:

* Your review should focus on the music on this CD."

This CD/DVD is a great buy for the new and the dedicated Beenie Man fan. For new fans, this is a great introduction to the hits that have truly made Beenie Man "King Of The Dancehall."

The Audio CD opens with Beenie's earliest & one of his biggest international hits "Who Am I." Who can forget the first time they heard "Zim Zimmer, who got the keys to my beamer?" "Girls Dem Sugar" & "Romie" are 2 more classics that will get any dancehall to this day popping. "Ole Dawg" & "Slam" boast production from superstar dancehall producer Dave Kelly. Think what Dre as a producer is to hip-hop, thats Dave Kelly to dancehall. Of course the necessary Virgin hits like "Girls Dem Sugar" remix feat. Mya, "Love Me Now" feat. Wyclef, "Dude" feat. Ms. Thing & "King Of The Dancehall" are all present. Not to mention my favorite "Bossman" feat. Sean Paul & Lady Saw. Its good to see that "Row Like A Boat" (previously unreleased in the U.S.) which is Beenie praising Bogle & "The Specialists" feat. Vybz Kartel are included, as many would consider these big hits for Beenie. There are definitely hot tracks on the audio CD that any Beenie Man fan would love to have on 1 disc. Its not so much a greatest hits, but a collection, very well titled for this CD.

The DVD is the gem however, the added treat. Incredible live footage displays Beenie's raw talent, touching footage of Beenie at his best friend's funeral, and horrifying footage of Beenie's Hummer accident in Jamaica. Its all there in a half hour featurette which is very well put together. Not to mention all 7 of his music videos released on Virgin.

This is definitely a must for all Beenie Man fans. In looking at the comments at the review below, it is obvious this person does not know a thing about Beenie Man. There is not one homophobic lyric on this release, nor any of the songs on the 3 Virgin released Beenie Man albums. The singles mentioned below were released soley in Jamaica, and in the U.S. are hard if not impossible to come by. Therefore non of these songs are promoted and easily accessed to people. Not to excuse Beenie Man for actually recording them, but the very comment the reviewer below made comparing Eminem to Beenie is ridiculous. Why is Eminem excused?? This reviewer below says at least Eminem's lyrics weren't as serious & homicidal as Beenie Man's and it is expected of Eminem to say these things because he got a reputation of saying them? So that excuses Eminem? Because he is expected by people to say these things? So that makes Eminem exempt? Please the only reason this writer says this below is because Eminem is white. Its okay for Eminem because he is white, it is not okay for Beenie because of his skin color. Eminem is not to be taken seriously when he says he will murder & rape his wife because he is white, while Beenie Man is to be taken serious that he will kill gays because he is black. That was just an incredible remark. Its okay to excuse a white guy rapping about killing & raping his wife & spitting homophobic lyrics, because we expect this from Em because he has a "crazy" reputation, but Beenie Man, the Jamaican is a cold blooded killer and means what he says.

I just don't buy it. The fact none of the songs on this CD & all of the content on the DVD do not have anything remotely homophobic on them, obviously shows this reviewer did not even listen to the audio CD nor watch the DVD. Therefore that review should be voided and not taken seriously.

People seem to look past Beenie Man's extremely homophobic lyrics. In the song "Damn", Beenie Man states "Well I'm think of a new Jamaica, me come to executve all of the gays". How can he get away with saying something like this. Eminem got so much attention for his homophobic lyrics on his sophomore album, but at least his lyrics weren't as serious and homocidal as this. Eminem just made jokes. Eminem kind of got the reputation of saying crazy things. Threatening to murder his wife, talking about raping his mother, people learned that Eminem was known for saying outrageous things that obviously shouldn't be taken seriously. Eminem is like a comedian, Beenie Man is not. Plus, who did we see perform with Elton John??? Who gave Elton John a big a** hug after their performance??? Beenie Mans seems much more convincing when his homophobic and homo-homicidal lyrics are heard. Beenie Man has recorded numerous songs about his homophobic views, which are much more offensive than anything Eminem has ever said. Another song that supports this, is Beenie Man's "Bad Man, Chi Chi Man", which suggests that you should be proud if you are hederosexual ("If you nun chi chi man wave your right hand and [NO!], if you nun lesbian, wave your right hand and [NO!]"). The following lyric, is percieved to me as him stating that a gay man is actually worse than a murderer, and murderers go to jail and become gay men ("Some boy will go a jail fi murda tun badman chi chi man"). The word "tun", if precieved differently, can give an entire new meaning. Does he mean "ton" or "turn". If he means "ton", he could saying that a man should have the right to kill a "ton" of people who happen to be gay, and not go to jail. In of the verses he gives in the homosexual sterotypes (And yuh seh chi chi man have one special code / Now we see yuh inna video and a naked man pose / Yuh all a gi him money fi tek off him clothes). What the hell is this all about? All gay men aren't porno stars and strippers, what the hell. Out of all the gay people I know, I don't know ANY that are strippers or porno stars. All of these lyrics are much more offensive then Eminem jokingly saying "I was only checking the mail...get it..checking the male". Beenie Man is obviously a closed-minded homophobe, just like our president. I suggest to anyone who is NOT homophobic, AVOID Beenie Man's music. I still can't figure out how he was able to collaborate with Janet Jackson, whom has completely opposite views, as you can here in here song "Free Xone" in which she supports gay people and encourages people to be who they are and not follow any rules, as well as encouraging people to be excepting and open-minded of others. Janet must have been anaware of Beenie Man's homophobic, closed-minded, and intolerant views when she collaborated with him, on the song "Feel It Boy". Beenie Man has also collabrated with people like Wyclef Jean, Lil' Kim, Mya, Jon B., and others. All who I'm pretty sure aren't homophobic, but have no proof, I just hope that they aren't, and don't get the vibe that are. Yeah, so Lil' Kim says "faggot" and stuff, but she doesn't hate gay people. I read an article about how the gay community is so found of Lil' Kim, and she was interviewed about and didn't seem to have any type of problem with gay people. I know for a fact that neither Jon B. or Mya is homophobic. But anyway, that's kind of irrelevant, I just find it interesting that he's collaborated with all these people, when he's saying this crazy things that none of these artists agree with. AVOID BEENIE MAN!!!

Anyone that is a true dancehall fan will love this CD, Beenie has been singing since the tender age of 10. He is the king indeed!! Unfortunately people think that only North American recognition boost your music career. Well those of you out there knows that Beenie Man is no one album wonder. He's been around way before Sean Paul and alot of others. Do your home work before you try to knock the "Grammy Kid". No man can keep him down, including the Gay activist.

