Dancehall legend Beenie Man is back with a brand new album, his first in 14 long years and also dropping a new video, “So Many Gal.”
“King Of The Dancehall” deejay Beenie Man has announced his nineteenth album release titled, “Simma.” The Grammy-winning artiste last released an album 14 years ago. Yes! “Undisputed” was dropped on August 29th, 2006. Now, in the midst of his popularity once again taking effect as a result of his incredible Verzuz clash with the warlord Bounty Killer, Beenie Man is back with a feature-laden new project. “Simma” will be released on August 22, 2020, which will also be Beenie’s 47th birthday.
During a recent chat with A’mari, who now goes by the name “DJ Mona-Lisa,” Beenie also went into detail about his humanitarian and charitable aspirations. “We know what it is to have nothing, and we know how it is to be nobody,” he expressed to A’Mari.
Beenie Man, whose given real name is Anthony Moses Davis, has seen his fair share of hardships. With that in mind, the deejay stated that he takes deep gratification from being in a position to help out those less fortunate. One key experience of his which led to his giving nature was the natural disaster, Gilbert. The superstorm slammed Jamaica as a category 5 hurricane in 1988, destroying infrastructure, vegetation and left the country without essential supplies for quite some time. To this day, it has been declared one of the worst disasters that the island has faced. In the aftermath of the hurricane, many individuals were rendered homeless and had to seek refuge in schools and shelters. Beenie mentioned that he was right in the very thick of this, and it has always been a personal motivation of his to give back. He went on to note that he normally receives a lot of love and appreciation for his efforts.
This led Beenie to reflect on the current Coronavirus pandemic and the effect it has had on a whole. “It affected everybody enuh, not only artists, nobody can’t get to go nowhere, nobody can’t get to do no show, everything have to be online, a serious thing,” he said.
Thankfully he has still been able to work on his music during the quarantine. Recording music is Beenie’s true passion, and it has been something that has been embedded within him from a young age. “Me never do music fi success enuh, me do music because me love music because I am a child star, me start from what? Age 5,” he revealed.
He added, “But when success comes, you have to just appreciate and love it because then you have something to look forward to, then you have a family to feed… then when the money comes in it is great.” He noted that profits from his recordings are an added bonus that can be used wisely to either fund one’s own educational goals or that of your children.
However, numerous factors can put a damper on income and popularity, namely not receiving much airplay. Beenie Man highlighted the fact that although he is quite successful in his career, he too still faces times when his music is not played on the radio stations.
“As big as I am today and as the new some dem whey me ah put out, check who fah playlist that I am on. Me 90s song dem deh on everybody’s playlist, but I think the last playlist me deh pon ‘how me fi grudge you fi u money and me have my own,’ from ‘I’m drinking rum and redbull,’ check from deso who fah playlist me deh pon today…Do you wanna be that guy is the biggest slang in the world, who fah playlist it deh pon today, just check it,” he divulged.
Still, the legendary hitmaker counsels that artists should not be dragged down by these things, they should push on and continue striving for greatness. “We ah feel it, but we just haffi mek music and continue to make music because who ah go stop you more than you.” He highlights, however, that artistes must have a deep and true passion for music, “me born inna music, I am music” therefore, he can be solely focused and consumed by his musical goals and aspirations.
Beenie’s new album “Simma” will feature a plethora of heavyweights such as Shaggy, Dexta Daps, Sean Paul, Major Lazer, and Fanatic. The deejay added that he does wish he was able to have a collaboration with the great Bounty Killer on the album. However, his desire did not come to fruition. Thankfully, fans still have a lot to look forward to. Be on the lookout for “Simma” on August 22.
Watch Beenie Man’s new video “So Many Gal” below.
