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Peppa Pot: "Set The Trend" tells the story of dancehall. How important you feel it is to pass the history down?
Beenie Man: Nobody knows the history of dancehall right now weh ah sing music. None of them know it. Them only ah hear about certain people and  hear of certain things. So we have to keep them up to date. That s why me sing a song like that. Because nuff man never remember when Buffalino ah wear and Travel Fox and all of these things. So you have to bring them back to those times and let them know that that was the lick.
Peppa Pot: "Undisputed" is your last album for Virgin. How did the Virgin link come about in the first place?
Beenie Man: Oh. Virgin did want to sign me from mi just buss. But mi never want no contract you know. Cause you done know di ting go. You have to own your masters. So we had to wait till we got a contract like that where we could own our own recordings. Virgin gave us that contract so we went with them.
Peppa Pot: How do you feel the business of dancehall is progressing?
Beenie Man: There is no business in dancehall music in Jamaica. Dancehall is just straight dancehall. Its straight ghetto same way. It no get universal yet inna Jamaica like how America have it serious seh everything ah money. A man just mek a riddim and put out there fi everyone to know him talent.
Peppa Pot: Tell us about the album.
Beenie Man: Well the album, Undisputed. The album is not different from any other album because its me but the style is different from two years ago because you have to evolve in the music. You cant just do one style. This time I have Scott Storch on the album who is a straight up hip-hop producer. You dun know we have Tony Kelly the great and Don Corleone which is one of Jamaica s greatest too. Other producers include myself, Troyton, Black Chiney and a few more like Free Willy which is my production but a different studio from Shocking Vibes.
This album is not a straight dancehall album. You have Scott Storch who did a hard core hip-hop track. Girls [featuring Akon] is not a dancehall track either, just me mek it a dancehall track.
Otherwise we have Lady Saw on the Album, D Angel, Brook Valentine, a few other young artists who trying to make a big impact in the business.
Peppa Pot: The lead single for King of The Dancehall was produced by Tony Kelly which did well in the States. Is that the reason you chose him for your lead single [Hum Hum] off Undisputed?
Beenie Man: I ve been working with Tony Kelly for a long time. Romey ah Tony Kelly too. Girls Them Sugar - Tony Kelly, Modellas - Tony Kelly. Miss LAP - Tony Kelly. So we ve been working together for years. You cannot dash away an old friend for new friends. Ya.
Peppa Pot: Throughout your career you ve worked with a number of hip-hop producers while many haven t gone that route. Why do you feel it s important to work with them?
Beenie Man: I am the one who buss Neptunes and all these people. I cannot mek a hip-hop producer say that Beenie Man dont work with them. You have to just keep it real. The business is business. Ya.
Peppa Pot: Why the title "Undisputed"?
Beenie Man: It s titled Undisputed because i am the King of the Dancehall. Never been down, never been out. Always on top. Always in the number one spot. This album represents what I am about and what I am here for.
Peppa Pot: Alright. The King of The Dancehall title is controversial. Did other artists take offense to the title?
 Beenie Man: [laughs] You see I dont care about an artiste point of view - weh him tink. Cause its only the artist upset about it but the people in the street definitely know that and give me that crown and that title. It s like when I say " The Girls Dem Sugar" - its not me call myself that. Its the ladies - out on the street - see me everyday and call me sugar. You know? So mi just sing the song "I m the Girls Dem Sugar".
In Africa them crown me King of the Dancehall before mi even sing the song. Same in Japan. Because they said im the only artiste that get artiste of the year for nine years straight. I have 62 number one songs on the dancehall charts everywhere in the world. I have over a 1,000 hit songs. I have 28-30 albums. No guy in the business right now has done it - you know? Not even the great Shabba Rankin or the great Yellow Man himself. I ve surpassed their glory so it s for me now to hold this title. It s for me to tek dancehall music out of the hole and put it to where it is.
Now you have artists like Sean Paul that come through my talent. You have artists like Baby Cham come through my talent. Assassin, Vybz Kartel, all these artists come through my talent. They probably par [affiliate] with other people but it s not those people who mek them started out int he business in the first place - its me.
So when you become an icon of so many young artists, its just right for you to be the King. You is the leader, the chief, the man .. so that s what it is.
Continue To Part 2 click here
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