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.
Chacka Dance
Beenie Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mi nuh innna di argument wit dem unno
I jus go an sing a song! alright, tell dem seh!
So unno move outta di way!
Gweh man gweh! chaka chaka chaka, tek dem on!
John hype, who dat ah run, who dat ah ball
True yuh put yuh ak ova di wall
Everybody from yuh know yuh gun dem tall
Do di, chaka tall chaka tall
Put di chaka chaka ak ova di wall
Do di, chaka tall chaka tall
Put di chaka chaka ak ova di wall
Dem ova deh suh keep tings steady
We ova yere suh lock down di city
Memba di dance weh dem call shelly belly
We ago remix di dance, everybody watch di
Ay, chaka belly chaka belly
Have a new dance weh dem call chaka belly
Chaka belly chaka belly
Everybody inna di dance do di chaka belly
Dem seh, john ah fan dem off, john ah flag dem off
Dem ah telephone, dem ah fax dem off
John ah call down di rain pon di gal dem
But if ah rain di man call down him bless dem
John ah gangsta, yu ah wanksta
John ah dance, dem ah turn cookie monsta
Chaka chaka gal, chaka chaka gal, chaka chaka chaka chaka
So unno move outta di way!
Gweh man gweh! chaka chaka chaka, ay!
Everybody inna di dance, dem ah do di weddy weddy
Alright, time fi remix weddy weddy
An who cyan do it just sing rock steady
Everybody inna di dance, unno do di chaka weddy
Do di chaka weddy, chaka weddy
Chaka weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy
Chaka, chaka weddy chaka weddy
Chaka weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy weh di chaka now
Girl ah when mi down inna bunch
Waan drink mi like fruit punch
Ding dong originate di summer bounce
Everybody mek we remix di bounce
Do di chaka bounce chaka bounce
Walk wid di bounce an do a chaka tomp
Chaka bounce chaka bounce
Walk wid di bounce an do a chaka ok!
Dis anno no lip service, ryan new dance name shankle dip
Everybody mek we remix di dip
John livin up di crew an do di chaka dip
Do di chaka dip chaka dip
Run wid yuh foot an do di chaka dip
Chaka dip chaka dip
Run wid yuh foot an sing to me now!
So unno move outta di way!
Gweh man gweh! chaka chaka chaka, ay!
John hype, who dat ah run, who dat ah ball
True yuh put yuh ak ova di wall
Harder dem come ah di harder dem fall
Everybody from yuh know yuh gun dem tall
Do di, chaka tall chaka tall
Put di chaka chaka ak ova di wall
Do di, chaka tall chaka tall
Put di chaka chaka ak ova di wall
Dem ova deh suh keep tings steady
We ova yere suh lock down di city
Memba di dance weh dem call shelly belly
We ago remix di dance, everybody watch di
Ay, chaka belly chaka belly
Have a new dance weh dem call chaka belly
Chaka belly chaka belly
Everybody inna di dance do di chaka belly
Dem seh, john ah fan dem off, john ah flag dem off
Dem ah telephone, dem ah fax dem off
John ah call down di rain pon di gal dem
But if ah rain di man call down him bless dem
John ah gangsta, yu ah wanksta
John ah dance, dem ah turn cookie monsta
Chaka chaka gal, chaka chaka gal, chaka chaka chaka chaka
So unno move outta di way!
Gweh man gweh, chaka chaka chaka, ay!
“Chaka Dance” by Beenie Man is a dancehall track that captures the energy of a dance competition in Jamaica. The song revolves around a group of guys who go to dance, and they were not there to fight anyone or engage in an argument. Despite any negative energy that may be present, they decided to focus on singing and dancing. The song includes various references to different dance moves, such as the Shelly Belly and the Weddy Weddy, which they plan to remix even further.
The lyrics of “Chaka Dance” are filled with Jamaican slang, making it difficult for non-Jamaicans to understand. However, the song’s infectious melody and danceable rhythm mean that you don't need to understand the lyrics fully to enjoy this track. The chorus is particularly memorable and catchy, with the words “chaka chaka chaka” repeated throughout the song.
In summary, Beenie Man’s “Chaka Dance” is a fun and high-energy dancehall track that captures the infectious spirit of Jamaican dance competitions. While the slang may make it difficult to understand for non-Jamaican listeners, the catchy melody and chorus make this a perfect party track.
Line by Line Meaning
Ziggy! uummm! alright, cool.
The singer greets someone named Ziggy and expresses his satisfaction with their current situation.
Mi nuh innna di argument wit dem unno
The singer is not interested in getting involved in an argument with anyone.
