"When me start deejay, when me come innah dis business and start deejay, Beenie Man still a swim round innah him father balls. So Beenie Man want go back innah him mother and make him father do wha dem do fi make him and mek him over back, because him mentally disturbed. Beenie Man sick," says King Yellowman.
By Kavele Anglin-ChristieHe has been the reigning unofficial 'King' of the dancehall for decades and now, following a hit song and a recent interview by DJ Beenie Man, Yellowman's claim to the throne has been called into question.
In the televised interview, Beenie claims his career spans longer than that of King Yellowman's and that he is the true king of the dancehall and as such will be 'crowned' later this year.
"Everybody know seh Beenie Man is a fool first of all. Him trying to make people feel like him was here before me, but him never deh here before me, because dem planning to do dem official crowning them claim say is an official crowning but dem a use some a di media as some of them organisation ..." said King Yellow-man.
"I only hear bout him when Bounty Killer start reign ...so I don't know how him come across ah sey things like that ... Beenie Man pick trouble wid everybody, yuh understand? Baby Cham do a music, him go do a tune similar to Baby Cham song, Elephant Man, do a song, him do a song similar; di man do Chakka Chakka him want to Chakka Chakka. Wha ah kill Beenie Man is because me touch a lot of people heart," he said.
King Yellowman says his fans appreciate his music and his genuine nature, whereas Beenie Man will not be able to walk a mile in the figurative shoes.
"Beenie Man can't be what him want to be because him trying to be everybody. Beenie Man don't have any image. Beenie Man don't have a life story, him have a lie story. So anytime Beenie Man go on television, not Beenie Man, 'Beenie Girl', any time him go pon television, television become tell-lie-vision until him programme come off," he told THE STAR.
WHO IS THE KING?
So does King Yellowman consider himself king of dancehall? He says he did not bestow the title on himself; those in the dancehall willingly did so.
"If me a king? That the people dem say, all over the world. Not Jamaica alone the people dem say it and them have been saying it for a very long time. Is not a while ago dem say it. Now if you should ask anyone ? Barry G, Rodigon ... Ron Muschette, Richie B, Francois and whole heap more ? dem know my story ... That is one of the reasons why him hurt cause the people know my real story ... Beenie Man don't like me, him only come among me to try get some of my fame, but him can't get it, because me is a different person from Beenie Man. Me is a he, him is a she," he said.
HYPOCRITE
King Yellowman accuses Beenie Man of being a hypocrite, saying Beenie has frequently approached him on friendly terms.
"Me go a two stage show in a row and him embrace me, come hug me up... The one out a Foundation at Mas Camp and Coco Tea show, Jam Jam. Beenie Man is a hypocrite, him is evil ... But me ah go tell dem one thing: strategy only work innah sports and politics, and court. Strategy don't work in music," he said.
"If me and him did fi run fi Jamaica ? Yellowman party and Beenie Girl party ? Yellowman would win by a landslide, but this is not politics. Music is for the people and the people decide, not the media, not him boss neither him manager, not fi him organisation or entourage," said King Yellowman.
However, those in Beenie Man's camp also had a few things to say concerning his crowning and reign.
Patrick Roberts, Beenie Man's manager, spoke of the anticipated crowning: "I think some business entity is planning it. It is in its planning stages, but I know it will be a Beenie Man in concert and it will be backed by one of Jamaica's biggest entities."
As far as Beenie's comments about who has been in the business longer - him or King Yellowman - Roberts said he has not done the calculations.
"If you can back track and do your own investigations you will know that he started deejaying when he was five years old and he has been in the business for 27 years," he said.
Roberts shared his views on who he considers to be the king of dancehall: "Even in a poll (on Monday) his nearest rival is 7 per cent while 28 per cent of Jamaicans said that they consider him to be their favourite living artiste...So if your closest rival is 21 per cent away then that speaks volumes."
Roberts was referring to a poll carried out by THE STAR where readers voted on their favourite artiste. It was published in the Monday, March 20, 2006 edition of THE STAR.
Beenie Man's closest competition in that poll was singer Beres Hammond who gained 7 per cent of votes.