Beenie Man is as popular as reggae/dancehall artists come these days, up there with the likes of Sean Paul and Elephant Man. So it only makes sense to try and cash in on this popularity, releasing a greatest hits album after only 3 major-label albums and a few hit singles (in the United States). But as the liner notes to "Kingston to King of the Dancehall" states, it's "not so much a greatest hit collection...as it is a selection of favorite tunes". Accompanying the 16-track CD is a DVD with 7 music videos and a 31-minute featurette on the "King of the Dancehall". Does he live up to the name?

Well, yes and no. It's all in how you listen to your music. The album is packed with bouncing 'riddims' that would cause any dance-floor to fill with plenty of grinding. The album starts off with Beenie Man's "Who am I", the song that launched him to superstardom (almost everyone can recall the line "Sim Simma, Who got the keys to my beemer"). The CD also includes the hit "Girls Dem Sugar" and its remix (by the Neptunes) featuring Mya, the popular song that caused Beenie Man's "Art and Life" to win a Grammy. Also included on the CD are hits "Romie", "Bossman" and lesser known tracks like "Ole Dawg" and "Slam".

The CD is not at all at a shortage for tracks that'll get the booties shakin', but it's not for everyone. When listening to tracks in their entirety, the beats can get pretty repetitive, the CD is much better in small doses. Some hardcore fans may not be satisfied with the exclusions of tracks like "Murderer" and "Healing", but it's hard to please everyone on a compilation album. Also, Beenie Man has received a lot of heat from gay activist groups about his allegedly homophobic lyrics. Lyrics in general are a weakness when it comes to Beenie Man's music. Insightful lines like, "Yuh body shape so good/Let mi introduce yuh to a piece a wood", will cause people who listen to music for a deeper meaning to shake their head in frustration.

Beenie Man is what he is, in response to the pressure against his lyrics, he replied, "A gay man is [still] a man," and "It is very wrong to incite violence against anybody". This music is not meant to be analyzed, instead it should simply be enjoyed. The bonus DVD is enjoyable and a great added feature for fans. But this album seems to be made for his latest audience, seeing that there was a "Best of Beenie Man" album released 5 years ago with far fewer North American hits. Overall, the lyrics won't make your jaw drop, it may be missing some of his essential roots, but the beats on the album are sure to make your body move.

In his music, Beenie Man advocates killing gays. More than
30 gays have been killed in Jamaica where he comes from.
His music has lots of influence there. In some cases mobs
sang his anti-gay songs while they killed a gay.
When asked to apologize and change his ways he wrote a song about how he
would not apologize. If someone advocated the killing
of Blacks or Jews, they would not be tolerated. It seems strange
that in the 21st century the world still tolerates someone
who advocates the killing of gays. Please don't support him by
purchasing his music.

I love me some reggae! Beenie is a reggae genius to all those who can't say anything nice about synthetic reggae or the man shouldn't say nothing at all. This is one of his best albums that I really enjoy. When it comes time for me to move away from radio music or anything mainstream I go international or should I say overseas.

Even though he goes deep with "Back Against the Wall," he still nails the naughty numbers like he was born to strut. "Doctor Mi Rate Yu" and "Grindacologist" is one of my favorites due to its catchy and irresistible chorus. The Timbaland-produced "All Girls Party" has some frisky beat and gives Beenie plenty of lyrical inspiration that fits rather nicely. "Dr. Know" with Jimmy Cheezetrix has an old and new vibe reggae that's on point as well as "If A never God", which is also a good song. R. Kelly is the only other singer who can actually pull off "Take off your Underwear," and get away with it but I couldn't help but to like this song.

Beenie also does a excellent job with "King of the Dancehall" an anthem that he puts out convincingly, and when he mimics Yellowman's faux Chinese on "Love All Girls," it's an admirable nod to an obvious influence. It's good to see Beenie moving away from just odes to booty with these little lyrical touches. I will also add "Get on Bad," and "Set Away," as standout tracks from this album.

`Back to Basics' is a keeper because you can't go wrong with the King of Dancehall.Even if you don't understand him lyrically the rhythm of this album will make up for it. Highly recommend to all reggae lovers and to those who are interested in this flavor.

BBC: Growing up gay in Jamaica
The homophobic lyrics of Jamaican reggae stars have hit the headlines, but what is the reality of being gay in a society where it is illegal to practise your sexuality?
Elephant Man's lyrics call for gays to be killed
Michael is verbally abused, threatened and spat at every time he leaves his home in Kingston, Jamaica, but the 20-year-old student considers himself lucky.
He has friends who have been beaten and stabbed because they are gay but, as yet, he has not been attacked. He knows it could happen anytime.
"My friends have been chopped up and all of that, you'd think they were a piece of meat in the slaughter house. It is terrible," he says.
Every time he goes out he is called a "battyman" - an abusive term for a gay man - and says the general attitude in Kingston is if you are homosexual you may as well be dead.
[A] major influence in people's lives is dancehall music. Its stars, including international artists such as Beenie Man and Buju Banton, are regarded as "teachers" by the young, says Michael. The music is steeped in homophobia, with lyrics from Buju Banton's Boom Boom Bye Bye, threatening gay men with a "gunshot in ah head" and Beenie Man's stating "I'm a dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays".

Man Oh Man. Just when prople think that Beenie Man is Done he comes out with another hot album. He really went Back to the Basic Beenie. He really shows his domination of dancehall through out the years with all of the major production on the album. He has "Dude" on the Festa Riddim by Mad House, "Good Woe on the Coolie Dance Riddim, "Love All Girls" on the Ching Chong Riddim by Black Shadow, "Doctor Mi Rate Yu" on the Mad Guitar Riddim by Don Corleon and "Dr Know" on the Pretty Pretty Riddim. My favorite songs have to be "All Girls Party", "Set Away" and "Get On Bad". This is a classic CD

