Beenie Man and Popcaan’s unity was on full display at the dancehall legend’s birthday bash last weekend.
King of the Dancehall Beenie Man is one of few still boasting success in tumultuous 2020. Toasting to his achievements, the industry giant hosted an intimate party last weekend to mark his 47th birthday. His top-tier guest list included Bounty Killer, Konshens, Mr. Lexx, Gyptian, Kabaka Pyramid, daughter Desha Ravers, and Kemar Highcon. Popcaan was also present, in a show of unity that may have officially ended their 2018 fallout. “Big up always nephew,” the Doctor captioned his post, as the two embraced on Popcaan’s arrival after their two-year rift.
From the circulating clips, it’s clear that unity was the main theme of the celebrations held at Kaya Herb House in Kingston. Rivals turned friends, veterans, rookies, selectors, and dancers were all gathered in protocol averse proximity with plenty of liquor, music, and vibes. Well-wishers from near and far who weren’t in the house, such as Wayne Wonder, Gentleman, Destra Garcia, Ashanti, Gramps Morgan, Romain Virgo, Mya, Tarrus Riley, and Stylo G all submitted their sentiments via the comments. “Happy Birthday big boss”, Shenseea wrote while Verzuz creator Swizz Beatz quipped “Looking Good King, bless up on this day General.”
But despite the long list of vicarious patrons, the actual attendees raised plenty of eyebrows for ignoring COVID protocols. “Love the vibes but where are the masks” was one of the first and most popular comments, while another chided, “I don’t see no mask. Happy they are enjoying themselves, but set example.” Several other netizens made the comparison between Beenie Man and Usain Bolt’s bash, where patrons failed to adhere to protocols, and now Bolt himself is rumored to have contracted the illness.
Still, the doctor was in high spirits, rocking his stylish floral print get-up and basking in the gains of a long and fruitful career. “Great vibes with my Friends and Coworkers. Blessings and respect to all,” he wrote in his final birthday post. 2020 has been good to the “Girls Dem Sugar” deejay, whose catalogue and image got a boost after the staggering success of his Verzuz Battle with Bounty Killer back in May. Following that, Beenie released “That Guy,” a single spawned by an anecdote from the virtual event and “Put Her in the Middle” just last week.
Still, in a festive mood, Beenie added some apparel to the list of offerings for his loyal fans. “We are still celebrating. We just dropped the Beenie Man Birthday Collection,” he shared. Next up from the “Who Am I” deejay will be his album, Simmer featuring assists from Dexta Daps, Shaggy and Sean Paul, set to be released soon.
