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.
Art And Life
Beenie Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Having my ways and I've seen your days
Sing it and have it set a nasty craze
So I reach a state
Turn a new page
Stand by me my sister stand by me now
Having my days and I've seen your ways
Sing it and have it set a nasty craze
Turn a new page
Stand by me my brothers help me sing a song say
Art and life, art and life, art and life
Cah this is my, art and life, art and life
Art and life, art and life hey!
Tell dem fi cool cah man a ragga ragga
Tell dem a school man a carry dem inna
Moses rule with di ancient dagger
Mi seh eyes a rasta man rise Selassie banner
From mi a yute reggae music mi inna
Tell yuh di truth nuh other work mi nuh prefer
Can't change bulb nor mi caan patch tire
But yuh hand mi a mic di whole dance ketch a fire
Hear dagger tune weh di dj a mutter
As a ghetto yute rise up and stop suffer
Driving a path fancy yuh fall down mi ladder
But instead a man a go ban mi rise up fi di better
And his funeral mi seh
Art and life, art and life, art and life
Yeah! and this is my, art and life, art and life
Art and life, art and life yeah!
They say I am a star now
Weh live mi life fi everyone
Show lord that we can all just get along
Be strong and help another brother man
In this time I say
Well inna this ya time now
You gotta hold a position
Height on that ghetto yute ya look upon
Clean heart and good meditation
That a be my weapon
And now a just di
Right time fi start di Armageddon
Bright side mi haffi fight Babylon
My work a reggae revolution
As a Rastafarian! and sing along seh
Art and life, art and life, art and life
Is all about, art and life, art and life
Art and life, art and life
Question to di world(ask dem)
And I seh who is gonna be my friend
Through thick and thin to di end
Less I be a vessel for di word
Equal rights and justice
Some neva get rid a nicely done
All man shall reap what they sow
All what big man boast all baby should know
Big freestyle now
I'm not gonna move and go slow
Ask you a question and take it down low
Why say that now
Having my ways and I've seen your days
Sing it and have it set a nasty craze
Now I reach a state
Turn a new page
Stand by me and help I sing a song like this
Art and life, art and life, art and life
Art and life, art and life art and life...
The lyrics to Beenie Man’s song “Art and Life” are about celebrating one's artistic expression and living one's life with purpose and conviction. Beenie Man starts off the song by acknowledging his blessings and the experiences he’s had in life, and how they’ve shaped him into the person he is today. He continues to call for unity amongst his sisters and brothers, urging them to "sing it and have it set a nasty craze," thereby setting a positive example for others to follow. The lyrics are rooted in Rastafarianism, with references to Selassie and the importance of meditation and good character.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of art and life, emphasizing the idea that music is a powerful tool for expression and should be celebrated as an important aspect of life. Beenie Man alludes to his role in the reggae music industry, claiming that he prefers it to any other job, stating that it’s the “truth” for him. He encourages listeners to rise up and stop suffering, suggesting that their power lies in their ability to be creative and expressive, as well as through their community and support for one another.
In essence, the song emphasizes the importance of living one's truth, expressing oneself creatively, and using one's experiences to help others. Art and life are interconnected concepts that contribute to one's purpose and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Haili king Selassie bless I
I am blessed by the divine king, Haile Selassie.
Having my ways and I've seen your days
I have experienced life and learned from it.
Sing it and have it set a nasty craze
My music has a powerful influence on people.
So I reach a state
I have reached a particular stage in my life.
Turn a new page
I am starting a fresh new chapter in my life.
Stand by me my sister stand by me now
I am calling on my female friends to support me.
Having my days and I've seen your ways
I have experienced life and learned from it.
Sing it and have it set a nasty craze
My music has a powerful influence on people.
So I reach a state
I have reached a particular stage in my life.
Turn a new page
I am starting a fresh new chapter in my life.
Stand by me my brothers help me sing a song say
I am calling on my male friends to help sing my song.
Art and life, art and life, art and life
My craft and my existence are intertwined.
Cah this is my, art and life, art and life
This is my art and my life.
Art and life, art and life hey!
My craft and my existence are inseparable.
Tell dem fi cool cah man a ragga ragga
Tell them to calm down because I'm playing loud music.
Tell dem a school man a carry dem inna
Tell them I'm carrying them forward in life.
Moses rule with di ancient dagger
I rule with a powerful force.
Mi seh eyes a rasta man rise Selassie banner
As a Rastafarian, I rise up under the banner of Haile Selassie.
From mi a yute reggae music mi inna
From my youth, I have been interested in reggae music.
Tell yuh di truth nuh other work mi nuh prefer
I am telling you the truth - I don't prefer any other type of work.
Can't change bulb nor mi caan patch tire
I am not skilled at fixing things like changing a lightbulb or patching a tire.
But yuh hand mi a mic di whole dance ketch a fire
But when you put a microphone in my hand, everyone starts dancing.
Hear dagger tune weh di dj a mutter
Listen to my music that the DJ is playing.
As a ghetto yute rise up and stop suffer
As someone who grew up in poverty, I rise up and stop my suffering.
Driving a path fancy yuh fall down mi ladder
If you try to outdo me, you will fall down below me.
But instead a man a go ban mi rise up fi di better
But instead of banning me, I rise up and do better.
And his funeral mi seh
I am talking about his funeral, because he had to bury me.
They say I am a star now
People say I have become famous.
Weh live mi life fi everyone
But I live my life for everyone.
Show lord that we can all just get along
I want to show that we can all live in peace.
Be strong and help another brother man
I encourage everyone to be strong and help their fellow man.
In this time I say
I say this during the current condition of the world.
Well inna this ya time now
This is the time we are in right now.
You gotta hold a position
You need to establish your place in the world.
Height on that ghetto yute ya look upon
The youth in the ghetto is looked up to.
Clean heart and good meditation
Having a pure heart and good thoughts can lead to a peaceful life.
That a be my weapon
That is my weapon.
And now a just di
And now I am
Right time fi start di Armageddon
It is time to start the great battle.
Bright side mi haffi fight Babylon
I have to fight Babylon for the brighter future.
My work a reggae revolution
My work is about creating a revolution with reggae music.
As a Rastafarian! and sing along seh
As a Rastafarian, I am singing along.
Art and life, art and life, art and life
My craft and my existence are intertwined.
Is all about, art and life, art and life
My craft and my existence are inseparable.
Art and life, art and life
My craft and my existence.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: MELBOURNE MILLER, PAUL CROSDALE, DONALD DENNIS, PATRICK ROBERTS, PAUL WRIGHT, MOSES DAVIS, PAUL CROSSDALE, MILLER MELBOURNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind