What Is Beenie Man's Net Worth?
Beenie Man is a Grammy-winning Jamaican dancehall DJ who has a net worth of $4 million. Beenie Man has released 18 studio albums, with "Many Moods of Moses" (1997), "The Doctor" (1999), "Art and Life" (2000), "Tropical Storm" (2002), "Back to Basics" (2004), and "Undisputed" (2006) reaching #1 on the "Billboard" Top Reggae Albums chart. He is known for singles such as "Who Am I (Sim Simma)," "Feel It Boy" (featuring Janet Jackson), "Dude" (featuring Ms. Thing and Shawnna), "King of the Dancehall," and "Girls" (featuring Akon), and he has performed on tracks by Doug E. Fresh ("Hands in the Air"), Jamelia ("Money"), Busta Rhymes ("Giggle"), Nicki Minaj ("Gun Shot"), Kanye West ("Send It Up"), and Rihanna ("Bitch Better Have My Money"). Beenie Man won the DJ of the Year Award eight consecutive times, beginning in 1993, and he earned a Grammy for his 2000 album "Art and Life." He has also appeared in the films "Gangsta's Paradise" (2004) and "King of the Dancehall" (2016).
Early Life
Beenie Man was born Moses Anthony Davis on August 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica. Beenie Man began toasting when he was 5 years old, and his uncle Sydney Knowles (a drummer for Jimmy Cliff) encouraged his musical aspirations. Beenie Man won the 1981 Tastee Talent contest, and Barry G, a radio DJ, introduced him to sound system operators who helped establish his popularity. He released his debut album, "The Invincible Beany Man – The 10 Year Old D.J. Wonder," in 1983.
Career
After releasing his debut album, Beenie Man took a break from his music career to finish school, and he also traveled to the U.S., U.K., and Canada. He honed his craft alongside dancehall figures such as Admiral Bailey, Ninjaman, and Shabba Ranks and recorded moderately successful singles at the Shocking Vibes studio. Beenie Man became more popular after he performed at the 1992 Reggae Sunsplash festival. The following year, a rivalry with fellow dancehall DJ Bounty Killer began after Beenie Man was accused of stealing the dancehall DJ's catchphrases and style. The two DJs settled their feud with the 1994 collaborative album "Guns Out." Beenie Man released the album "Cool Cool Rider" in 1992, and he followed it with 1994's "Defend It" and "Dis Unu Fi Hear" and 1995's "Blessed" and "Beenie Man Meets Mad Cobra." "Blessed" reached #12 on the "Billboard" Top Reggae Albums chart. His 1996 album "Maestro" reached #3 on the Top Reggae Albums chart, and 1997's "Many Moods of Moses" hit #1 on the chart. "Many Moods of Moses" featured the single "Who Am I (Sim Simma)," which reached #6 on the "Billboard" Hot Rap Songs chart and #10 on the UK Singles chart. In 1999, Beenie Man released the albums "Ruff 'N' Tuff," "The Doctor," and "Y2K," which reached #5, #1, and #11 on the Top Reggae Albums chart, respectively.
Beenie Man's 2000 album "Art and Life" reached #1 on the Top Reggae Albums chart, and it featured a collaboration with Mya called "Girls Dem Sugar." The 2001 album "Youth Quake" peaked at #10 on the Top Reggae Albums chart, and 2002's "Tropical Storm" topped that chart and reached #7 on the "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #18 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. "Tropical Storm" included the singles "Fresh from Yard" (featuring Lil' Kim) and "Feel It Boy" (featuring Janet Jackson), and "Feel It Boy" reached the top 10 on the charts in four countries and was certified Gold in Australia. Beenie Man then released the albums "Back to Basics" (2004), "Concept of Life" (2006), and "Undisputed" (2006), and "Back to Basics" and "Undisputed" both reached #1 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. As of this writing, "Undisputed" is Beenie Man's most recent album, but he has released several singles since, including 2012's "Wine Gal," 2017's "Weh We Ago Do," and 2020's "Do You Want to Be That Guy," and he has performed on tracks by Sneakbo, ZJ Liquid, Natasja, Ms. Triniti, Busta Rhymes, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, and Rihanna.
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Personal Life
On August 22, 2006, Beenie Man married singer/actress/model Michelle "D'Angel" Downer. The couple has a son named Marco Dean, and they divorced in 2011. Beenie Man and D'Angel released the duet "You Are My First" in March 2010.
He also has an older son, Moses Jr., who was hospitalized in 2020 due to complications of sickle cell disease. Beenie Man also suffers from sickle cell disease.
In early 2021, he was charged with breaching Jamaica's Noise Abatement Act and Disaster Risk Management Act after holding an event that violated COVID-19 protocols.
Beenie Man has been criticized for anti-gay lyrics, and some of his lyrics have advocated for the murder of homosexuals. In 2004, he was pulled from the line-up of a concert associated with the MTV Video Music Awards due to protests by gay-rights activists. Later that year, he apologized for his offensive lyrics, stating:
"It has come to my attention that certain lyrics and recordings I have made in the past may have caused distress and outrage among people whose identities and lifestyles are different from my own. While my lyrics are very personal, I do not write them with the intent of purposefully hurting or maligning others, and I offer my sincerest apologies to those who might have been offended, threatened or hurt by my songs."
Awards and Nominations
Beenie Man has been nominated for three Best Reggae Album Grammys, winning for "Art and Life" in 2001. His other nominations were for "Many Moods of Moses" (1999) and "The Doctor" (2000). He has earned six MOBO Award nominations, taking home the prize for Best International Reggae Act in 1997 and 1998 and Best Reggae Act in 2000. Beenie Man was also nominated for Best Reggae Act in 2001 and 2003, and he received a Best Video nomination for Jamelia's "Money" in 2000.
