International dancehall superstar Beenie Man wanted an album with international muscle. Fourteen months, more than US$400,000 and a constellation of celebrity collaborators later, the “King of the Dancehall” is sitting on top of the US iTunes All Genres chart.

His latest album, Eminence, has occupied the coveted No. 1 position for three consecutive days, holding off formidable competition from The Game’s The Documentary III and Sam Smith’s Hazel Eyes.

For Beenie Man, the achievement feels less like a gentle climb to the summit and more like a spectacular collision.

“When I get a number one in the world, that is not a natural feeling. It’s unimaginable,” he said. “It is like you’re driving and somebody lick you with dem car and you’re like, ‘What the hell happened?’ It’s unexpected and phenomenal at the same time.”

The iTunes All Genres chart ranks the top-selling music downloads across every category on Apple’s platform, combining daily sales into one master list of the most-purchased albums.

The triumph provided the perfect soundtrack to Beenie Man’s birthday celebrations in the United States. After serving as best man at the wedding of his friend Dino, the dancehall superstar travelled to New York, where he marked his birthday on Sunday with a private cruise around Manhattan, followed by dinner at an upscale restaurant with close celebrity friends.

But before the champagne, chart glory and Manhattan skyline, Eminence began modestly—with one song.

“I did the first song with Etana and she was eventually replaced with a next girl. It is after that we really started to work on the album and go into the studio,” Beenie Man recalled.

He then approached producer Kemar “Flava” McGregor with an ambitious wish list.

“I told Kemar McGregor that I needed Rick Ross and T.I. on the album. He said he could do it, and I was like, ‘What?!’ So we just started to vibe and make music.”

The result is a lavish collision of reggae, dancehall, hip hop and R&B, wrapped in a sound that tips its hat to the golden eras of the 1990s and early 2000s.

“My album is just different. I have been working on it for the last 14 months,” Beenie Man said. “My favourite song is Hat Tip with Rick Ross and Rotimi. I love the intro and the melodies. They remind me of the quality that the greatest combination songs in the world have—instant danceability and familiarity.”

That sense of familiarity is deliberate.

On several tracks, Beenie Man channels the energy of classic crossover hits such as Snow’s Anything for You, Ini Kamoze’s Billboard-topping Here Comes the Hotstepper and The Notorious B.I.G.’s Juicy.

“I don’t feel like me a do dancehall; I am making dancehall in a different format,” he explained. “I am bringing nostalgia. I am bringing back the feeling of the ’90s and the 2000s because, if you go into the new format, you can get lost.”

“Mi a bring back myself, yourself, your brother and my sister to what they really loved in that era.”

He added: “I am not saying music is going to stop here, but people love the ’90s and dem love the 2000s. I am just bringing dancehall back to that familiar sound.”

McGregor said experimentation, exhaustive research and old-fashioned trial and error were central to creating the album’s carefully layered sound.

“The process of making Beenie Man’s album was just about experimentation and trial and error,” the producer said. “It was a collective effort, but the entire concept was my concept.”

“Based on what has come out of Jamaica in the last 20 years, it seemed we were pushing a new sound. This is a return to the roots, but with a new flavour—a vibe of then and now.”

To capture that blend, McGregor purchased vinyl records by the artistes featured on the album and studied their musical styles. He then adjusted the swing and character of the drums to complement each guest performer.

He also spent weeks sourcing plug-ins and computer programmes capable of recreating key sounds from earlier eras.

“A lot of time and effort went into this album, and the musical chemistry with Beenie Man was out of this world,” McGregor said.

The producer said he invested more than US$400,000 through his Billboard King Records label to give the project international reach.

“I paid for the collaborations. I came up with the concepts,” he said. “T.I. never asked for a payment; he just wanted a US$200,000 radio budget for his song.”

McGregor also revealed that he commissioned Shane O to write King Steppa after broadcaster Colin Hines sparked the idea by recounting the history of Ini Kamoze’s Here Comes the Hotstepper, originally recorded by producer Philip “Fatis” Burrell.

Beenie Man and McGregor worked between Jamaica and Florida, frequently recording at saxophonist Dean Fraser’s studio.

“Flava would fly to Jamaica and we would work around Dean Fraser’s studio, or I would fly to his studio in Florida,” Beenie Man said. “When I worked on King of the Dancehall with Tony Kelly, I told him what I wanted. I know the sound I am looking to create.”

McGregor imposed one firm rule during the recording process: no freestyles.

“I told Beenie Man, ‘No freestyles,’ and I admire his work ethic,” he said. “If I called him and told him he needed to re-record six songs, we would book Dean Fraser’s studio and do them over. No complaints. He did them until he got them right.”

“Beenie is a legend and he has a great work ethic. That’s why the album came out so good.”

McGregor also praised selector Foota Hype for contributing ideas to several songs recorded with Beenie Man in Florida.

The album’s success has spilled over into the iTunes Reggae chart, where several tracks are making their presence felt.

305/876, featuring Renata and Rick Ross, reached No. 10, while Don’t Run, featuring Mya, landed at No. 23. For You rose to No. 29, and Make Out, featuring Ashanti and T.I., appeared at No. 51.

King Steppa jumped to No. 71, while Immortal entered at No. 79.

The renewed interest has also breathed fresh life into Beenie Man’s catalogue. His enduring anthem Who Am I climbed to No. 52, followed by Girls Dem Sugar at No. 57 and Romie at No. 64.

Already a proven hit-maker, Beenie Man is also attracting early Grammy buzz for Eminence.

He won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2001 for Art and Life and has earned four career nominations. His most recent nod came at the 2024 ceremony for Simma, while earlier albums Many Moods of Moses and The Doctor were also nominated.

Now, more than three decades into a remarkable career, Beenie Man is not merely revisiting dancehall’s glory days. He is repackaging their magic, adding a modern sheen and taking that unmistakable Jamaican sound back to the top of the world.