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A business (also known as enterprise or firm) is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers.^[1] Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit or state-owned. A business owned by multiple individuals may be referred to as a company, although that term also has a more precise meaning.

The etymology of "business" relates to the state of being busy either as an individual or society as a whole, doing commercially viable and profitable work. The term "business" has at least three usages, depending on the scope — the singular usage to mean a particular organization; the generalized usage to refer to a particular market sector, "the music business" and compound forms such as agribusiness; and the broadest meaning, which encompasses all activity by the community of suppliers of goods and services. However, the exact definition of business, like much else in the philosophy of business, is a matter of debate and complexity of meanings.

Basic forms of ownership[link]

Although forms of business ownership vary by jurisdiction, there are several common forms:

• Sole proprietorship: A sole proprietorship is a business owned by one person for-profit. The owner may operate the business alone or may employ others. The owner of the business has unlimited liability for the debts incurred by the business.
• Partnership: A partnership is a business owned by two or more people. In most forms of partnerships, each partner has unlimited liability for the debts incurred by the business. The three typical classifications of for-profit partnerships are general partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships.
• Corporation: A corporation is a limited liability business that has a separate legal personality from its members. Corporations can be either government-owned or privately-owned, and corporations can organize either for-profit or not-for-profit. A privately-owned, for-profit corporation is owned by shareholders who elect a board of directors to direct the corporation and hire its managerial staff. A privately-owned, for-profit corporation can be either privately held or publicly held.
• Cooperative: Often referred to as a "co-op", a cooperative is a limited liability business that can organize for-profit or not-for-profit. A cooperative differs from a for-profit corporation in that it has members, as opposed to shareholders, who share decision-making authority. Cooperatives are typically classified as either consumer cooperatives or worker cooperatives. Cooperatives are fundamental to the ideology of economic democracy.

Classifications[link]

• Agriculture and mining businesses are concerned with the production of raw material, such as plants or minerals.
• Financial businesses include banks and other companies that generate profit through investment and management of capital.
• Information businesses generate profits primarily from the resale of intellectual property and include movie studios, publishers and packaged software companies.
• Manufacturers produce products, from raw materials or component parts, which they then sell at a profit. Companies that make physical goods, such as cars or pipes, are considered manufacturers.
• Real estate businesses generate profit from the selling, renting, and development of properties comprising land, residential homes, and other kinds of buildings.
• Retailers and distributors act as middle-men in getting goods produced by manufacturers to the intended consumer, generating a profit as a result of providing sales or distribution services. Most consumer-oriented stores and catalog companies are distributors or retailers.
• Service businesses offer intangible goods or services and typically generate a profit by charging for labor or other services provided to government, other businesses, or consumers. Organizations ranging from house decorators to consulting firms, restaurants, and even entertainers are types of service businesses.
• Transportation businesses deliver goods and individuals from location to location, generating a profit on the transportation costs.
• Utilities produce public services such as electricity or sewage treatment, usually under a government charter.

There are many other divisions and subdivisions of businesses. The authoritative list of business types for North America is generally considered to be the North American Industry Classification System, or NAICS. The equivalent European Union list is the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE).Mill,

Management[link]

The efficient and effective operation of a business, and study of this subject, is called management. The major branches of management are financial management, marketing management, human resource management, strategic management, production management, operations management, service management and information technology management.^{[citation needed]}

Owners engage in business administration either directly or indirectly through the employment of managers. Owner managers, or hired managers administer to three component resources that constitute the business' value or worth: financial resources, capital or tangible resources, and human resources. These resources are administered to in at least five functional areas: legal contracting, manufacturing or service production, marketing, accounting, financing, and human resourcing.^{[citation needed]}

Reforming state enterprises[link]

In recent decades, assets and enterprises that were run by various states have been modeled after business enterprises. In 2003, the People's Republic of China reformed 80% of its state-owned enterprises and modeled them on a company-type management system.^[2] Many state institutions and enterprises in China and Russia have been transformed into joint-stock companies, with part of their shares being listed on public stock markets.

Business process management (BPM) is a holistic management approach[1] focused on aligning all aspects of an organization with the wants and needs of clients. It promotes business effectiveness and efficiency while striving for innovation, flexibility, and integration with technology. BPM attempts to improve processes continuously. It can therefore be described as a "process optimization process." It is argued that BPM enables organizations to be more efficient, more effective and more capable of change than a functionally focused, traditional hierarchical management approach.