People seem to look past Beenie Man's extremely homophobic lyrics. In the song "Damn", Beenie Man states "Well I'm think of a new Jamaica, me come to executve all of the gays". How can he get away with saying something like this. Eminem got so much attention for his homophobic lyrics on his sophomore album, but at least his lyrics weren't as serious and homocidal as this. Eminem just made jokes. Eminem kind of got the reputation of saying crazy things. Threatening to murder his wife, talking about raping his mother, people learned that Eminem was known for saying outrageous things that obviously shouldn't be taken seriously. Eminem is like a comedian, Beenie Man is not. Plus, who did we see perform with Elton John??? Who gave Elton John a big a** hug after their performance??? Beenie Mans seems much more convincing when his homophobic and homo-homicidal lyrics are heard. Beenie Man has recorded numerous songs about his homophobic views, which are much more offensive than anything Eminem has ever said. Another song that supports this, is Beenie Man's "Bad Man, Chi Chi Man", which suggests that you should be proud if you are hederosexual ("If you nun chi chi man wave your right hand and [NO!], if you nun lesbian, wave your right hand and [NO!]"). The following lyric, is percieved to me as him stating that a gay man is actually worse than a murderer, and murderers go to jail and become gay men ("Some boy will go a jail fi murda tun badman chi chi man"). The word "tun", if precieved differently, can give an entire new meaning. Does he mean "ton" or "turn". If he means "ton", he could saying that a man should have the right to kill a "ton" of people who happen to be gay, and not go to jail. In of the verses he gives in the homosexual sterotypes (And yuh seh chi chi man have one special code / Now we see yuh inna video and a naked man pose / Yuh all a gi him money fi tek off him clothes). What the hell is this all about? All gay men aren't porno stars and strippers, what the hell. Out of all the gay people I know, I don't know ANY that are strippers or porno stars. All of these lyrics are much more offensive then Eminem jokingly saying "I was only checking the mail...get it..checking the male". Beenie Man is obviously a closed-minded homophobe, just like our president. I suggest to anyone who is NOT homophobic, AVOID Beenie Man's music. I still can't figure out how he was able to collaborate with Janet Jackson, whom has completely opposite views, as you can here in here song "Free Xone" in which she supports gay people and encourages people to be who they are and not follow any rules, as well as encouraging people to be excepting and open-minded of others. Janet must have been anaware of Beenie Man's homophobic, closed-minded, and intolerant views when she collaborated with him, on the song "Feel It Boy". Beenie Man has also collabrated with people like Wyclef Jean, Lil' Kim, Mya, Jon B., and others. All who I'm pretty sure aren't homophobic, but have no proof, I just hope that they aren't, and don't get the vibe that are. Yeah, so Lil' Kim says "faggot" and stuff, but she doesn't hate gay people. I read an article about how the gay community is so found of Lil' Kim, and she was interviewed about and didn't seem to have any type of problem with gay people. I know for a fact that neither Jon B. or Mya is homophobic. But anyway, that's kind of irrelevant, I just find it interesting that he's collaborated with all these people, when he's saying this crazy things that none of these artists agree with. AVOID BEENIE MAN!!!

I dont know about everybody else but I'm feeling this album. Feel It Boy with Janet Jackson , Bad Girl and Bossman(feat Lady Saw& Sean Paul) are all club bangers that Ive seen cause serious commotion in the club. The Irv Gotti-produced Real Gangsta featuring J1 is also good. Pure Pretty Gal and You Babe are also highlights. Street Life is his apology to his woman for all the wrong he has done her. Skip Material: Fresh From Yard features a weak appearance from Lil Kim and weaker production from DJ Clue(?????). Yagga Yo and Miss L.A.P. dont appeal to me and Party Hard is pretty much filler. Bottom Line: Tropical Storm may not be Beenie Man's best album but its the last solid release from him. Back To Basics stunk and Undisputed........lets not even talk about it! Standout Tracks: FEEL IT BOY, BAD GIRL, REAL GANGSTA, STREET LIFE, PURE PRETTY GAL, BOSSMAN and YOU BABE.
To that batty boy doing all that ranting in futility give it a rest. You're never going to get us to accept your silly views as reality so piss off! Chi Chi boy!!!

Every time I play this album it brings back some good memories especially during the year this album first came out. Beenie Man had done a major crossover in this by tying in contemporary reggae and hip-hop while still maintaining the familiar beats to the rudeboy/gangsta continuum. "Tropical Storm" had proving to be the turning point for him and for listener's world wide. This album went really mainstream and held on to a lot of new fans while creating a love hate relationship with his dedicated ones.

Even though this album isn't hardcore dance hall it's still a good album and some of the tracks here are great. Three tracks produced by the Neptune's, who support him with arrangements that are both warm and aggressive especially "Feel It Boy," with Janet Jackson is very nice and was on heavy rotation on the radio. "Bad Girl" is one of my favorites because it represents him being a rude buoy. Lil' Kim contributes to the sultry "Fresh From Yard," --the dance beat is pretty tight. Beenie Man's also does performances with Sean Paul and Lady Saw with "Bossman" which is also great because it's upbeat and moveable as well as "Party Hard," that was another single that hit the clubs really hard during that year.

"Miss L.A.P" is another one of my favorites due to Beenie's lyrics and the refrain which is very catchy and it's hard not to move with this track; and he surly throws it down lyrically with "Gangsta Life" which is another dancehall fav. of mine. He brings it back with "Pure Pretty Girl" this track is very sensual and has a classic sound accompany by a great melody that is amazing to the ears while your mind wonders all over the place. Some of the other tracks are cool but not as strong to my liking.

"Tropical Storm" is a good album but not his strongest even though it's still enjoyable to listen through. Besides that, Beenie still rides his never ending lyrics and rhythm's naturally. Once you listen to this you will realize that Beenie obviously likes to keep it gangsta; probably a bit too much at times. Recommended to all reggae fans and to those who are interested in the genre.......Ziggy Zaaa....!