I jus go an sing a song! alright, tell dem seh!
The singer simply wants to perform his music and asks someone to tell others about it.
So unno move outta di way!
The singer wants people to clear a path for him to perform.
Gweh man gweh! chaka chaka chaka, tek dem on!
The singer urges someone to take on their opponents and uses the phrase 'chaka chaka'
John hype, who dat ah run, who dat ah ball
The singer talks about a person named John, asking who’s running and who’s playing.
True yuh put yuh ak ova di wall
Reference to an act of violence involving crossing a wall.
Harder dem come ah di harder dem fall
The more they practice, the harder they fall.
Everybody from yuh know yuh gun dem tall
Everyone knows that the singer's gun is tall (powerful).
Do di, chaka tall chaka tall
The singer instructs the listeners to do the 'chaka tall' dance.
Put di chaka chaka ak ova di wall
The singer tells them to cross the 'chaka chaka' weapon over the wall.
Dem ova deh suh keep tings steady
Someone is keeping things steady over there.
We ova yere suh lock down di city
They’re locking down the city and/or party over here.
Memba di dance weh dem call shelly belly
They remember the 'shelly belly' dance.
We ago remix di dance, everybody watch di
They plan on remixing the dance and wants everyone to watch.
Ay, chaka belly chaka belly
The singer uses the phrase 'chaka belly' to describe his dance.
Have a new dance weh dem call chaka belly
They invented a new dance that they named 'chaka belly'.
Everybody inna di dance do di chaka belly
They want everyone in the dance to do the 'chaka belly'.
Dem seh, john ah fan dem off, john ah flag dem off
They talk about someone named John, who fans and flags others off (dismisses them).
Dem ah telephone, dem ah fax dem off
Others are calling and faxing to dismiss John.
John ah call down di rain pon di gal dem
John has control over just rain, as compared to the singer's control over people.
But if ah rain di man call down him bless dem
If it rains, John counts it as his blessings.
John ah gangsta, yu ah wanksta
John is a gangster while the singer suggests that someone is a fake thug or 'wanabe gangsta.'
John ah dance, dem ah turn cookie monsta
John might be a terrible dancer.
Chaka chaka gal, chaka chaka gal, chaka chaka chaka chaka
The singer sings about a girl dancing and emphasizes 'chaka chaka'.
Everybody inna di dance, dem ah do di weddy weddy
Everyone is doing the 'waddy waddy' dance in the party.
An who cyan do it just sing rock steady
Whoever can’t join should just relax and listen to the music.
Do di chaka weddy, chaka weddy
They tell everyone to do the 'chaka weddy' dance.
Chaka weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy
The singer repeats 'chaka weddy' several times.
Chaka, chaka weddy chaka weddy
The singer uses the phrase 'chaka weddy' in different syntax.
Chaka weddy weddy weddy weddy weddy weh di chaka now
The singer tells everyone to keep the 'chaka weddy' dance going.
Girl ah when mi down inna bunch
The singer becomes slightly awkward around girls.
Waan drink mi like fruit punch
A girl wants to take advantage of him like a fruit punch.
Ding dong originate di summer bounce
A person named Ding Dong started the ‘summer bounce’ dance.
Everybody mek we remix di bounce
They ask everyone to remix the ‘bounce’ dance.
Do di chaka bounce chaka bounce
They instruct everyone to do the ‘chaka bounce’ dance.
Walk wid di bounce an do a chaka tomp
They ask to add something to the ‘bounce’ dance using a ‘chaka tomp.’
Chaka bounce chaka bounce
They again instruct everyone to do the 'chaka bounce' dance.
Walk wid di bounce an do a chaka ok!
They ask to add another step ('chaka ok') to the 'bounce' dance.
Dis anno no lip service, ryan new dance name shankle dip
They’re serious, and Ryan has a new dance name 'shankle dip'.
Everybody mek we remix di dip
They ask everyone to remix the 'dip' dance.
John livin up di crew an do di chaka dip
John has energized the group and will do the ‘chaka dip’ dance.
Do di chaka dip chaka dip
They instruct everyone to do the ‘chaka dip’ dance.
Run wid yuh foot an do di chaka dip
They ask listening people to join in and do the 'chaka dip' dance.
Chaka dip chaka dip
They again instruct everyone to do the 'chaka dip' dance.
Run wid yuh foot an sing to me now!
They again ask everyone to join and sing along.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MOSES ANTHONY DAVIS, NIGEL ANDREW STAFF, CHRIS KENNER, CAROL DAYLE UDAH, DONOVAN BENNETT, CAROL DAYLE C. UDAH, CHRISTOPHER KENNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind