OD a life lesson, says Beenie Man

Dancehall legend Beenie Man attended the National Honours and Award Investiture ceremony on Heroes Day accompanied by his fiancee and some of his children.

This move, he told THE STAR, was deliberate, because he uses occasions such as these as important teaching moments for his children. Beenie Man was one of four dancehall artistes -- the others being Bounty Killer, Admiral Bailey and Nadine Sutherland -- who have been officially inducted into the Order of Distinction (OD), Officer class. They were all honoured "for their contribution to the development of Jamaican music".

"Mi nuh lef' mi family ... everybody knows that I am all about family," shared the entertainer, who in August received the prestigious Reggae Icon Award and was also accompanied by his children and fiancee at that ceremony at the National Stadium on Independence Day.

"The family deh yah because dem haffi see everything that we collect in life and know that dem haffi work hard... harder than me," Beenie Man told THE STAR. "This is not about whether or not yuh deserve the award, because if yuh never do the work, yuh wouldn't be recognised. So to be recognised is important and I am thankful, very honoured and grateful for this award from the Government of Jamaica ... and the people of Jamaica."

Born Moses Anthony Davis on August 22 1973, Beenie Man's journey in the music industry started at a tender age. He won the Tastee Talent Contest in 1981, and recorded his debut single, Too Fancy, with Henry 'Junjo' Lawes that same year. His debut album, The Invincible Beenie Man: T he Ten Year Old DJ Wonder was produced by Bunny Lee and released in 1983, after which his music career was partially put aside in order for him to complete his formal schooling. From the mid to late 1990s, Beenie Man became a household name, dominating local charts and was on his way to claiming the title 'King of the Dancehall'. He made a foray into the US market with the 1997 single Who am I (Sim Simma), a song which quickly surged to the top of several charts and went gold. Accolades came calling and in 1998, Beenie Man received the MOBO Award for Best International Reggae Act and his 2000 album, Art & Life, received a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.

Having achieved much and still insisting that there is "much more work to be done", Beenie Man is eager for not just his children, but the entire dancehall fraternity to put into practice the ethics of hard work.

"Well, I hope dancehall get the message ... because that is the message that this OD is sending. Work hard for everything that you want and you will achieve and receive everything that yuh supposed to get, " he said.

"Yeah, some people seh it long overdue, but nothing beat time," he added.