People seem to look past Beenie Man's extremely homophobic lyrics. In the song "Damn", Beenie Man states "Well I'm think of a new Jamaica, me come to executve all of the gays". How can he get away with saying something like this. Eminem got so much attention for his homophobic lyrics on his sophomore album, but at least his lyrics weren't as serious and homocidal as this. Eminem just made jokes. Eminem kind of got the reputation of saying crazy things. Threatening to murder his wife, talking about raping his mother, people learned that Eminem was known for saying outrageous things that obviously shouldn't be taken seriously. Eminem is like a comedian, Beenie Man is not. Plus, who did we see perform with Elton John??? Who gave Elton John a big a** hug after their performance??? Beenie Mans seems much more convincing when his homophobic and homo-homicidal lyrics are heard. Beenie Man has recorded numerous songs about his homophobic views, which are much more offensive than anything Eminem has ever said. Another song that supports this, is Beenie Man's "Bad Man, Chi Chi Man", which suggests that you should be proud if you are hederosexual ("If you nun chi chi man wave your right hand and [NO!], if you nun lesbian, wave your right hand and [NO!]"). The following lyric, is percieved to me as him stating that a gay man is actually worse than a murderer, and murderers go to jail and become gay men ("Some boy will go a jail fi murda tun badman chi chi man"). The word "tun", if precieved differently, can give an entire new meaning. Does he mean "ton" or "turn". If he means "ton", he could saying that a man should have the right to kill a "ton" of people who happen to be gay, and not go to jail. In of the verses he gives in the homosexual sterotypes (And yuh seh chi chi man have one special code / Now we see yuh inna video and a naked man pose / Yuh all a gi him money fi tek off him clothes). What the hell is this all about? All gay men aren't porno stars and strippers, what the hell. Out of all the gay people I know, I don't know ANY that are strippers or porno stars. All of these lyrics are much more offensive then Eminem jokingly saying "I was only checking the mail...get it..checking the male". Beenie Man is obviously a closed-minded homophobe, just like our president. I suggest to anyone who is NOT homophobic, AVOID Beenie Man's music. I still can't figure out how he was able to collaborate with Janet Jackson, whom has completely opposite views, as you can here in here song "Free Xone" in which she supports gay people and encourages people to be who they are and not follow any rules, as well as encouraging people to be excepting and open-minded of others. Janet must have been anaware of Beenie Man's homophobic, closed-minded, and intolerant views when she collaborated with him, on the song "Feel It Boy". Beenie Man has also collabrated with people like Wyclef Jean, Lil' Kim, Mya, Jon B., and others. All who I'm pretty sure aren't homophobic, but have no proof, I just hope that they aren't, and don't get the vibe that are. Yeah, so Lil' Kim says "faggot" and stuff, but she doesn't hate gay people. I read an article about how the gay community is so found of Lil' Kim, and she was interviewed about and didn't seem to have any type of problem with gay people. I know for a fact that neither Jon B. or Mya is homophobic. But anyway, that's kind of irrelevant, I just find it interesting that he's collaborated with all these people, when he's saying this crazy things that none of these artists agree with. AVOID BEENIE MAN!!!

Ugh I expected so much more from you beenie. The only song I enjoy from this album is MISS L.A.P. I really feel like I wasted my money buying this crap. You better do better with the beats and music next time na mon!

Beenie Man is one of talented Reggae artists out there and messing up with all this Gangsta Style Singjayin! I mean, where's the real Dancehall we usually hear from Beenie? This record is crazy. I don't understand what Beenie Man's doing?! Some songs are tight, but the others are just dull. The album starts off with "Party Hard" which is a cool song. The producers range on this album. Neptunes did an "okay" job on "Feel It Boy" and StarGate did excellent job on "Street Life" one of tight songs on the album. Irv Gotti did a real bad BAD job "Real Gangsta" it's so boring. DJ Clue did a good job on "Fresh From Yard" it's tight! The artists he features on this record are tight. J1 sings nicely on "Real Gangsta" Lil' Kim does an amazing sex rap on "Fresh From Yard" Sean Paul and Lady Saw on "Bossman" another tight song! Well, if you a BIG fan of Beenie you won't be disappointed. It's aiight, but he stop with all this Gangsta stuff. I mean, it's the things that Rasta's rebelled against when they held captive in a way. So Beenie must come down to reality!

People seem to look past Beenie Man's extremely homophobic lyrics. In the song "Damn", Beenie Man states "Well I'm think of a new Jamaica, me come to executve all of the gays". How can he get away with saying something like this. Eminem got so much attention for his homophobic lyrics on his sophomore album, but at least his lyrics weren't as serious and homocidal as this. Eminem just made jokes. Eminem kind of got the reputation of saying crazy things. Threatening to murder his wife, talking about raping his mother, people learned that Eminem was known for saying outrageous things that obviously shouldn't be taken seriously. Eminem is like a comedian, Beenie Man is not. Plus, who did we see perform with Elton John??? Who gave Elton John a big a** hug after their performance??? Beenie Mans seems much more convincing when his homophobic and homo-homicidal lyrics are heard. Beenie Man has recorded numerous songs about his homophobic views, which are much more offensive than anything Eminem has ever said. Another song that supports this, is Beenie Man's "Bad Man, Chi Chi Man", which suggests that you should be proud if you are hederosexual ("If you nun chi chi man wave your right hand and [NO!], if you nun lesbian, wave your right hand and [NO!]"). The following lyric, is percieved to me as him stating that a gay man is actually worse than a murderer, and murderers go to jail and become gay men ("Some boy will go a jail fi murda tun badman chi chi man"). The word "tun", if precieved differently, can give an entire new meaning. Does he mean "ton" or "turn". If he means "ton", he could saying that a man should have the right to kill a "ton" of people who happen to be gay, and not go to jail. In of the verses he gives in the homosexual sterotypes (And yuh seh chi chi man have one special code / Now we see yuh inna video and a naked man pose / Yuh all a gi him money fi tek off him clothes). What the hell is this all about? All gay men aren't porno stars and strippers, what the hell. Out of all the gay people I know, I don't know ANY that are strippers or porno stars. All of these lyrics are much more offensive then Eminem jokingly saying "I was only checking the mail...get it..checking the male". Beenie Man is obviously a closed-minded homophobe, just like our president. I suggest to anyone who is NOT homophobic, AVOID Beenie Man's music. I still can't figure out how he was able to collaborate with Janet Jackson, whom has completely opposite views, as you can here in here song "Free Xone" in which she supports gay people and encourages people to be who they are and not follow any rules, as well as encouraging people to be excepting and open-minded of others. Janet must have been anaware of Beenie Man's homophobic, closed-minded, and intolerant views when she collaborated with him, on the song "Feel It Boy". Beenie Man has also collabrated with people like Wyclef Jean, Lil' Kim, Mya, Jon B., and others. All who I'm pretty sure aren't homophobic, but have no proof, I just hope that they aren't, and don't get the vibe that are. Yeah, so Lil' Kim says "faggot" and stuff, but she doesn't hate gay people. I read an article about how the gay community is so found of Lil' Kim, and she was interviewed about and didn't seem to have any type of problem with gay people. I know for a fact that neither Jon B. or Mya is homophobic. But anyway, that's kind of irrelevant, I just find it interesting that he's collaborated with all these people, when he's saying this crazy things that none of these artists agree with. AVOID BEENIE MAN!!!

It's a shame that this album's overall rating is being affected by those with a political agenda to push. All of the reviewers who've rated Beenie's albums here on Amazon with a "1" acknowledge their bias in their posts, one even going so far as to state that the "Music isn't half bad.....Beenie himself is aweful" (sic). Moreover, they never take the time to review each of Beenie's albums individually, but rather copy 'n' paste their same old tired tirade into each of his album review sections whether that album contains any anti-gay lyrics or not.

