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.
Heights Of Great Men
Beenie Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A mi mon
It's just like di four elements of life yuh know
Earth wind water and fire and none caan work widout di other yuh know
But yuh see some man seh dat dem fi run di business
A Wha a gwaan mon? Yo!
Dem a talk bout more fire, mi a talk bout more prayer
We pray for water mek it wash down bag-a-walla
We this yah tune dat ago mek some DJ talk some more But Wha!
Heights of great men reach and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight
Gee while their companions slept
Very ackwardtile in through the night
Heights of great men reach and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight
Gee while their companions slept
Very ackwardtile in through the night
Cool, a who dem seh dem a fight deh, a who dem seh dem go light
Selassie overthroned him never tek nobody's stripe
A who dem a seh man nasty?? and dem nuh smell so right
A 'nough a dem deh dutty dread nuh bath under pipe
Mi see seh dat look envious mi know it obvious
And if mi never war wid him I know him wouldn't buss
Yuh should have thanked mi first, I am da genius
Like how yuh dissed though dat a small exodus
Cool! Mi check mi hear how yuh waan bun Bill Clinton
Mi use fi hear how yuh waan bun all maamaman
Mi use fi hear how yuh waan bun all lesbian
So tell mi how di hell yuh go sign to Def Jam when!
Heights of great men reach and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight
Gee while their companions slept
Very ackwardtile in through the night
Heights of great men reach and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight
Gee while their companions slept
Very ackwardtile in through the night
Cool mi go call him mi go tek it pon a level
Hoped yuh were di first Selassie seh dem a di devel
Now I mek some DJ get uncomfortable
Well I am di rain fi mek all fire fuzzle
Well mi haffi wonder if a dem seh dem come a sizzle
Yuh dead in New York so how dead man fi risin???
Well we kill people dem dead and forgotten
Wait this yah dupyman come fi 'cause trouble
But hear mi sing
Heights of great men reach and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight
Gee while their companions slept
Very ackwardtile in through the night
Heights of great men reach and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight
Gee while their companions slept
Very ackwardtile in through the night
But a talk bout more fire, mi a give dem more prayer
Mi pray fi rain and mek it wash down bag-a-walla
Dem a talk bout more fire, mi a give dem more fire
Well this a tune dat ago mek some DJ talk some more
So all di war yuh see dem a war
And all di fuss yuh see dem a throw
Dem caan get mi out!
So all di fight yuh see dem a fight
And all di buss dem wan fi buss
Dem caan get mi out!
All di fuss yuh see dem a fuss
All di war yuh see dem a throw
Dem caan get mi out!
Well rastaman deh yah know nuh play nuh tic tac toe
Dem can! get Beenie out and mi seh
[Chorus]
In the song "Heights of Great Men" by Beenie Man, the artist speaks about how important it is to have all the four elements of life, earth, wind, water, and fire. He points out how some people say that they should run the business and demand more fire, while he believes in more prayer and praying for water to wash down everything. This song carries a message that sometimes people only see what is visible, so they try to control everything rather than appreciating the power of nature and its contribution to human survival.
The chorus of the song talks about how the heights of great men are attained through hard work and determination and that their accomplishments are not due to sudden flights. The lyrics urge people to focus on their goals and persevere even when others seem to be sleeping or not investing as much effort into the same pursuit.
Beenie Man talks about people hating on him for no good reason, and he explains that he is a genius and that what people see as his small exodus is a significant accomplishment. He calls out for some more fire to keep destroying people's dreams and says that this song will make some DJs talk some more. The song highlights spiritual and cultural themes specific to Jamaican culture that are also relatable to other cultures around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes I! yes mon!
An enthusiastic greeting and acknowledgement of one's identity.
A mi mon
An expression of pride in oneself.
It's just like di four elements of life yuh know
Life is similar to the basic four elements of earth, wind, water, and fire, all of which are interdependent.
Earth wind water and fire and none caan work widout di other yuh know
The four elements are all necessary and reliant on each other.
But yuh see some man seh dat dem fi run di business
Some people believe they should control everything.
A Wha a gwaan mon? Yo!
An expression of confusion followed by a greeting.
Dem a talk bout more fire, mi a talk bout more prayer
While some focus on increasing conflict and aggression, the singer focuses on peaceful prayer.
We pray for water mek it wash down bag-a-walla
The artist prays for rain to wash away the dirt and debris in his area.
We this yah tune dat ago mek some DJ talk some more But Wha!
The artist believes this song will generate more discussion among DJs and other listeners.
Heights of great men reach and kept
Great men achieve and maintain great heights.
Were not attained by sudden flight
Their success is not sudden or accidental.
