The debate of which dancehall icon reigns as the king of the genre has been reignited after dancehall star Beenie Man addressed questions about dethroning Vybz Kartel in a new interview. On Monday, Beenie Man was featured on The Breakfast Club, a popular American radio show based in New York City.
The dancehall veteran appeared on the show to promote his upcoming ‘King of the Dancehall’ tour. During the interview, he was asked if the tour served as a dethroning for Vybz Kartel, the only other contender for the crown.
In response to the question, Beenie Man said he was not dethroning anyone and added, “I’m a king because of my music and my longevity. I’ve been here since the 80s, and I’m still here doing the same thing.” Beenie Man stated that people have always compared other entertainers to him, which is good considering they are “young, fresh artistes.”
Beenie Man said on several occasions that he did not call himself the King of Dancehall; he was crowned King, and he reiterated that statement on the show. This statement refers to the 2009 staging of Reggae Sumfest. During the concert, held in July, he was crowned the king. Vybz Kartel also praised him as the king at the event.
Reggae Sumfest has honoured other entertainers with crowns as well. In 2012, Reggae Sumfest crowned Lady Saw as the Queen of Dancehall, but the artiste became a Christian and ditched the crown in 2014. The Queen of Dancehall crown was passed on to Spice in 2022.
When clips of the interview surfaced on Instagram, many fans indicated that while he was crowned, he needed to pass down the crown to Vybz Kartel. Some viewers expressed that he was calling himself king before he was given the crown. These statements hint at his renowned song King of the Dancehall, which was released in 2004.
Now the question remains: does Reggae Sumfest need to settle the debate with another honorary crowning ceremony, whether to recrown the king or crown someone new? In the past, the event’s selection of the King and Queen of Dancehall accurately represented the nation’s choice.