I do not condone violence or hate crimes against anyone, but let's not apply these standards selectively. Should we pan the albums of Jerry Lee Lewis because he married his underaged cousin? Should I slam the Rolling Stones based not on their musical talent, but rather because I personally find songs like "Brown Sugar" (about on old white man raping virginal, Black slaves, etc.) to be extremely offensive and disgusting? Should I dash across Amazon and give every one of Ted Nugent's albums a "1" because I disagree strongly with his views on animal rights and politics? Rate the music, not the man, people!!!

Now, on to the album itself. "Many Moods of Moses" carried on the tradition established by Beenie Man with "Maestro", but pushes the envelope even further, resulting in a true magnum opus. Although Beenie still considers himself the "King of the Dancehall" and blesses this album with many fine dancehall tunes ("Who Am I", "Oysters and Conch", "Woman A Sample" - a wicked collaboration with Buju Banton), he also ventures out into other genres of music as he endeavors to express his "many moods" to his new-found American/International audience as well as his longtime dancehall fans back in good ol' Jamrock.

The album opens with Beenie and the African Diaspora choir known as ARP engaging in a bit of pseudo-African chant and finally slipping into a quasi-traditional version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", perhaps hearkening back to the African roots of most of the music later incorporated by Mr. Davis into his masterpiece. On "Foundation" Beenie bounces effortlessly over an infectious pre-dancehall riddim crafted by master musicians Sly and Robbie, on "Ain't Gonna Figure It Yet" he explores American country and western music, on "Heaven on Earth" he gives us his interpretation of the r&b group Solo's tune of same name, on "Have You Ever" he tries his hand at hip hop, on "Got to Be There" he chants alongside an angelic, pseudo-gospel choir, on "Steve Biko" he endeavors to channel Bob Marley, and on "Miss You" and "Bad Mind is Active" he ventures out to explore a little new jack swing/hip hop pop territory.

With "Many Moods of Moses" Beenie crafts an album that anyone who appreciates good music will want to listen to again and again, unless you are either a diehard, old school dancehall fan who can't stand to see "The Doctor" endeavoring to explore musical genres beyond his usual fare, or if you are a political crusader out to nail the man for his occasional use of anti-gay lyrics (in which case, you should also be boycotting Capleton, Sizzla, Bounty Killer, and virtually every other dancehall artiste as well).

The "Many Moods of Moses" are in this case a joy to explore.

My actual rating for this album is 4 stars, but I'm giving it 5 here to balance out the biased ratings.

In his music, Beenie Man advocates killing gays. More than
30 gays have been killed in Jamaica, where he comes from.
His music has lots of influence there. In some cases mobs
sang his anti-gay songs while they killed a man who might have been gay.
When asked to apologize and change his ways he wrote a song about how he
would not apologize. If someone advocated the killing
of Blacks or Jews, they would not be tolerated. It seems strange
that in the 21st century the world still tolerates someone
who advocates the killing of gays. I suspect that the world
would not tolerate this if white men were getting killed.
Please don't support him by purchasing his music.

THESE RATINGS ARE COMPROMISED! To the homo-supporters - If you don't like a genre of music (basically anything Reggae because I guarantee none of them rootsmen or women are down with your Sodomism) then 1) don't listen, 2) don't buy, and 3)please don't review on Amazon as it is misleading for someone who REALLY appreciates the music, not someone who is just out to advance a Sodomite political stance. Just because you support gay doesn't mean we all have to.

As to the album, it's a solid dancehall album probably worthy of 3.5 to 4 stars, but I gave it five to balance somewhat all them batty politicans on Amazon.

Listen, all of the negative comments about Beenie need to go. I think Beenie Man is wonderful. He will always be doing his thing!! And his album "Art and Life" was all that in response to one of the reviews. Many Moods of Moses was awsome, because alot of his songs have positive messages if you really take time to listen to the lyrics. So, Beenie baby keep up the good work!!! Lady Saw does her thing as well.

People seem to look past Beenie Man's extremely homophobic lyrics. In the song "Damn", Beenie Man states "Well I'm think of a new Jamaica, me come to executve all of the gays". How can he get away with saying something like this. Eminem got so much attention for his homophobic lyrics on his sophomore album, but at least his lyrics weren't as serious and homocidal as this. Eminem just made jokes. Eminem kind of got the reputation of saying crazy things. Threatening to murder his wife, talking about raping his mother, people learned that Eminem was known for saying outrageous things that obviously shouldn't be taken seriously. Eminem is like a comedian, Beenie Man is not. Plus, who did we see perform with Elton John??? Who gave Elton John a big a** hug after their performance??? Beenie Mans seems much more convincing when his homophobic and homo-homicidal lyrics are heard. Beenie Man has recorded numerous songs about his homophobic views, which are much more offensive than anything Eminem has ever said. Another song that supports this, is Beenie Man's "Bad Man, Chi Chi Man", which suggests that you should be proud if you are hederosexual ("If you nun chi chi man wave your right hand and [NO!], if you nun lesbian, wave your right hand and [NO!]"). The following lyric, is percieved to me as him stating that a gay man is actually worse than a murderer, and murderers go to jail and become gay men ("Some boy will go a jail fi murda tun badman chi chi man"). The word "tun", if precieved differently, can give an entire new meaning. Does he mean "ton" or "turn". If he means "ton", he could saying that a man should have the right to kill a "ton" of people who happen to be gay, and not go to jail. In of the verses he gives in the homosexual sterotypes (And yuh seh chi chi man have one special code / Now we see yuh inna video and a naked man pose / Yuh all a gi him money fi tek off him clothes). What the hell is this all about? All gay men aren't porno stars and strippers, what the hell. Out of all the gay people I know, I don't know ANY that are strippers or porno stars. All of these lyrics are much more offensive then Eminem jokingly saying "I was only checking the mail...get it..checking the male". Beenie Man is obviously a closed-minded homophobe, just like our president. I suggest to anyone who is NOT homophobic, AVOID Beenie Man's music. I still can't figure out how he was able to collaborate with Janet Jackson, whom has completely opposite views, as you can here in here song "Free Xone" in which she supports gay people and encourages people to be who they are and not follow any rules, as well as encouraging people to be excepting and open-minded of others. Janet must have been anaware of Beenie Man's homophobic, closed-minded, and intolerant views when she collaborated with him, on the song "Feel It Boy". Beenie Man has also collabrated with people like Wyclef Jean, Lil' Kim, Mya, Jon B., and others. All who I'm pretty sure aren't homophobic, but have no proof, I just hope that they aren't, and don't get the vibe that are. Yeah, so Lil' Kim says "faggot" and stuff, but she doesn't hate gay people. I read an article about how the gay community is so found of Lil' Kim, and she was interviewed about and didn't seem to have any type of problem with gay people. I know for a fact that neither Jon B. or Mya is homophobic. But anyway, that's kind of irrelevant, I just find it interesting that he's collaborated with all these people, when he's saying this crazy things that none of these artists agree with. AVOID BEENIE MAN!!!

