Review of Beenie Man's ART AND LIFE

Beenie Man's hit the big time -- there's almost no doubt of that. His latest release, Art and Life is released by VP but distributed by mega-corporation Virgin Records. But, that's appropriate, as Beenie is one of the few current reggae artists that draws listeners from the mainstream as well as from Jamaica.

Art and Life is certainly Beenie's most sophisticated album to date. While hardcore reggae heads won't feel a lot of it, it will certainly appeal to both the dancehall and hip-hop crowds. The two versions of "Love Me Now" (both featuring Wyclef, one featuring Redman) will do it for most Beenie fans -- the original version is especially catchy, utilizing (read: totally ripping off) Naughty by Nature's "O.P.P." beat.

While some tracks can really grate on the nerves ("Girls Dem Sugar" is nothing short of irritating in every possible way), the majority of tracks are really quite good. "Crazy Notion" will catch the ears of fans of modern dancehall (Mr. Lexx, etc.) while "The Best That I Got" will appeal to R&B heads. This album, if nothing else, is a truly diverse mixture of reggae crossover tracks that hit more often than miss.

"Jamaica Way" is an interesting cut. Pretty straightforward hip-hop/reggae/R&B sound, but Beenie reminds me of Jamal-Ski in 1992! Not that that's a bad thing, but it's a different sound for him. The song overall is nice -- hard-edged beats and a nicely sung chorus by Kelis. Another notable track is the album's closer, "I've Got a Date," which lifts the bassline from the old Staple Singers' soul tune "I'll Take You There" and combines it with a nice, light, upbeat vocal.

The title track is by and far the best cut on the album. It's an uncharacteristically beautiful riddim produced by the Shocking Vibes crew. Beenie is at the top of his game, combining deejay and singjay styles for an overall positive vibe.

Beenie does overdo it a bit with guest stars, though: 7 out of 17 tracks have guest vocalists, including Steve Perry (not the dude from Journey, but the one from the Cherry Poppin' Daddies), 1999's success story Tanto Metro & Devonte, and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval (who joins Beenie on the surprisingly good Latin-reggae crossover "Tumble (La Caida)").

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that this disc will do extremely well, even if Virgin underpromotes it. It's a very solid collection of cuts unique enough to put the disc in heavy rotation of fans and DJs alike. Beenie's damn talented, and he proves it, unequivocally, on Art and Life.

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