- Order of Distinction is Jamaica’s 6th highest honor .
- The award can be awarded to both Jamaicans and non-Jamaicans.
- Both Beenie & Bounty have been in music for over 30 years.
Jamaica Will Celebrate 61 Years of Independence
Finally, Jamaican Dancehall stars, Basil Rodney aka Bounty Killer and Moses Davis aka Beenie Man will be honored with Jamaica’s sixth-highest national honor, the “Order of Distinction”, on National Heroes Day (October 21).
The two will be among 150 others to receive the accolades this year in recognition of their valuable input towards Jamaican music culture in careers that have spun over three decades.
The two will join a list of other prominent deejays who have previously received the award, among them Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Agent Sasco, Yellowman and Lieutenant Stitchie.
Order of Distinction Award Long Overdue For The Two
The Order of Distinction is awarded to Jamaican citizens who render outstanding and important services to the Caribbean Island Nation, and also awarded to any distinguished citizen of a country other than Jamaica (an honorary member).
The awards come after much outpouring for the duo, particularly Bounty, after one of his proteges, Wayne Marshall, was bestowed with the Order of Distinction in October last year. Jamaica will be celebrating 61 years of independence this year. Many Jamaicans are in agreement that the two have been overlooked for way too long and that they deserved this award for their contribution to the music industry and Jamaican culture at large.
Beenie & Bounty both won Grammy Awards
Beenie Man who released his first album at the age of 10 is a one-time Grammy award winner. Bounty Killa also gained widespread international acclaim and won a Grammy as the featured artiste on “No Doubts” smash hit ‘Hey Baby’. As the two biggest names in dancehall, ‘Bounty Killa’ and ‘Beenie Man’, spent years at loggerheads, trading direct and indirect barbs, and ‘clashing’ for top-spot. During the Corona Lockdown, Bounty and Beenie musically clashed on a live Instagram set that attracted thousands of viewers but was unfortunately interrupted midway by uniformed police on camera.
