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‘The New Kid on the Reggae Block’

Corrie Moodie was born in Kingston, Jamaica, with a congenital absence of pigmentation in his skin, hair and eyes-in other words he’s an albino or ‘dundas’ in Jamaican. An emerging reggae artist in the dancehall scene, today, he is known simply as Al-Beeno.

Al-Beeno’s self-assertion and ability to deejay began at an early age earning him the status “Prince Yellow”, nicknamed after “King” Yellowman, reggae’s veteran dancehall sensation from the early eighties.

To understand the significance of such a title one must first be clear on the terminology being used. In reggae, “deejay” does not refer to DJ-as in disc jockey, but rather a vocal style. A “deejay” in reggae can be likened to an “MC” and/or “rapper” in hip hop, however a distinct difference remains-the use of the Jamaican language, better known as patois.

It was through radio that the Prince discovered the ‘dundas’ or rather the King with whom he’d been compared. Yellowman’s brash lyrics kindled the young Prince’s enthusiasm immediately and like his predecessor, he too has used his appearance to his advantage.

Prince Yellow as they came to call him, would deejay for countless hours mimicking
what he’d heard on radio. His impetuous performances entertained friends, family and passers-by regularly in the countryside of Golden Grove, St. Anne.

His presence has always drawn attention and it has been no different since he and his family migrated to Canada in the latter part of the eighties. Here again people were confronted with this unusual phenomenon-a black child with white skin, freckles, blonde hair and blue eyes.

Prince Yellow became actively involved in the arts and studied piano throughout his schooling. The hip hop era was well underway when Al-Beeno began to flourish. While continuing to develop his skills as a dancehall deejay, Al-Beeno was break dancing, choreographing and step dancing in competitions throughout what has come to be known today as the T-dot.

Inspired by reggae and hip hop, with a splash of rhythm and blues, Al-Beeno’s style was unlike any other. His distinct sense of creativity and his eclectic appetite for music fused a sexy-loverman-style-with-a-twist and soon Al-Beeno’s dreams of grander performances would come to fruition.

In 1995 Al-Beeno electrified an audience of over 10,000 when he opened one of reggae’s largest concerts in Toronto, held at Lamport Stadium, reaffirming his ambition to perform. Microphone in hand, decked in Timberlands and a yellow suit Al-Beeno began to rock the crowd from backstage delivering original lyrics with fresh confidence. When he finally took centre stage, ‘him mash it up!’, in other words, the crowd loved him. To date, Al-Beeno has shared the stage with the some of dancehall’s finest including: Bounty Killer, Buju Banton and Coco Tea to name a few.

Al-Beeno accredits having met artists like Bounty Killer and Guru for their encouragement. Other artists who have inspired him along the way include Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, LL Cool J, EPMD, Coco Tea, Chubb Rock, Big Daddy Kane and Father MC.

While his determination, persistence, and hunger to achieve his goals have enhanced his career as a performer, Al-Beeno’s open mind and technical training have also helped to develop his skills as a song writer and recording artiste. As a black man with some white features, Al-Beeno also offers an alternative to the stereotypical definition of sexiness. His vocal delivery is cool and smooth, energetic and aggressive. Al-Beeno brings a fresh style and his own flavour to reggae’s colourful dancehalls across the globe.

With nothing to lose and everything to gain, this emerging reggae artist will captivate you at first glance and first word. Stay tuned for more Al-Beeno coming to radio and television stations near you.

© Teresa Castellucci
Sweet T Enterprises 2003