Beenie Man Talks Dancehall Kingship, Kartel, Freedom Street ETC: “Leave my crown alone”

The highly anticipated Drink Champs interview with Beenie Man was released on Saturday and it is gaining impressive numbers and garnering many reactions online. The lengthy two hours, fifty-nine minutes long chat has the ‘King of the Dancehall’ artiste talking on many topics including, Dancehall, Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer, Capleton, his previous experience with host N.O.R.E. in Jamaica and more.

Beenie Man was vocal about his many battles in Dancehall including the current saga surrounding who is the ‘King of the Dancehall’, pointing out that Vybz Kartel should remain as the teacher, “I don’t think it’s right, i feel it’s disrespectful… But i do respect Kartel though but, be the teacher, stay in your lane, don’t try to jump the bridge,” said Beenie.

Despite dismissing Kartel’s stance on the Kingship Beenie whose now 52 years old stated that he is willing to work with the Portmore deejay on a musical collab or on stage.

The Girls Dem Sugar also recounted being called by Vybz Kartel and then being called by the police shortly after. “How the hell do you know the banger number?” questioned Beenie before outlining that Vybz Kartel’s phone number was seemingly duplicated by law-enforcers. As per Beenie Man, he has been without a phone for a while alluding to not trusting phones.

“This man came out he never call me, he never check me, he never call nobody for me he neva do nothing like that… disrespecting me that don’t make no sense, why do you want my crown, why do you want to be me,” Beenie Man also questioned.

Beenie Man outlined that he has been in music since 1977, this statement promoted N.O.R.E. to state that he ws born that year, a statement which caused laughter in the room.

As per Beenie Man, being able to put on a solid performance is a requirement for being a king of Dancehall, he next criticised Vybz Kartel for not performing for long before calling on guests to perform.

“I saw mi deejay a duh a show wid a DJ on the stage… We are Jamaicans we don’t do that… You cannot have a DJ on stage, we are Dancehall artistes we are Reggae artiste we do ban, we do drum bass, guitar and keyboard… and yuh do not perform for 25 minutes on yo god-damn show,” said Beenie Man before expressing that Kartel’s performance at freedom Street does not warrant him being called the king of the genre.

Beenie stated that he is not upset at Bounty Killer for the speech he gave at the show because he did a similar deed years ago when he lauded Vybz Kartel as the next big thing while performing on stage. “I actually did the same thing that Bounty Killer did, that’s why I’m not against him.”

“They need to leave me alone… leave my crown alone,” he outlined at one point.

Watch the full Beenie Man drink Champs interview below: