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.
Greatest Species
Beenie Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do this, zagga zagga za, mi tickin off di clock, yagga yagga yo
Zagga nagga nagga na na na, zagga ziggy zagga na na na
Zagga zagga now now now now
Yagga yagga yo yo (Ok get it straight)
[Chorus:]
We don't mix it, so we don't deal wid fly
Well woman a di sweetest species, createn by Selassie I
So everytime I see my sweeties, this is what I cry
More gal yuh betta gimme dem plenty
More gal mi bedroom nuh fi empty
More gal yuh betta gimme dem plenty
More gal mi bedroom....
[Verse 1:]
Cool! When yuh see mi wid mi woman dem lau mi
As di girls dem see mi dem waan ask mi how mi
Nah waste nuh time dem gal dem waan know mi
Hear seh mi love a man tek yuh gun blow mi
All pon di road a pure hot gal a stop mi
All ova seas dem waan fi adopt mi
Ask fi mi numba just fi contact mi
Gal a mi company and dem nah drop mi so weh mi seh
[Chorus:]
We don't mix it, so we don't deal wid fly
Dat's why I request peaches, and give her till she cries
Well woman a di sweetest species, createn by Selassie I
So everytime I see my sweeties, this is what I cry
More gal yuh betta gimme dem plenty
More gal mi bedroom nuh fi empty
More gal yuh betta gimme dem plenty
More gal mi bedroom....
[Verse 2:]
Cool! Pure gal pure gal anywey mi tun
Mi love mi love nah let dem dung
So fi dat so fi dat mi haffi welcome
West Indian girls or United Kingdom
Mi caan see mi caan see why man love a man
It nasty it nasty it must haffi go dung
Well woman have di wanty want caan dun
Don't girls bring vibes and one world a fun
[Chorus:]
We don't mix it, so we don't deal wid fly
Dat's why I request peaches, and give her till she cries
Well woman a di sweetest species, createn by Selassie I
So everytime I see my sweeties, this is what I cry
More gal yuh betta gimme dem plenty
More gal mi bedroom nuh fi empty
More gal yuh betta gimme dem plenty
More gal mi bedroom....
[Verse 3:]
When I die if I die mi nah tell nuh lie
Real badman nah go dung as nuh guy
Mi feel gal fi cry when di pressure mi apply
I reach to di sky weh mi seh nah nuh bligh
Badgal mi waan nuh gal nuh act shy
When yuh dun yuh get a ting cause sex mi nah buy
Gal fi get money when mi talk mi nah shy
Mi straight to di Almight I, seh wah
[Chorus & Outro:]
We don't mix it, so we don't deal wid fly
Dat's why I request peaches, and give her till she cries
Well woman a di sweetest species, createn by Selassie I
So everytime I see my sweeties, this is what I cry
More gal, more gal, more gal, more gal...
The Beenie Man song "Greatest Species" is a fast-paced dancehall tune celebrating women as the "sweetest species" created by Selassie I. The song starts with a catchy intro before the chorus kicks in, with Beenie Man proclaiming that he doesn't mix it with just anyone, and wants only the best – requesting "peaches" and giving the lucky ladies all they desire until they cry tears of joy. The first verse continues with Beenie Man talking about his willingness to spend time with any woman who wants to know him, with hot girls all over the world wanting to adopt him, and concludes with the statement that the man who takes his gun will have to fight for it. The chorus repeats, with the addition of the declaration that every time he sees his sweeties, this is what he cries: "more gal, you better gimme them plenty."
The second verse of the song starts with Beenie Man saying that he loves women and doesn't want them to go down or to be put down, and that he welcomes West Indian or United Kingdom girls. He then goes on to make a bold statement that manly love is nasty and it must go down, while womanly love has wanty-want that cannot be done. The chorus repeats, as does the intro before the third and final verse begins. Here, Beenie Man talks about his legacy, stating that when he dies, bad men will never go down as a guy because he makes women cry every time he applies pressure. He urges bad girls not to act shy and to give him their all, but also affirms that he does not buy sex, and that women should get money from him instead. The chorus once again repeats, finishing with the outro that demands simply, "More gal, more gal, more gal, more gal..."
Line by Line Meaning
Do this, zagga zagga za, mi tickin off di clock, yagga yagga yo
I am starting this song with a catchy phrase and making it clear that I am ready to begin with the upbeat rhythm and tempo, accompanied by sounds of the clock ticking.
Zagga nagga nagga na na na, zagga ziggy zagga na na na
I am repeating catchy sounds that fit the rhythmical pattern of my song and add to the lively beat of the background music
Zagga zagga now now now now
I am increasing the tempo and rhythm of the song by adding the repeated phrase, 'now now now now,' which syncs with the beat.
