‘Benz And Bimmer’: Dancehall’s Love Affair With Luxury Cars

Dancehall’s love affair with cars is closely linked to superficial ideas of success or lack thereof, which is also scored by its proximity to the most beautiful and exclusive women. Prestigious cars serve as inspiration for dancehall artists and their songs are laced with those they deem to be the best.

In the days of Asylum, Quad and Cactus night clubs, high-end Japanese and European cars would line the streets on New Kingston at the front of the venues as a symbol of status. Owing to the fact that Jamaica has high tariffs on imported vehicles, super luxurious cars like Rolls Royce, Bentley or Ferrari are not frequently highlighted in Dancehall lyrics but there may have been one or two.

The purchase and mention of a nice car give dancehall artists credibility in the rap market the same way the purchase of a helicopter gives bankers clout in their financial circles. Luxury cars, albeit a lesser expense, still remain the mission of many artists and whether they know or not, singing about cars gives manufacturers and dealers cultural capital.

Here are five cars that have fascinated dancehall artists and made their way into hit songs.

5.  The Mark X

The Mark X is the upgraded version of the original Toyota Mark 2 which was a pseudo flashy car in the 1990s. Ever since Acegawd sang about Mark X & Axio , sales for the car have drastically improved on the island. Even as Yaksta sings “acres ova Mark X” in Ambition , it is one of the more popular entry-level cars that can be seen everywhere on the Jamaican road. Ace’s song currently has 3M views on YouTube.

While not matching the price point with other luxury brands there are other mentions of the Mark X by Intence “Innah the Mark X dawg we nuh bargain mall”, on his song Turn Off, and on his latest hit, Yahoo Boyz where he deejayed, “Mark X wid di crown yuh nuh see the plate”.

The Mark X has now found a home in the Dancehall and in Dancehall lingua.

4. Audi

In the few instances, where Audis are mentioned by dancehall stars, the songs are hits.

Steven “Lenky” Marsden’s Diwali riddim (2002) had several hit singles including Party Time by Danny English and Egg Nogg. “You can meet me at the Party, you can bring your shorty/we be rolling in the Ardi (Audi)/party is going all night long,” Egg Nogg encourages ravers on a song that still gets the party going to this day.

Then Beenie Man sang about his Audi being different from what everyone else was driving in his hit Ever Clean . “Me ever clean, me never weh yuh Inna (me very clean), nuh see a Gucci me innah (me ever clean), nuh see a Louis V dem yah (me ever clean), The Q7 weh me drive (me ever clean).”

The German brand was again mentioned on Popcaan’s Weed is my Best Friend . Although only the use of 2 ounces of marijuana is decriminalized in Jamaica, the Unruly deejay sings, “Right now it legal nuh feds cyah charge me everyday six pound inna the Audi,” stating the importance of having both his weed and his Audi.

3. Benz

The Mercedes Benz is an auspicious symbol of class throughout the world, and here in Jamaica there is a special relationship with both the car and its logo. Dancehall and reggae artists regard the Mercedes Benz logo as more than just a brand, it is a source of inspiration with a message that communicates wealth, success.  Whether an A class or the more opulent MLs, GLC, GL or S class, Mercedes finds its way into dancehall lyrics and lifestyle with mentions in over 200 songs.

Many of those mentions have come from Vybz Kartel but one of the more popular songs in recent times has been the Not Nice-produced, Benz Punany on the S-Class Riddim.  Kartel proclaims his preference with double entendre distinctions between the exclusivity of the Benz prize women vs the common ‘taxi’ type women: “gimme the benz punany make me gwan drive it out, all taxi pum pum gwan guh cool out.”

The Benz in Jamaica was also given Solomonic praises when a young Capleton said the symbol came from the Star of David.

“Gyal dem have the face and dem have the fire remind me of some Benz, Lexus and Bimma”, Bounty Killer laments on his 1996 hit Benz and Bimmer, which is one of his biggest songs.

Last year, the Warlord showed off his new fleet of two vehicles from the German automaker, in black of course, and ten years after all his luxury vehicles were snatched by Jamaica’s tax authorities.

Reggae crooner Jah Cure also picked up a new Mercedez this year, after reportedly crashing one last year, and another in 2017.  Meanwhile, Grammy sensation Koffee had a minor fender bender with her white Mercedez Benz SUV last year.

Beenie Man also recently took to social media to show out his latest Benz purchase, as did Gold Gad and Dovey Magnum.

2. Range Rover

The Range Rover is the preferred car for many dancehall and reggae singers. Popcaan has shown his high rolling Range Rover Sport and a three-door Range Rover Evoque Convertible that was reportedly gifted to him by Drake, and which was used by Koffee in the music video for 2020’s biggest Dancehall song, Lockdown. 

The St. Thomas native has referenced his Rovers, often calling them extraterrestrial vehicles, in a couple of his songs.  In Money Green , Popcaan sings “Money make them change hot skull nah stoop fi nuh Range”. On Level Up and Ova Dweet, he sings “Buy the spaceship cash we don’t rent it”, and “Spaceship lif off and dem cyah see me.”

There is also a Range Rover Riddim that features songs with Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Ce’Cile, General Degree, and others.

1. BMW

The first car Shenseea bought after finding success in the music business was a 5 series BMW. She wrapped it in neon green just in case anyone wanted to know who the new star around town was. Soon after she took to her social media to show off an upgrade to a X6, one of the more exquisite sport utility vehicles in Jamaica and with a splash of exuberance she wrapped it in a glittering color-changing hue.

Even though she now drives a Chevrolet truck in Miami, her now crashed Jamaican BMW provided inspiration for her latest song Be Good. Following a long line of reggae/dancehall metaphors and double entendres she rhymes, “Country goal gimmie long me nuh like shortcut/can get it anyway innah the Bimmer park up/press button start up”.

Bob Marley was said to love the name BMW so much that he said it meant Bob Marley and the Wailers.  “I sold Bob his BMW. I had bought it used. I sold him that one and bought another one. I can’t remember for how much I sold it to him for now,” Pluto Shervington told the Jamaica Observer last year. “This was about ’74 or ’75… I think it’s about ’75.”

It is the car that says “I have arrived” and dancehall’s biggest names use it more than just a souvenir. On Who Am I, Beenie Man sings “Sim Simmer who got the keys to my bimmer”. The line has been duplicated no less than ten times among hip hop and Afrobeats superstars like Joyner Lucas, Nicki Minaj and Burner Boy for their own hits beyond the shores of dancehall. That kind of cultural capital, advertisement, and cool points given to BMW is definitely more than it has paid back to the culture.