This is a fine album from pre-crossover Beenie Man, showcasing tunes from an era before before the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall" ever dreamed of making it big a farrin' with tunes like "Dude" or "Girls Dem Sugar". Most of the songs on here are definite boomshots, and it's a shame that the album's rating is being affected by those with a political agenda to push. All of the reviewers who rated this album as a "1" acknowledge their bias in their posts, one even going so far as to state that the "Music isn't half bad.....Beenie himself is aweful" (sic).

I do not condone violence or hate crimes against anyone, but let's not apply these standards selectively. Should we pan the albums of Jerry Lee Lewis because he married his underaged cousin? Should I slam the Rolling Stones based not on their musical talent, but rather because I personally find songs like "Brown Sugar" (about on old white man raping virginal, Black slaves, etc.) to be extremely offensive and disgusting? Should I dash across Amazon and give every one of Ted Nugent's albums a "1" because I disagree strongly with his views on animal rights and politics? Rate the music, not the man, people!!!

Getting back to the album itself, there are a number of true dancehall classics on here, including "World Dance" (a fun, fast-paced song in which Beenie promotes his new dance which everyone "dun know already"), "Slam" (in which Beenie touts the virtues of ghetto girls in the sack), "Stop Live In A De Pass" (in which Beenie admonishes Bounty Killer and his other dancehall rivals to forgo their standard cowboy tunes) and "Freedom" (in which Beenie eloquently describes the plight of the urban masses of Jamaican sufferahs and Black people worldwide).

All of the songs on this disc are well-produced, and as always, Beenie is spectacular on the mic. Few deejays can rival "The Doctor" in terms of lyrical complexity, concept, and flow. In short, no one rides a riddim like Beenie Man! This album is highly recommended for all fans of unadulterated 90s dancehall.

Overall, this is a very solid album which easily earns 4 stars, but I'm going to go ahead and give it a 5 in order to offset some of the political "reviews" posted here which are dragging down Beenie's overall rating without being objective or giving his music a fair chance.

Please note that there are no anti-gay songs on this album.

In his music, Beenie Man advocates killing gays. More than
30 gays have been killed in Jamaica, where he comes from.
His music has lots of influence there. In some cases mobs
sang his anti-gay songs while they killed a man who might have been gay.
When asked to apologize and change his ways he wrote a song about how he
would not apologize. If someone advocated the killing
of Blacks or Jews, they would not be tolerated. It seems strange
that in the 21st century the world still tolerates someone
who advocates the killing of gays. I suspect that the world
would not tolerate this if white men were getting killed.
Please don't support him by purchasing his music.

Beenie Man's lyrics express a growing sentiment of how many impoverished Jamaicans feel. The island is swarmed with tourists and tourist dollars daily and yet these dollars rarely trickle down into the pockets of the majority. Yes, there is a minority power elite in Jamaica as in many places. One can generally view Jamaica as some kind of paradise to escape cold weather but the majority of native islanders cant escape the poverty they were born into. This sentiment is magnified when the island is bombarded with foreigners who even buy property there and live better than the born Jamaicans. This has created an anti-western sentiment in the slums of Jamaica and other impoverished islands.

I dont condone the violent homophobic lyrics that Beenie blasts but poverty leads people hate things they dont understand. It's the cycle of violence that proverty manifests and it's a shame that certain people (like homosexuals) become scape goats for peoples misery. This can also be said of rap music in American hip hop culture. But in the islands this poverty in the slums that the dancehall artists are trying to escape is way more intense than that of America so these sentiments are more intense as well. This hatred must be dealt with as again I'm not condoning these things but I'm giving a different insight to the rhetoric.

People seem to look past Beenie Man's extremely homophobic lyrics. In the song "Damn", Beenie Man states "Well I'm think of a new Jamaica, me come to executve all of the gays". How can he get away with saying something like this. Eminem got so much attention for his homophobic lyrics on his sophomore album, but at least his lyrics weren't as serious and homocidal as this. Eminem just made jokes. Eminem kind of got the reputation of saying crazy things. Threatening to murder his wife, talking about raping his mother, people learned that Eminem was known for saying outrageous things that obviously shouldn't be taken seriously. Eminem is like a comedian, Beenie Man is not. Plus, who did we see perform with Elton John??? Who gave Elton John a big a** hug after their performance??? Beenie Mans seems much more convincing when his homophobic and homo-homicidal lyrics are heard. Beenie Man has recorded numerous songs about his homophobic views, which are much more offensive than anything Eminem has ever said. Another song that supports this, is Beenie Man's "Bad Man, Chi Chi Man", which suggests that you should be proud if you are hederosexual ("If you nun chi chi man wave your right hand and [NO!], if you nun lesbian, wave your right hand and [NO!]"). The following lyric, is percieved to me as him stating that a gay man is actually worse than a murderer, and murderers go to jail and become gay men ("Some boy will go a jail fi murda tun badman chi chi man"). The word "tun", if precieved differently, can give an entire new meaning. Does he mean "ton" or "turn". If he means "ton", he could saying that a man should have the right to kill a "ton" of people who happen to be gay, and not go to jail. In of the verses he gives in the homosexual sterotypes (And yuh seh chi chi man have one special code / Now we see yuh inna video and a naked man pose / Yuh all a gi him money fi tek off him clothes). What the hell is this all about? All gay men aren't porno stars and strippers, what the hell. Out of all the gay people I know, I don't know ANY that are strippers or porno stars. All of these lyrics are much more offensive then Eminem jokingly saying "I was only checking the mail...get it..checking the male". Beenie Man is obviously a closed-minded homophobe, just like our president. I suggest to anyone who is NOT homophobic, AVOID Beenie Man's music. I still can't figure out how he was able to collaborate with Janet Jackson, whom has completely opposite views, as you can here in here song "Free Xone" in which she supports gay people and encourages people to be who they are and not follow any rules, as well as encouraging people to be excepting and open-minded of others. Janet must have been anaware of Beenie Man's homophobic, closed-minded, and intolerant views when she collaborated with him, on the song "Feel It Boy". Beenie Man has also collabrated with people like Wyclef Jean, Lil' Kim, Mya, Jon B., and others. All who I'm pretty sure aren't homophobic, but have no proof, I just hope that they aren't, and don't get the vibe that are. Yeah, so Lil' Kim says "faggot" and stuff, but she doesn't hate gay people. I read an article about how the gay community is so found of Lil' Kim, and she was interviewed about and didn't seem to have any type of problem with gay people. I know for a fact that neither Jon B. or Mya is homophobic. But anyway, that's kind of irrelevant, I just find it interesting that he's collaborated with all these people, when he's saying this crazy things that none of these artists agree with. AVOID BEENIE MAN!!!