Organization and government regulation[link]

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Most legal jurisdictions specify the forms of ownership that a business can take, creating a body of commercial law for each type.

The major factors affecting how a business is organized are usually:

The Bank of England in Threadneedle Street, London, England.

• The size and scope of the business firm and its structure, management, and ownership, broadly analyzed in the theory of the firm. Generally a smaller business is more flexible, while larger businesses, or those with wider ownership or more formal structures, will usually tend to be organized as corporations or (less often) partnerships. In addition, a business that wishes to raise money on a stock market or to be owned by a wide range of people will often be required to adopt a specific legal form to do so.
• The sector and country. Private profit-making businesses are different from government-owned bodies. In some countries, certain businesses are legally obliged to be organized in certain ways.
• Limited Liability Companies (LLC), limited liability partnerships, and other specific types of business organization protect their owners or shareholders from business failure by doing business under a separate legal entity with certain legal protections. In contrast, unincorporated businesses or persons working on their own are usually not so protected.
• Tax advantages. Different structures are treated differently in tax law, and may have advantages for this reason.
• Disclosure and compliance requirements. Different business structures may be required to make less or more information public (or report it to relevant authorities), and may be bound to comply with different rules and regulations.

Many businesses are operated through a separate entity such as a corporation or a partnership (either formed with or without limited liability). Most legal jurisdictions allow people to organize such an entity by filing certain charter documents with the relevant Secretary of State or equivalent and complying with certain other ongoing obligations. The relationships and legal rights of shareholders, limited partners, or members are governed partly by the charter documents and partly by the law of the jurisdiction where the entity is organized. Generally speaking, shareholders in a corporation, limited partners in a limited partnership, and members in a limited liability company are shielded from personal liability for the debts and obligations of the entity, which is legally treated as a separate "person". This means that unless there is misconduct, the owner's own possessions are strongly protected in law if the business does not succeed.

Where two or more individuals own a business together but have failed to organize a more specialized form of vehicle, they will be treated as a general partnership. The terms of a partnership are partly governed by a partnership agreement if one is created, and partly by the law of the jurisdiction where the partnership is located. No paperwork or filing is necessary to create a partnership, and without an agreement, the relationships and legal rights of the partners will be entirely governed by the law of the jurisdiction where the partnership is located.

A single person who owns and runs a business is commonly known as a sole proprietor, whether that person owns it directly or through a formally organized entity.

A few relevant factors to consider in deciding how to operate a business include:

1. General partners in a partnership (other than a limited liability partnership), plus anyone who personally owns and operates a business without creating a separate legal entity, are personally liable for the debts and obligations of the business.
2. Generally, corporations are required to pay tax just like "real" people. In some tax systems, this can give rise to so-called double taxation, because first the corporation pays tax on the profit, and then when the corporation distributes its profits to its owners, individuals have to include dividends in their income when they complete their personal tax returns, at which point a second layer of income tax is imposed.
3. In most countries, there are laws which treat small corporations differently than large ones. They may be exempt from certain legal filing requirements or labor laws, have simplified procedures in specialized areas, and have simplified, advantageous, or slightly different tax treatment.
4. To "go public" (sometimes called IPO) -- which basically means to allow a part of the business to be owned by a wider range of investors or the public in general—you must organize a separate entity, which is usually required to comply with a tighter set of laws and procedures. Most public entities are corporations that have sold shares, but increasingly there are also public LLCs that sell units (sometimes also called shares), and other more exotic entities as well (for example, REITs in the USA, Unit Trusts in the UK). However, you cannot take a general partnership "public."

Commercial law[link]

Offices in the Los Angeles Downtown Financial District

Most commercial transactions are governed by a very detailed and well-established body of rules that have evolved over a very long period of time, it being the case that governing trade and commerce was a strong driving force in the creation of law and courts in Western civilization.

As for other laws that regulate or impact businesses, in many countries it is all but impossible to chronicle them all in a single reference source. There are laws governing treatment of labor and generally relations with employees, safety and protection issues (Health and Safety), anti-discrimination laws (age, gender, disabilities, race, and in some jurisdictions, sexual orientation), minimum wage laws, union laws, workers compensation laws, and annual vacation or working hours time.

