Artist
Beenie Man
Beenie Man dominated dancehall through the late nineties and 2000s, scoring crossover hits like "Girls Dem Sugar" and carrying the genre into mainstream pop through collaborations with artists including Mya. His signature move was putting melody back into a genre that had leaned hard into rhythm and toasting: hooks built to survive on pop radio without losing the roughneck edge that made dancehall dancehall.
The full story is in Jamaican Dancehall.
At a glance
- Active
- 1980s–present
- From
- Kingston, Jamaica
- Listening guide track
- “Who Am I”
Listen
In the Jamaican Dancehall listening guide: “Who Am I”
In the issues
- Jamaican DancehallSupporting cast · 1979-1995 · Members
Jamaican Dancehall is a genre from Kingston, Jamaica, 1979–1995. Its principal artists include Yellowman, Shabba Ranks and King Jammy. This issue covers 8 essential albums and 14 dated events.
Terms
- Riddim
- A Jamaican term for an instrumental backing track, especially one reused by multiple singers or deejays to create different vocal versions over the same rhythm.
- Toasting
- A Jamaican vocal style in which a deejay chants or raps rhythmically over an instrumental track or riddim, often improvising phrases to hype a crowd.