Legendary dancehall artist Moses ‘Beenie Man’ Davis and Rodney ‘Bounty Killer’ Price are finally being awarded national honors as Jamaica celebrates its 62nd anniversary of Independence.
Both Davis and Price, long-time rivals turned friends, are being hailed for their contribution to the development of Jamaican music, specifically dancehall, and are to join the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer.
Last year King of the Dancehall, Beenie Man, expressed frustration over being overlooked for the Order of Jamaica (OJ) or the Order of Distinction (OD), honors given to fellow musicians like Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, Sean Paul, and Yellowman. On The Fix podcast, Beenie Man pointed out that despite his contributions to Jamaican music, he has only received a Prime Minister Award from PJ Patterson, facilitated by Patrick Roberts, and not the prestigious national honors he feels he deserves.
He mentioned that while other artists are celebrated, he is often the performer at such events, which he views as a sign of disrespect to his music and career. Beenie Man emphasized that he would prefer the higher-level Order of Jamaica over the Order of Distinction, asserting his significant impact on dancehall music.