In some specialized businesses, there may also be licenses required, either due to special laws that govern entry into certain trades, occupations or professions, which may require special education, or by local governments. Professions that require special licenses range from law and medicine to flying airplanes to selling liquor to radio broadcasting to selling investment securities to selling used cars to roofing. Local jurisdictions may also require special licenses and taxes just to operate a business without regard to the type of business involved.

Some businesses are subject to ongoing special regulation. These industries include, for example, public utilities, investment securities, banking, insurance, broadcasting, aviation, and health care providers. Environmental regulations are also very complex and can impact many kinds of businesses in unexpected ways.

Capital[link]

Mexican Stock Exchange in Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City

When businesses need to raise money (called 'capital'), more laws come into play. A highly complex set of laws and regulations govern the offer and sale of investment securities (the means of raising money) in most Western countries. These regulations can require disclosure of a lot of specific financial and other information about the business and give buyers certain remedies. Because "securities" is a very broad term, most investment transactions will be potentially subject to these laws, unless a special exemption is available.

Capital may be raised through private means, by public offer (IPO) on a stock exchange, or in many other ways. Major stock exchanges include the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Singapore Exchange, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq (USA), the London Stock Exchange (UK), the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Japan), Bombay Stock Exchange(India) and so on. Most countries with capital markets have at least one.

Businesses that have gone "public" are subject to extremely detailed and complicated regulation about their internal governance (such as how executive officers' compensation is determined) and when and how information is disclosed to the public and their shareholders. In the United States, these regulations are primarily implemented and enforced by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other Western nations have comparable regulatory bodies. The regulations are implemented and enforced by the China Securities Regulation Commission (CSRC), in China. In Singapore, the regulation authority is Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and in Hong Kong, it is Securities and Futures Commission (SFC).

As noted at the beginning, it is impossible to enumerate all of the types of laws and regulations that impact on business today. In fact, these laws have become so numerous and complex, that no business lawyer can learn them all, forcing increasing specialization among corporate attorneys. It is not unheard of for teams of 5 to 10 attorneys to be required to handle certain kinds of corporate transactions, due to the sprawling nature of modern regulation. Commercial law spans general corporate law, employment and labor law, health-care law, securities law, M&A law (who specialize in acquisitions), tax law, ERISA law (ERISA in the United States governs employee benefit plans), food and drug regulatory law, intellectual property law (specializing in copyrights, patents, trademarks and such), telecommunications law, and more.

Intellectual property[link]

Businesses often have important "intellectual property" that needs protection from competitors for the company to stay profitable. This could require patents, copyrights, trademarks or preservation of trade secrets. Most businesses have names, logos and similar branding techniques that could benefit from trademarking. Patents and copyrights in the United States are largely governed by federal law, while trade secrets and trademarking are mostly a matter of state law. Because of the nature of intellectual property, a business needs protection in every jurisdiction in which they are concerned about competitors. Many countries are signatories to international treaties concerning intellectual property, and thus companies registered in these countries are subject to national laws bound by these treaties. In order to protect trade secrets, companies may require employees to sign non-compete clauses which will impose limitations on an employees interactions with stakeholders, and competitors.

See also[link]

Business and economics portal

	Book: Business
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Business on Wikipedia's sister projects:
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	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
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James (Jim) Yuill McLean (born 21 April 1937 in Larkhall) is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best known for his 22-year spell as manager of Dundee United; the longest-serving and most successful manager in the club's history, he led them to three major honours and established them as a force in European competitions. He became the club's chairman in the 1980s while still manager, but resigned in 2000. He is now semi-retired, writing a weekly column for the Daily Record.

Early life[link]

Jim McLean was born into a working-class family in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire in 1937, and grew up in the nearby village of Ashgill. He served his time as an apprentice joiner, a career he pursued part-time while playing league football, not unusual amongst footballers in the 1950s and 1960s.

Playing career[link]

In 1956, he started his football career with Hamilton Academical as an inside forward, making over 125 league appearances before leaving 1960 to join Clyde. McLean spent a similar length of time with The Bully Wee, and had featured in over 100 league games before joining Dundee in 1965. McLean's debut for Dundee came in the Dundee derby at Dens Park on 11 September 1965 when Dundee suffered their heaviest ever defeat (5–0) to rivals Dundee United. After just under 100 league games, McLean moved on to his final club, Kilmarnock, where he played until 1970. Although never achieving the same playing success as his brother Tommy, he made a total of 474 appearances, scoring 170 times. He retired from his playing career in 1970, returning to Dundee as a coach in July of that year.

