Beenie Man: Tiny Desk Concert

Beenie Man: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture.

Bobby Carter | June 20, 2025

Before he stepped behind the Tiny Desk, Beenie Man contemplated our office space. The man born Moses Anthony Davis is accustomed to performing at maximum velocity, touching every part of a big stage … and here were but a few square feet for him to move. Nevertheless, the king of dancehall brings Kingston to Washington, D.C.

As an exemplar of longevity, he pauses to remind us just how long he’s been at it: “I’ve been doing music since the age of 5. I did my first single at the age of 7. Now I’m 50-something and I’m doing the same thing.” Just in time for our Black Music Month anniversary theme, Beenie Man’s most commercially successful album, Art and Life, turns 25. (And, not for nothing, his work visa was reinstated after a 10-year ban, allowing him to perform again in the United States.) The real dancehall fans were front and center with flags in tow, easing any doubts that Beenie Man had as he powered through a decades-spanning set of club classics.

SET LIST

“Who Am I”

“Romie”

“Girls Dem Sugar”

“Toy Friend”

“Miss L.A.P.”

“Let Him Go”

“Dude”

“King of the Dancehall”

“Rum & RedBull”

MUSICIANS

Beenie Man: vocals

Nigel Staff: keys, music director

Brinton Haughton Jr.: keys

Paul Green: guitar

Donovan Belnavis: bass

Ricardo Davis: drums

Ovasha: background vocals

Ke Star: background vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Bobby Carter

Director/Editor: Kara Frame

Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai

Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Sofia Seidel

Audio Engineer: Josh Newell

Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite

Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez

Tiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Lars Gotrich

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#tinydesk #nprmusic #beenieman

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