He was booed off stage at a show celebrating the visit of Nelson Mandela. In 1993 at the very popular show Sting he accused fellow deejay Bounty Killer that the elder artist had stolen his catchphrase, "people dead". This triggered a lyrical battle which continued on the air with each artist counteracting the other's songs. Finally, in 1995, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer settled their differences on the air by actually signing a peace treaty and the two recorded an album together, Guns Out. This was followed by a single, "No Mama No Cry", a rehash of the Bob Marley classic "No Woman No Cry", speaking out against violence and inspired by the murder of Pan Head, another popular Deejay.
Partially as a result of prodding from his producers, Sly and Robbie, Beenie Man soon converted to the Rastafari movement.
In 1994, he was signed by Island Records and released the critically acclaimed album Blessed.
In 1995, Beenie Man released a remix of Barrington Levy's "Under Mi Sensi" in the United Kingdom, and collaborated with Dennis Brown and Triston Palma to release Three Against War and Lt. Stitchie on Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man. He took another step up the ladder in 1996, releasing the seminal Maestro, produced by Patrick Roberts and shot him to UK fame. During the period from the mid to late '90s, Beenie Man dominated the Jamaican charts to the extent that he perhaps had a good claim to the crown of "Dancehall King", a title only bestowed previously on Yellowman in the early 1980s.
In 1998, Beenie Man signed to Virgin Records to release albums in the United States. His first American offering was The Doctor (1998). In 2000, Beenie Man teamed up with Arturo Sandoval and Wyclef Jean (The Fugees) to release The Art & Life. During the late 1990s, Beenie Man began his conquest of America with the hits, "Romie", "Who Am I" and "Girls Dem Sugar", which featured American R&B singer, Mya.
In 2002, he had a sizeable hit with a duet with Janet Jackson called "Feel It Boy", but his biggest break in America came in early 2004 with the release of a remix of "Dude", featuring guest vocals by fellow Jamaican Ms. Thing, as well as rhymes by Shawnna.
Africans
Beenie Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On hurt hurt ever pray to is the sun, woh, deh, deh
Den di evil priest, come wid a god name atom
Atom mean one god and one god only
Rastaman discover that is three in one one in three
Blessed be on to thee only trinity for iver, for iver
And iver more, woh, deh, deh, lord, woh
We, we are Africans
We, free Africans
We, we are Africans
We, free Africans
[Verse 1]
Down the jungle, the quite jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
Farracan led the million man march
Di lion dance tonight
Africans in America
Dem cal them Afro-American
But the inhabitants them fi understand
Sey America a capture land
Europe land is fi European
And is there white man belong
Now the Indians who own di land
Naw lives on reservation, but!
[Chorus]
Verse 2:
O.J. Simpson one ting mi deh warn yuh
Sey fi stick to yuh owner kind, woh
Yuh switch from yuh kind
And yuh nearly serve time
Could a mix up in a babylon
If yuh guilty you know the story
But yuh bless by selassi hands
Now yuh bust di case
Put a smile pon yuh face
And join repatriation
Rodney King, look how bad dem beat him
Pon public television
Full time we get it straight
Dem nuh like we race
Mek we pack up and leave dis place, cause
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
Marcus Garvey and Malcolm and Martin Luther
A true black man, woh
Anybol, and Selassie I Mandela dem a Ethiopion
Down di jungle di quite jungle
Di lion sleep tonight, woh
Farracon led the million man march
Di lion dance tonight
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Beenie Man's song "Africans" allude to the struggles and perseverance of African people throughout history. The opening lines state that "Greetings, is like the first good mankind on earth ever pray to is the sun", emphasizing the deep-seated cultural practices of African people. However, the lyrics also allude to the arrival of Western religion and the controversial nature of its spread in Africa. The "evil priest" introduces the concept of one god through the word "atom", but the Rastaman realizes that the true nature of spirituality is the Holy Trinity. This message is emphasized throughout the song with the repeated phrase, "we, free Africans", mapping out the idea that Africans have been enslaved and oppressed throughout history, but ultimately remain free in spirit and faith.
The second verse focuses on the experience of Africans in America, who are labeled as Afro-Americans, but who are nevertheless part of a nation founded on the capture of Native American land. African Americans are warned to "stick to [their] own kind" and not to deviate from their heritage, lest they become victims of the justice system meant to protect them. The lyrics reference O.J. Simpson's trial, Rodney King's beating, and the desire for repatriation back to Africa. The character of Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. are celebrated as true black men, along with Anybol and Selassie I Mandela as Ethiopians.
Overall, the lyrics in "Africans" are a call to action for African people to reconnect with their cultural heritage, roots, and spirituality. The song highlights the struggles of African Americans and the need for repatriation back to Africa. The lyrics also tackle the controversial subject of Western religion's introduction to Africa and what resilience African people exhibit in the face of oppression throughout history.
Line by Line Meaning
Greetings, is like the first good mankind
Hello, it feels like the beginning of humanity
On hurt hurt ever pray to is the sun, woh, deh, deh
In times of pain, people often seek comfort in the sun
Den di evil priest, come wid a god name atom
Then an evil priest arrives with a god called Atom
Atom mean one god and one god only
Atom represents one and only one god
Rastaman discover that is three in one one in three
Rastafarians believe that there are three aspects of one god
Blessed be on to thee only trinity for iver, for iver
Blessings to the only trinity forever and ever
And iver more, woh, deh, deh, lord, woh
And forevermore, oh Lord
We, we are Africans
We identify as Africans
We, free Africans
As Africans, we are free
Down the jungle, the quite jungle
Deep in the jungle, where all is peaceful
The lion sleeps tonight
The predator rests on this still night
Farracan led the million man march
Louis Farrakhan led the Million Man March
Di lion dance tonight
The powerful dance of the lion dominates the night
Africans in America
People of African descent living in America
Dem cal them Afro-American
They are commonly referred to as African Americans
But the inhabitants them fi understand
Others need to understand the true situation
Sey America a capture land
America was taken by force from the original inhabitants
Europe land is fi European
Europe belongs to Europeans
And is there white man belong
And it belongs to the white man
Now the Indians who own di land
The Native Americans who originally owned the land
Naw lives on reservation, but!
Now live on reservations, however!
O.J. Simpson one ting mi deh warn yuh
I have a warning for O.J. Simpson
Sey fi stick to yuh owner kind, woh
To stay with one's own race
Yuh switch from yuh kind
You switched from your own race
And yuh nearly serve time
And almost served time in prison
Could a mix up in a babylon
Could have been a problem with the authorities
If yuh guilty you know the story
If you were guilty, you know what would have happened
But yuh bless by selassi hands
But you were blessed by Haile Selassie
Now yuh bust di case
Now the case has been overturned
Put a smile pon yuh face
You can now smile
And join repatriation
And join the movement to return to Africa
Rodney King, look how bad dem beat him
Look at how badly they beat Rodney King
Pon public television
On national TV
Full time we get it straight
It's time to set things straight
Dem nuh like we race
They don't like our race
Mek we pack up and leave dis place, cause
We should leave this place
Marcus Garvey and Malcolm and Martin Luther
These black leaders
A true black man, woh
True black men
Anybol, and Selassie I Mandela dem a Ethiopion
Abiola, Selassie and Mandela had Ethiopian connections
Di lion sleep tonight, woh
The lion rests tonight
Farracon led the million man march
Louis Farrakhan led the Million Man March
Di lion dance tonight
The lion dances tonight
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MOSES ANTHONY DAVIS, DELROY NEVIN, PATRICK ROBERTS, ANDREW THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind