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.
Original Tune
Beenie Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Weh dem a talk bout mi yuh know mi never
Yuh know how dat started? Anyway now!
[Chorus]
Woman! Nuh artist at all nuh fi counteract
Cecile sing a song yuh know fi laugh and drop
Instead a dj waan launch attack
Cecile seh mi weak ask har if mi flop
She a callin' out to meet mi wife and mate nuh chat
Well this a tune yah ago gone pon top
Nuh turning back
Alright, look pon General B eh him a tek tings too personal
Him a talk bout inna di business bout how rasta box man
So weh mi talk bout how yuh get robbed
Your van crashed your warmer, yuh tink a we nuh feel glad
Wipe your face man yuh feel sad
Bounty Killer a mi artist wuk hard fi get your fame
Mi know yuh feel your way like how Cecile go call your name
But all di image weh yuh portrait a dat she fail to see
She nuh picture Rodney Price she only picture Bounty
But woman! Now artist at all now fi counteract
Cecile sing a song yuh know fi laugh and drop
Instead a dj waan launch attack
Mi a di girls dem sugar mi haffi defend dat
Cecile seh mi weak ask har if mi flop
She a callin out to meet mi wife and mate nuh chat
Well this a tune yah seh it gone pon top
Nuh turning back
Cool hear mi now!
Well sometimes mi haffi wonder if some dj degrade
For instance some batty bwoy bredda dem so brave
See a man a wuk and all jump up on stage
Him lucky never get a small shot and all a graze
Baby Cham and Ristil Benji, mi know where dat a come from
But mi and dem nuh grounds man look how dem a frowns man
Fat woman brownin man but Benji is a brown man
Dat's why dem counteract this song
But listen to dat one because
Woman! Nuh artist at all now fi counteract
Cecile sing a song yuh know fi laugh and drop
Insatead a dj waan launch attack
Mi a di girls dem sugar mi haffi defend dat
Cecile seh mi weak ask har if mi flop
She a callin out to meet mi wife and mate nuh chat
Well this a tune yah seh it gone pon top
Nuh turning back
Woman! Nuh artist at all now fi counteract
Cecile sing a song yuh know fi laugh and drop
Instead a dj waan launch attack
Mi a di girls dem sugar mi haffi defend dat
Cecile seh mi weak ask har if mi flat
She a callin out to meet mi wife and mate nuh chat
Well this a tune yah seh it gone pon top
Nuh turning back
And Elephant Man then, ugly like a ape
And come a pass dem remarks dem
Seh mi foot maaga and favor drumstick dem
And mi locks curl up like some old cerosse bush dem
He hear it from my fans dem well alright then
Weh mi do mi get mad and mi groom up mi locks then
Drink some fork fast and mi put di lotion dem
So dem nuh scaly scale and dem nuh have nuh daughter problem
Seen! Alright then
Barkley a mi bredren but a dead yuh dead
Never know a my tool a slam your woman inna di bed
Which woman mi a talk?? ask di one name Mildred
Seen! Alright
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Beenie Man's song "Original Tune" is a response to some of the criticisms that he faced in the music industry at that time. In the song, he addresses individuals such as Cecile, General B, Baby Cham, and Elephant Man. He addresses the situations where Cecile called him weak and showed interest in meeting his wife and mate, and where Elephant Man called him ugly and made remarks about his physical appearance. He also mentions General B's comments about Rastafarians and his experiences with robbery and loss.
However, amidst all these criticisms, Beenie Man maintains a positive attitude towards his music and his ability to defend himself and the women around him. He acknowledges Bounty Killer's efforts in helping him gain fame and success, and he states his love for girls and his desire to protect them. The chorus is a call for unity and peace in the music industry, rather than attacking each other.
The song showcases Beenie Man's talent as a lyricist and his ability to construct a story and deliver it in a catchy, danceable rhythm. It also highlights some of the political and social issues present in the Jamaican music industry and society at the time. Overall, "Original Tune" is a statement of defiance and resilience, showcasing Beenie Man's unwavering passion for music.
Line by Line Meaning
Go so yo yo yo .mi nuh walla walla
I am not someone who just follows others blindly
Weh dem a talk bout mi yuh know mi never
Whatever they're saying about me, it's not true
Yuh know how dat started? Anyway now!
I'm not even going to get into how those rumors started, let's just move on
Woman! Nuh artist at all nuh fi counteract
No other artist should try to come against me
Cecile sing a song yuh know fi laugh and drop
Cecile is known for singing funny songs that make people dance
Instead a dj waan launch attack
But some DJs want to start a fight
Mi ah di girls dem sugar mi haffi defend dat
I am the one who makes the girls happy, so I have to defend that reputation
Cecile seh mi weak ask har if mi flop
Cecile is trying to call me out for being weak and asking if I've failed
She a callin' out to meet mi wife and mate nuh chat
Cecile is trying to meet my wife and make trouble for me
Well this a tune yah ago gone pon top
But this song is going to be a big hit
Nuh turning back
And there's no going back once it's out there
Alright, look pon General B
Now, let's talk about General B
eh him a tek tings too personal
He takes things too personally
Him a talk bout inna di business bout how rasta box man
He's talking about people in the industry fighting each other
So weh mi talk bout how yuh get robbed
Let me tell you how you got robbed
Your van crashed your warmer, yuh tink a we nuh feel glad
Your van crashed and you messed up, and we couldn't be happier
Wipe your face man yuh feel sad
You're probably feeling pretty sad right now
Bounty Killer a mi artist wuk hard fi get your fame
Bounty Killer is my artist, and he worked hard to become famous
Mi know yuh feel your way like how Cecile go call your name
I know you're feeling the same way I did when Cecile called you out
But all di image weh yuh portrait a dat she fail to see
But she's not seeing the real you
She nuh picture Rodney Price she only picture Bounty
She's not thinking of you, she only cares about Bounty
Cool hear mi now!
Now listen up
Well sometimes mi haffi wonder if some dj degrade
Sometimes I wonder if some DJs are just trying to bring me down
For instance some batty bwoy bredda dem so brave
For example, some DJs who act tough are actually gay
See a man a wuk and all jump up on stage
They see me performing and try to imitate me on stage
Him lucky never get a small shot and all a graze
They're lucky they haven't been shot or hurt yet
But mi and dem nuh grounds man look how dem a frowns man
But we're not equals, just look at how unhappy they are
Fat woman brownin man but Benji is a brown man
They're trying to make fun of my appearance and compare me to someone else
Dat's why dem counteract this song
That's why they're trying to attack this song
And Elephant Man then, ugly like a ape
And then there's Elephant Man, who's not attractive
And come a pass dem remarks dem
Making rude comments as always
Seh mi foot maaga and favor drumstick dem
Saying my feet are skinny and look like drumsticks
And mi locks curl up like some old cerosse bush dem
And my locks are curly like an old bush
He hear it from my fans dem well alright then
He's just repeating things my fans have said
Weh mi do mi get mad and mi groom up mi locks then
But when I get angry, I just fix up my locks and move on
Drink some fork fast and mi put di lotion dem
I just have a drink and put on some lotion
So dem nuh scaly scale and dem nuh have nuh daughter problem
So my skin is smooth and I don't have any skin issues
Barkley a mi bredren but a dead yuh dead
Barkley was my friend, but now he's dead
Never know a my tool a slam your woman inna di bed
He didn't know it was me who slept with his woman
Which woman mi a talk?? ask di one name Mildred
He can ask Mildred which woman I'm talking about
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MICHAEL MARSDEN, LOWELL DUNBAR, PATRICK ROBERTS, MOSES DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind