Dancehall entertainer Beenie Man has been steadily promoting the leading track off his much-anticipated album Simma. The new song and video titled “Fun In The Sun” dropped just a few days ago and featured Popcaan and Dre Island.
The dancehall veteran recently joined in on the new audio-based app Clubhouse to discuss the new album. He also explained just how he penned the leading track and where he soaked up the inspiration for the lyrics, which call for unity and love.
Beenie Man explains that the track is actually a tribute to his mother, Lilieth Sewell, who passed away last year after a stroke. She was laid to rest in October 2020 in her birthplace, Shrewsbury St. Elizabeth.
While commenting on the song, which according to The Star, was also played during the Clubhouse session, the entertainer lamented on the track’s formation.
“Not so much the lyrics or lines, is which part me write the song, which was by me mother grave. That’s where the idea came to me, right at the graveside,” he explained. Additionally, the deejay has credited his late mom’s teachings as the driving force behind the gospel-themed piece of music and also spoke about unity on display on the album, similar to Sean Paul’s recent campiagn of “collaboration over confrontation.”
The music video was done on the grounds of Jamaica’s Hope Botanical Garden, with additional B-roll cuts coming from the country’s rich landscape.
The legendary Jamaican entertainer who was born and raised in Kingston has now found himself venturing the rural areas to spend more time with his mom. Earlier this year, Beenie Man showed fans the elaborate two-story burial house where his mom was laid to rest. The unit features a sofa, beautiful and modern lighting, among other small items one could find in a space for the living.
“Mi madda is my best fren, enuh, like seriously, that’s why me down a St Elizabeth so regular,” Beenie said.
He continued by explaining he visited her last week Sunday to get her blessing for his upcoming album. It seems Beenie has all the right ingredients to pull off a fantastic album. The availability of a wide mixture of talent due to Covid has resulted in several collaborations.
Shenseea, Busy Signal, Bunji Garlin, Hood Celebrityy, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Anthony Red Rose, Bounty Killer, Popcaan, and Dre Island round out the massive collection.
“It’s a lot more collaborations; nobody nuh have anything to do, everybody deh a Jamaica so we link up in the studio a mek songs,” the dancehall legend said. “Artiste can sit back in them studio, and me can go check a Shaggy or go Sean Paul studio fi check him. Otherwise, they would be on tour or me woulda deh pon tour.”
The entertainer still has not offered a release date for the album, which should arrive later this year, after nearly one full year of delays.
