Beenie Man Tropical Storm CD

Dancehall king Beenie Man continues his quest for crossover success with TROPICAL STORM, an outing benefiting from the marketing muscle of Virgin Records and all-star guests drawn from the worlds of R&B, rap and reggae. Among the major names dropping in to mix it up with this Jamaican master are queen bee Lil' Kim and hip-hop producer DJ Clue on the percolating "Fresh From Yard," and Janet Jackson, who sweetens the bubbly "Feel It Boy." Superstar producers The Neptunes also check in to ride the board and pump up the relentless "Bad Girl," along with the infectious "Bossman" featuring reggae brethren Lady Saw and Sean Paul.

Other island natives checking in are the So Solid Crew (the jacked-up "Yagga Yo") along with Tanto Metro and Devonte (a soulful "More We Want"). Amid the various talents coming and going on TROPICAL STORM, reggae legends Sly & Robbie stand out thanks to their skilled production hands. A gnarly funk loop defines the stripped down "You Babe" while the anthemic "Party Hard" (which also appears on the BLUE CRUSH soundtrack) features an infectious cadence that earmarks this cut for prime mix tape status.

Janet Jackson/Lil Kim/Lady Saw Tanto Metro & Devonte

Personnel: John Vince, J., Calibe (vocals); Mikey Chung, Paul Green (guitar); Christopher Wade Damerst (keyboards, programming, drum programming); Steven "Lenky" Marsden, Paul "Wrong Move" Crossdale (keyboards); Sly Dunbar (drums); George "Dusty" Miller (drum programming); Tony Gold, Brian Gold (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Dave Kelly; Milwaukee Buck; Patrick Viala; Peter Mokran; Phil Nicolo; Serban Ghenea; Tony Kelly.

Recording information: Hit Factory Criteria, Miami, FL; Mastersound Recording Studios, Virginia Beach, VA; N-Junction Studio; One Pop Studios; Shocking Vibes Recording, Kingston, Jamaica; Stargate Studios, Norway; The Boxx; The Bridge Studios, Conshohocken, PA; The Enterprise, Birbank, CA; The Hole, Kingston, Jamaica; The House, FL; the Record Plant, Hollywood, CA.

Photographer: Eric Johnson .

Arrangers: Dave Kelly; A.C. Burrell; The Neptunes; Tony Kelly.

Personnel: Beenie Man, Janet Jackson, Lady Saw, Sean Paul, Tanto Metro, Devonte, Calibe (vocals); So Solid Crew, J1, Lil' Kim (rap vocals); Mikkel Se, Tor Erik Hermansen, The Neptunes (various instruments, arranger); Dave Kelly, Chink Santana, Tony Kelly, Irv Gotti, AC Burrell, Double R (various instruments); Paul Titus Green, Jarl Ivar Andersen (guitar); Paul "Wrong Move" Crossdale (keyboards); Robbie Shaespeare, Donald "Bassie" Dennis (bass); Sly Dunbar (drums); Chris Damherst, Melbourne "George" Miller (programming); Noth, Rachel Pagan, Brian Gold, Tony Gold (background vocals).

Producers include: The Neptunes, Dave Kelly, Chink Santana, Irv Gotti, Anthony Kelly.

Spin (10/02, p.117) - 7 out of 10 - "...The hardest working MC in Jamaica..."
Q (10/02, p.100) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A blend of R&B, funk, hip-hop, garage and his trademark dancehall toasting..."
Mojo (Publisher) (11/02, p.106) - "...His most commercial-sounding material to date..."
NME (Magazine) (9/21/02, p.39) - 6 out of 10 - "...A party album that will shift units, feet and arses..."