Yagga yagga yo yo (Ok get it straight)
I am confirming the beat and tempo of the song with the repeated phrase 'yagga yagga yo yo' and asking the listener to 'get it straight' - to understand and enjoy the song
We don't mix it, so we don't deal wid fly
I do not mix things up, and therefore I avoid confusion and mess. I use this phrase to show that I stick to a particular way of handling things, in particular, relationships.
Dat's why I request peaches, and give her till she cries
I set my standards high and ask for nothing but the best, which I refer to as 'peaches.' I am always giving my all in a relationship, making sure that my partner is completely satisfied, and if not, I keep trying to please her until she reaches the ultimate feeling of pleasure.
Well woman a di sweetest species, createn by Selassie I
I regard women as the loveliest and most precious creatures to grace our world, created by His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Selassie I.
So everytime I see my sweeties, this is what I cry
Whenever I see a beautiful woman, I am always reminded of their sweetness and innocence, and I cry out with joy and admiration for their beauty.
More gal yuh betta gimme dem plenty
I love having multiple women in my life, and I am always requesting new ones to come into my life, and I never want to feel lonely. Therefore, I demand that I get many women to be with.
More gal mi bedroom nuh fi empty
I never want my bed to be empty, and I want a constant stream of women in my life to keep me company.
Cool! When yuh see mi wid mi woman dem lau mi
Whenever people see me with my women, they laugh at me, but I don't take it seriously since I enjoy my life more with my partners in it.
As di girls dem see mi dem waan ask mi how mi
Women are always curious about how I manage to have multiple partners and still keep them happy with me. They want to know my secrets.
Nah waste nuh time dem gal dem waan know mi
I do not like to waste my time, and women who like me do not want to waste their time either; they quickly want to get to know me so that we can start a relationship.
Hear seh mi love a man tek yuh gun blow mi
I have heard that some men will kill me because I always seem to attract and date the beautiful women that they desire.
All pon di road a pure hot gal a stop mi
Everywhere I go, I am approached by beautiful and attractive women who express interest in me, and I enjoy their attention.
All ova seas dem waan fi adopt mi
Women from everywhere in the world seem to want to adopt me; they fancy me and enjoy being with me.
Ask fi mi numba just fi contact mi
Women are always asking me for my phone number so that they can keep in contact with me and keep our relationship alive.
Gal a mi company and dem nah drop mi so weh mi seh
I always have the sweet company of women around me, and they never leave me alone, so I say, 'so weh mi seh,' which means that I am content and happy with my partners' presence.
Pure gal pure gal anywey mi tun
I always seem to find more and more women wherever I go - an infinite amount it seems. I refer to them as 'pure gal,' which means beautiful women.
Mi love mi love nah let dem dung
I adore and cherish my partners deeply, and I will never let them go or treat them poorly.
So fi dat so fi dat mi haffi welcome
This is why I always welcome new women into my life and never want to let them go.
West Indian girls or United Kingdom
I love women from different parts of the world and do not care about their country of origin; girls from either the West Indies or the UK are fine with me.
Mi caan see mi caan see why man love a man
I cannot understand or relate to why a man would be attracted to another man. It's beyond my comprehension.
It nasty it nasty it must haffi go dung
I regard homosexuality as unpleasant and distasteful and believe that it should not be condoned. It must come to an end.
Well woman have di wanty want caan dun
Women will always have their desires, and no one can stop them or hold them back to achieve what they want.
Don't girls bring vibes and one world a fun
Girls bring positive energy and happy vibes, making the world a fun place to be in.
When I die if I die mi nah tell nuh lie
When I die, I want my final words to be the truth, and I do not want to leave this world with any lies or deceit.
Real badman nah go dung as nuh guy
I view myself as a real 'badman,' a figure of respect and admiration. I won't lose my status by becoming like ordinary, weak men.
Mi feel gal fi cry when di pressure mi apply
I am so influential and impressive that my partners get emotional when I put some pressure on them, and they feel the need to please me even more.
I reach to di sky weh mi seh nah nuh bligh
I always aim high and strive to achieve my goals with no burden or hardship. I never take an excuse.
Badgal mi waan nuh gal nuh act shy
I do not want any girls who are hesitant or shy, and instead, I prefer the 'badgirl' who is more confident and outgoing.
When yuh dun yuh get a ting cause sex mi nah buy
When my partners finish their intimate moments with me, they always leave with something special and fulfilling, because I never compromise over sexual pleasure.
Gal fi get money when mi talk mi nah shy
I am not shy to let my partners know that money is a significant factor in a relationship, and they should always be compensated for their love.
Mi straight to di Almight I, seh wah
I declare my commitment and loyalty to the Almighty God, and I know that it will bring me blessings, peace, and happiness in my life.
More gal, more gal, more gal, more gal...
I always crave more women in my life and want to assure that I have a never-ending stream of partners always ready to be with me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MOSES ANTHONY DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind