INTERVIEW : BEENIE MAN
Interview by : Benoit Georges
Pictures by : Karl Joseph
on Friday, September 22nd 2006 - 19 040 views
After an eventful summer marked by a fresh confrontation with Bounty Killer and his marriage to D'Angel (ex-partner of the "Warlord"), Beenie Man nonetheless approaches autumn 2006 in the best possible way with "Undisputed", an album true to its author that largely keeps its promises. For the first time in his career, the "Doctor" had two days in France devoted exclusively to his promotion: a chance for him to reach the general public on national media. Despite a very busy schedule, we talk to the "Grammy kid" in the car taking him to a big live studio slot on a well-known radio station.
Reggaefrance / Welcome, Beenie. Before talking about your latest album, let's go back to "Back to basics". Did you achieve your goals with that album?
Beenie Man / Musically, for sure. Commercially, it was harder. The album was fought against by the gay and lesbian community. I don't really know why since no song on that album dealt with that theme. I think they fought me and not my music. It was a very dancehall album. It came out at the same time as Sean Paul's. Sean Paul's album did well but my album was attacked. I think they were after me but I don't know why.
Can you explain the title of this new album?
The album is called "Undisputed" because I've always fought and I've never been down. I remain the king of the dancehall (King of the dancehall), number one in the Caribbean, in Europe and all the way to Africa. I've never been "down". This album is called "Undisputed" because even though I'm an international artist, I remain the king of the dancehall. I'm setting the record straight with this album.
So you used this whole boxing imagery. Do you like boxing?
Yes, I love it. But you know I'm first and foremost a football player.
On the album, there are two tracks produced by Scott Storch. Surprisingly, they aren't the tracks you'd expect from such a producer: Jamaican ting is a track with realistic lyrics while Dutty wine gal is a pure dancehall tune.
I'll explain the reason. This album is my album: these are my influences. Whatever Scott Storch does as an instrumental or as music, he's a musician. If you ask him to compose a hardcore riddim between hip-hop and dancehall, he'll do it, it's his job.
Incidentally, the theme of Jamaican ting recalls We set di trend on the Nukie riddim: it's a fairly general picture of the 80s, the music but also the political context. You seem attached to this theme.
Some young people in the business don't know these things. For example in France, many people only know dancehall through Sean Paul. Joking aside, Sean Paul arrived 4 years ago...
A bit longer ago than that, though...
Yeah if you like, but even if he started 8 years ago, it's been about 4 years since he's been recognised as an international artist. You can only see that young people need education. You who are older than this audience, you can teach them things they don't know. By listening to this album, the audience learns what roots, dancehall and hip-hop are. Music carries a message tied to a context. Music for me is also going to Europe and living with Europeans, going to America and living with Americans, even if living in Jamaica is what I prefer.
Oddly, We set di trend isn't on the album, why?
You have to understand that this song was really fought against by the producer Dave Kelly and his label, even the artists. They fought this song because they considered it a threat to Baby Cham's song (Ghetto story, editor's note). They were really counting on that single, which is why they fought my song so hard. We set di trend was supposed to be on the album but Dave Kelly was claiming 100% of the rights on that single which he hadn't produced! He didn't compose that riddim, he didn't write those lyrics but he decided to create problems. So we decided to give him his 100% but he didn't want it and kept on fighting this song. That's why it isn't on the album.
Let's talk about another song that isn't on the album...
Which one?
A nuh me on the Jonkanoo.
Actually, there's already Chaka dance on the same riddim which is on the album...
Precisely, why choose Chaka dance? And why not put both on, for that matter? These two tracks are very different.
Yes but it wouldn't have made sense to put the same riddim on an album twice. I couldn't listen to this album with two songs on the same rhythm.
Yet the lyrics of A nuh me are powerful...
That's why I kept A nuh me for the dancehalls and put Chaka dance on the album to entertain the audience.
On Undisputed, you have a track featuring a reggaeton artist: Voltio. Was that your own choice or your label's, which also signed this artist?
It's a Shocking Vibes choice. In fact, we had already done a song in English and Spanish on "Tropical storm". That's why we decided to do this track with Voltio. Our intention wasn't to ride this new wave of Spanish reggae. We created this wave with a Shocking Vibes production: it was only natural to come back to that sound and show that we were the origin of it. We chose Voltio because he's one of the youngest artists to have arrived in this style of Spanish reggae... I can't get used to it, I can't call it what they call it.
Reggaeton?
Yeah, it's Spanish reggae.
Promoting the album with the single Hm hm is a rather bold choice. Did you choose this song?
Yes, it's my own choice. Hardcore dancehall for the ladies, that's me...
It's true that it's not a weak single...
You said it...
You've always put slightly more crossover tracks on your albums. Today, there are artists like Sizzla, Sean Paul, Baby Cham, Elephant Man or Shaggy who are also taking this approach of featuring with American stars. Do you think it has become necessary for a Jamaican artist to go down that road to reach a wider audience?
For us, music is a necessity. And our music is a fusion of different musics. For me music transcends cultures, colours. If an Indian proposes I do a track with him and he delivers, I'd go and deejay on his version and we'll be number one in Bombay. No problem, as long as the artist has talent because I don't work with artists who have no talent. If you can't come into the studio and adapt your songs, I don't work with you. If we do a song together, your part isn't good and you can't adapt, I'll find someone else. Even if the song is worth 10 million... Artistically it has to be good.
It's been a hot summer for you: the Jamaican media talked more about your feud with Bounty, Sumfest and your wedding to D'Angel than about your new album...
Whether or not they talk about the album, they talk about me, it's the same thing. And everyone knew my album was coming out on the 29th. For the shows I did in Jamaica, it was my own responsibility to carry them out and to keep my distance. I'm the king of the dancehall and I have to prove it constantly. Now it's up to Virgin to take me everywhere to the media for the album. That's my job. My album is international and the dancehall market is different, you mustn't confuse the two. But believe me my album is being played in Jamaica right now by the youths, because it has different styles and it talks about everyday people, about what's happening now and about the future all at once.
You know full well that as always people are more interested in what goes on between you and Bounty.
In Jamaica only...
You said you like boxing. In boxing, you always need two opponents: you can't box alone...
Yes I can, I box against my shadow, against myself. I have no opponents: they've all been knocked out already. Who am I supposed to fight? Bounty? I already knocked him out, what is it...10 years ago! What am I supposed to do?
I don't know. But I find you rather good when you're attacked. I'd even say you give your best in those cases...
No, I don't think so. They aren't attacks, it's what happens when artists get into the business. Bounty Killer is good when I talk about him. If I don't talk about him, he's no longer good. Me, I steer clear of that. Should I be jealous of the artists who turn up and are good, because people talk about them and don't talk about me? I'm not going to use your name in a song to get people talking about me. I just make a better song.
Do you think Bounty needs you more than you need him?
You know that. Everything has been said. (laughs)
With your busy schedule, do you still find time for your social activities in Jamaica, the football club for example?
Yes. I have to do it. I have to make time for it. If I changed, I would no longer have a life. I work a lot, but I keep on getting people to love football.
You now have one last album left with Virgin to fulfil your contract. What will you do afterwards?
I’ll go elsewhere, but I can’t tell you all my secrets.
I read that you were interested in Epic…
What would I go and do at Epic? No worry 'bout dat!
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