Beenie man is such a bigot. How can he sing about burning and hanging people just because they are different? Hello Beenie think SLAVERY!!!! How can a singer be allowed to commit such a travesty? What is the point in trying to illicit hate and violence? Could it be Beenie's uncomfortable with his own sexuality? Peace bro' that is what makes the world go 'round...peace out.

Beenie Man's music encourages people to kill gays. More than 30 gays have been killed in Jamaica, where he comes from. His music has lots of influence there. In some cases mobs sang his anti-gay songs while they killed a black man, who might have been gay. The right of "free speech" is limited by criminal laws on "incitement to violence", but the boundary is fuzzy. When asked to apologize and change his ways, Beenie Man wrote a song about how he would not apologize ("No Apology", 2005). All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. I suspect that the world would not "do nothing" if white men were getting killed. Please think about who you want to support with your money.

After "Dude" and "Back to Basics", Beenie Man lay claim to the title King of Dancehall and with good reason. But he didn`t stop there. The ace deejay went on to record a series of blistering dancehall smashes during 2004, 2005, and early 2006 which set the dancehall on fire and galvanized his claim as dancehall emperor. The release of Undisputed was eagerly awaited. However, while it is a plausible package, it does little to display the full worth of the artist, failing to include very little of his most popular recent work, a lot of which was still in the pre-release stage and was anticipated to be included here. It almost seems calculated to downplay the hardcore nature of probably the most versatile dancehall DJ around.
FIRST THE OBVIOUS STRENGTHS...
Absolute hits which are included are "Come Again" and "Heart Attack". Driving, intricate dancehall beats on the two tracks lend extra shine to Beenie`s flawless delivery which, by the way, is everywhere on the album. These two are straight fire.
Beenie Man and D`Angel team up to deliver "Beenie Man", one of his best tunes, but which is sabotaged by a weak hook sung by Angel.
'Hmm Hmm' is a known and proven club-banger...enough said.
Other good ones are "Chaka Dance" a remixed version of a the original "Chaka Chaka" done in 2004, and which acheives the same frenzied effect as the original that can make parties go wild.

NOW TO THE INTRIGUING STUFF...
"Welcome to My World" and "Undisputed" are in a class by themsleves. Beenie takes time to deliver a different flavor on these two and also on "My Woman". Musically 'My World' is miles ahead. 'My World' is a classic sleeper track which gets off to a slow start with Lady Saw, comes into its own quickly, and by the end it`s begging for a rewind. On my first listen I skipped past it; didn`t impress me. A second listen and I was humming it. A third listen and I couldn`t get the beat out of my head for days. What makes it even more clever is the couple well-veiled references to his rival Bounty Killer.

AND THE REST...
Again, Beenie`s delivery is great throughout the album, but weak lyrics and unimpressive beats dog him in tunes like 'Girls', with Akon, 'Jamaican Ting', 'Duty Wine Gal' and 'Walk Out'. Those are among his worst tunes on any album I think. How those songs earned a place on an international release from the same artist who did Art and Life is beyond me. The man has so much hit material he doesn`t need fillers. Something just doesn`t make sense. Oh, and 'Set You Free' is just ok.
'Fire' is of course Beenie`s experiment in reggaeton, and it works. At least for me. And I HATE reggaeton. I wonder if people who really like reggaeton like this track, because Beenie does the job of keeping it a lot more dancehall than reggaeton-sounding. After all, original is original.

So there is more to like, than not to like, and more to dance than to stand still, but I cant help but compare this package to what I know this "Bulletproof" DJ who "Set Di Trend" is capable of.

This album is just not Beenie Man's best work. I found this album to be missing some crucial tracks (We Set The Trend, Swing Eh Weh, Jamaican Style) and a few more. Anyway, there def are some real good tracks on there, such as heart attack, hmm hmm, beenie man, but he still fails to nail it. The reggaeton song was a very bad idea, it just doesn't flow with the album. I was expecting big things from Undisputed, but didn't get what I thought I would.

hello.
since Back to Basics which was brillient i waited for another album from beenie. after he released a few Very tight mixtapes he got to this. i am very happy cus this is tight as hell.
all the songs are good, nothing isnt bad, but the reggaeton thing sucks. but still i love this album and i am happy he is back.

2 years ago fans of Beenie Man were treated to what was one of his finest albums in a very long time, Back To Basics. B2B was a 15 track nearly totally dancehall smash of an album which featured 2 of Beenie's biggest hits Dude and King of the Dancehall.

Now just 2 years later he returns with an attempt to follow up on that fantastic album. While definitely whats going on, on Undisputed is more than interesting, this is one of those cases where whats going on outside of the studio is even more interesting. Amidst rumors of leaving his longtime mangers, Shocking Vibes and splitting with his longtime band (and the best backing band in d'hall) Ruff Kutt, and his marriage to a model who just happens to be the ex of his decade+ long rival Bounty Killa. Everything is crazy for Beenie Man!

And while some may question his acts outside of the studio (especially if he really fired Ruff Kutt!), his actions inside the studio are becomming less and less questionable. Undisputed is not as good as Back to Basics, not at all. But when you just take the artist's part of it all, Beenie's flow hasn't lost a cut at all.

The best tune here is probably the first JA single, Hmm Hmm, the song is the big sounding vibe that was found on King of the Dancehall from B2B, not surprisingly both are produced by the brilliant Tony Kelly. The biggest hits here which were previously released are Heart Attack and the MASSIVE Come Again over Vendetta's Sweat riddim. The flow on Come Again is something out out of a Papa San/Twista lyric handbook, flat out brilliant! And definitely one of the best songs on the album.

Also check My World featuring longtime spar Lady Saw which features the best hook on the album outside of Hmm Hmm (there are HIS/HER choruses!), the two always make a good team and My World ranks up there with the best of them. Also, Set You Free is more an old school (at least melody-wise) sounding vibe over a Black Chiney riddim. And his tune Beenie Man is at least interesting because it features his wife, D'Angel singing the hook, and the flow is of course masterful.