Gee while their companions slept
They worked hard while others were sleeping.
Very ackwardtile in through the night
They overcame awkward or difficult situations and worked tirelessly into the night.
Cool, a who dem seh dem a fight deh, a who dem seh dem go light
The singer questions who his opponents are and whether they will fight hard or easily.
Selassie overthroned him never tek nobody's stripe
Emperor Selassie was never defeated or humiliated.
A who dem a seh man nasty?? and dem nuh smell so right
The artist wonders who his detractors are calling dirty and smelly.
A 'nough a dem deh dutty dread nuh bath under pipe
Many of the artist's detractors are unkempt and do not bathe regularly.
Mi see seh dat look envious mi know it obvious
The singer can tell when someone is envious of him.
And if mi never war wid him I know him wouldn't buss
If the singer had not confronted his enemy, that enemy would not have gained success.
Yuh should have thanked mi first, I am da genius
The artist claims himself to be a genius who deserves thanks for his contributions.
Like how yuh dissed though dat a small exodus
The artist accuses someone of making a small and insignificant gesture of disrespect.
Mi check mi hear how yuh waan bun Bill Clinton
The artist questioned someone's desire to condemn Bill Clinton.
Mi use fi hear how yuh waan bun all maamaman
The singer recalls when his critics wanted to condemn all women.
Mi use fi hear how yuh waan bun all lesbian
The artist recalls when his critics wanted to condemn all lesbians.
So tell mi how di hell yuh go sign to Def Jam when!
The singer questions how someone he views as inferior could be signed by Def Jam Records.
Cool mi go call him mi go tek it pon a level
The singer is ready to confront his opponent and bring things to an equal level.
Hoped yuh were di first Selassie seh dem a di devel
The singer wishes his opponent was the first person called the devil by Emperor Selassie.
Now I mek some DJ get uncomfortable
The artist is confident that his music will make DJs who oppose him uncomfortable.
Well I am di rain fi mek all fire fuzzle
The artist's music is like rain that puts out flames.
Well mi haffi wonder if a dem seh dem come a sizzle
The singer is skeptical of his opponents' abilities and questions if they will even show up.
Yuh dead in New York so how dead man fi risin???
The singer questions how someone who is dead in New York could possibly rise again.
Well we kill people dem dead and forgotten
The artist claims that they have killed their enemies, who are now dead and forgotten.
Wait this yah dupyman come fi 'cause trouble
The artist believes that his opponent is arriving to cause trouble.
So all di war yuh see dem a war
The artist comments on the ongoing conflict between himself and his opponents.
And all di fuss yuh see dem a throw
His opponents are making a lot of noise and commotion.
Dem caan get mi out!
The artist is confident that his opponents will not defeat him.
So all di fight yuh see dem a fight
The singer comments on how his opponents are continually fighting him.
And all di buss dem wan fi buss
His opponents want to damage his reputation with gossip.
Well rastaman deh yah know nuh play nuh tic tac toe
The singer asserts that he is a rastaman known for not playing games.
Dem can! get Beenie out and mi seh
The artist is confident that his opponents will not be able to remove him from the music scene.
Heights of great men reach and kept
Repetition of the earlier line, emphasizing the importance of the success achieved by great men.
Were not attained by sudden flight
Repetition of the earlier line, emphasizing that success is not achieved easily.
Gee while their companions slept
Repetition of the earlier line, implying that great men had to work while others relaxed.
Very ackwardtile in through the night
Repetition of the earlier line, emphasizing that success requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice.
Lyrics Β© THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: ANDRE GRAY, RANALDO EVANS, IRIS JAMES, PAUL CROSDALE, MOSES DAVIS, DONALD DENNIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GasforbuzzWemabuzz
Capleton - Slew Dem - Historic Bloodclot tune...String dem op and Hang Up Dem Alive π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯Beenie had picked the wrong war.
@souaretoure9566
π₯π₯π₯π₯βπΏβπΏβπΏβπΏπ―π―π―π―π―π―π―π―
@gtsound12
Fire burn by Beenie was a wicked song too
@soulfireclash2882
Really funny to hear Beenie this or Capleton this. Both of those songs are pure fire. Not like them still beef or anything. Why the fans still argue over this in 2020?
@daddyslaggy8606
Watch the Suku Ward 21 interview how it kick off πhttps://youtu.be/fp6N5YLCW0I
@GoldstreetMs
yes king of dancehall beenie
@tmoney305i
big ups to Moses - he da great man -
@keironrenales4404
Tuffff Beenie...2022 π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯
@umtata
brings me waaaaaaay back!
@kerwynsmart701
I was in form 4 when this song came out and still this a classic because i am still listening in 2019