All that being said, the musically most interesting tune on all of Undisputed is the title track. The song features a wicked wicked sampling of Conroy Smith's Dangerous (pat yourself on the back if you remember the original). Undisputed is a fine fine tune, and credit goes to the continuously brilliant Black Shadow.

There are missteps here: I'm not too fond of the second single, Girls with Akon or the Storch produced Dutty Wine Gal, Storch's other production, Jamaican Ting isn't a very strong tune either, however, it is ultimately saved because of the sickly flow Beenie builds around it (especially the last verse!), and the reggaeton tune Fire. . . NO! (and on a sidenote, how do you not put Wi Set Di Trends on this one?)

Overall, however, the good here far outweighs the bad, and the bad even isnt that bad. Beenie Man is as sharp as ever, proving he is one of the few acts who could probably write a full album in his sleep. Glad to see him back, glad to see Lady Saw with him, and this album will appeal to many of the same crowd that liked B2B, there are no obvious crossover attempts (even with Storch on board) and its a fine fine effort from the Undisputed King of Dancehall.

(and should Virgin choose not to renew him, expect Atlantic to sign him the next day)

In his music, Beenie Man advocates killing gays. More than
30 gays have been killed in Jamaica where he comes from.
His music has lots of influence there. In some cases mobs
sang his anti-gay songs while they killed a man who might have been gay.
When asked to apologize and change his ways he wrote a song about how he
would not apologize. If someone advocated the killing
of Blacks or Jews, they would not be tolerated. It seems strange
that in the 21st century the world still tolerates someone
who advocates the killing of gays. Please don't support him by
purchasing his music.

I have a review rebuttal for mr. vaggerot! why do you f_ing care? yah ill admitt hes homophobic but tell me a jamaican who isnt! Im a jamaican so i know how homophobic we are but its his right to express himself however the f he wants! Great album! but n e ways i would apreciate it if you would learn the lingo before you critisize his lyrics ( he means "turn" gay). Most jamaicans are raised to "bun di Chi Chi" so what ? let him say what he wants to say and stop worrying about what beenie man says in his songs.Heres an idea spend your time do something worthwhile like feeding africa or fight for world peace.P.S let Artists colaborate with who they want to. they werent forced. Buy the album if your jamaican, if your not go hug "chi chi" andstop whining about his vies and good music!! peace ONE LOVE

People seem to look past Beenie Man's extremely homophobic lyrics. In the song "Damn", Beenie Man states "Well I'm think of a new Jamaica, me come to executve all of the gays". How can he get away with saying something like this. Eminem got so much attention for his homophobic lyrics on his sophomore album, but at least his lyrics weren't as serious and homocidal as this. Eminem just made jokes. Eminem kind of got the reputation of saying crazy things. Threatening to murder his wife, talking about raping his mother, people learned that Eminem was known for saying outrageous things that obviously shouldn't be taken seriously. Eminem is like a comedian, Beenie Man is not. Plus, who did we see perform with Elton John??? Who gave Elton John a big a** hug after their performance??? Beenie Mans seems much more convincing when his homophobic and homo-homicidal lyrics are heard. Beenie Man has recorded numerous songs about his homophobic views, which are much more offensive than anything Eminem has ever said. Another song that supports this, is Beenie Man's "Bad Man, Chi Chi Man", which suggests that you should be proud if you are hederosexual ("If you nun chi chi man wave your right hand and [NO!], if you nun lesbian, wave your right hand and [NO!]"). The following lyric, is percieved to me as him stating that a gay man is actually worse than a murderer, and murderers go to jail and become gay men ("Some boy will go a jail fi murda tun badman chi chi man"). The word "tun", if precieved differently, can give an entire new meaning. Does he mean "ton" or "turn". If he means "ton", he could saying that a man should have the right to kill a "ton" of people who happen to be gay, and not go to jail. In of the verses he gives in the homosexual sterotypes (And yuh seh chi chi man have one special code / Now we see yuh inna video and a naked man pose / Yuh all a gi him money fi tek off him clothes). What the hell is this all about? All gay men aren't porno stars and strippers, what the hell. Out of all the gay people I know, I don't know ANY that are strippers or porno stars. All of these lyrics are much more offensive then Eminem jokingly saying "I was only checking the mail...get it..checking the male". Beenie Man is obviously a closed-minded homophobe, just like our president. I suggest to anyone who is NOT homophobic, AVOID Beenie Man's music. I still can't figure out how he was able to collaborate with Janet Jackson, whom has completely opposite views, as you can here in here song "Free Xone" in which she supports gay people and encourages people to be who they are and not follow any rules, as well as encouraging people to be excepting and open-minded of others. Janet must have been anaware of Beenie Man's homophobic, closed-minded, and intolerant views when she collaborated with him, on the song "Feel It Boy". Beenie Man has also collabrated with people like Wyclef Jean, Lil' Kim, Mya, Jon B., and others. All who I'm pretty sure aren't homophobic, but have no proof, I just hope that they aren't, and don't get the vibe that are. Yeah, so Lil' Kim says "faggot" and stuff, but she doesn't hate gay people. I read an article about how the gay community is so found of Lil' Kim, and she was interviewed about and didn't seem to have any type of problem with gay people. I know for a fact that neither Jon B. or Mya is homophobic. But anyway, that's kind of irrelevant, I just find it interesting that he's collaborated with all these people, when he's saying this crazy things that none of these artists agree with.

At the time this CD came out, I was dating a Jamaican woman. She pressed me to buy this album even though I was more of a Bob Marley fan. I wasn't really into dancehall. But Beenie Man changed my perspective. I know this isn't the purest form of dancehall reggae that one can purchase, but it was a tolerable initial sample for me. It spoon fed me small bits of dancehall in between all the hip hop influenced songs. Now I love dancehall. This album helped me get into it. This is a great starter album if you're not already heavy into dancehall reggae.

Personal Favorites: Haters & Fools, Ola feat. Steve Perry, Girls Dem Suga, Crazy Notion, Original Tune(probably the best song on the CD), Art & Life, Jamaica Way feat. Kelis, & Trus Me

I bought this album about 2 years ago during the Christmas season at a local CD store in Wilkes-Barre. Every time I hear the title track, I always think its some kind of Christmas jingle. It is the best song on the album, but "Some Tonight" with Tanto Metro and Devonte is also good. So basically I go to track 9 then 15, hit the CD eject button, and throw it to the side.