Managerial career[link]

After coaching at Dens Park for 18 months, Dundee's rivals Dundee United offered him the position of manager to replace the retiring Jerry Kerr in December 1971. Jim accepted the offer and made the trip over the road to start his managerial career at Tannadice Park at the age of 34.

McLean immediately started a co-ordinated youth policy which was to produce many fine young players over the two decades which followed. In the short term, he used his knowledge of the Scottish scene to buy experienced players who would allow him to re-shape both the squad and the style of play in line with his approach to coaching.

Initially, the club's league form was average, remaining mostly mid-table for the next few years. McLean's first hint of the success he would later achieve was leading the club to its first Scottish Cup final in 1974 and, despite defeat, it proved an important psychological step in McLean's and the club's development. The success of the Cup run was built upon the following season with a finish of fourth place, the club's best finish in the First Division before league restructuring.

As McLean's youth policy began to bear fruit, the first of a number of talented young players began to emerge. McLean decided that his team should mount a challenge for the League championship in 1978–79, something of which the club, who had long lived in the shadow of McLean's former employers and rivals Dundee, had never previously proved capable of but after a poor finish in the first season of the new Premier Division, United started to prove that they were serious contenders for domestic honours.

In December 1979, McLean guided his team to triumph in the League Cup and retained it a year later. At the same time as the club was enjoying a high standing Scottish football, McLean was gradually building the club’s reputation in Europe, with wins over sides like AS Monaco, Borussia Mönchengladbach, PSV Eindhoven, Anderlecht and Werder Bremen.

1980s success[link]

Despite the progress he had made, few believed that McLean and United were potential Premier Division champions, Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen at that time were an emerging force in addition to the Old Firm. But in 1983, profiting from a late run which left those clubs in their wake, that is precisely what McLean’s largely home-grown side did, playing exhilarating attacking football in the process. At this time he additionally acted as No. 2 to Jock Stein as Scotland Manager.

Rangers, who had seen a decline in their fortunes over the previous few years, offered McLean the job as manager at Ibrox. McLean engaged in early negotiations with the Glasgow giants, one of his main problems with the job offer was Rangers' policy of not signing Roman Catholics, a policy McLean found a ridiculous restriction for any employer as well has having signed many talented Catholics with Dundee United. Despite the Rangers chairman assuring him that this policy would be scrapped if he accepted the job, McLean decided that he was happy at Dundee United; his family were happily settled in the Broughty Ferry area of Dundee. McLean turned down another offer from Newcastle United in June 1984.

Following his team's League success in 1983, Dundee United made their debut in the European Cup. McLean's counter-attacking tactics paired with a pressuring style brought some memorable results in that year's European campaign. McLean inspired United to the semi-finals of that year's competition, a penalty-kick denying them a place in the final. Three years later McLean took the team to a European final, this time in the UEFA Cup. For the rest of his managerial career McLean continued to secure United's high standing in domestic football, finishing outside the top four clubs only once, and taking the team to a further five Scottish Cup finals, though he was unable to manage his team past the final hurdle of the competition.

Later years[link]

In June 1986, after Scotland's early exit from the World Cup in Mexico, McLean's name was linked with the national team manager's job. There had been no permanent manager since the sudden death of Jock Stein at a World Cup qualifying game on 10 September 1985, as Stein's assistant Alex Ferguson had taken interim charge and decided against taking the job on a permanent basis after the World Cup. However, the job went to Andy Roxburgh instead.^[1]

The Dundee United board made McLean a director in 1984; four years later he became chairman and managing director, while still remaining the manager. He retained those joint responsibilities until stepping down as manager in July 1993, after a reign of 21 years and seven months. He remained as chairman throughout the 1990s, departing in October 2000 following an attack on BBC Scotland reporter John Barnes.^[2] McLean returned briefly in January 2002 as a director^[3] but departed a month later.^[4] Still a majority shareholder, McLean sold his 42% stake to Eddie Thompson in October 2002, severing his Tannadice ties permanently.^[5]

McLean's "privileges" were withdrawn in October 2006 following an attack on Thompson in his weekly newspaper column. McLean had said that Thompson had been a "disaster for the club".^[6]

Retirement[link]

McLean remained as chairman until forced to resign after a widely televised physical attack on BBC Scotland's John Barnes in October 2000.^[7] His attack followed persistent questioning by the reporter on whether McLean would sack manager Alex Smith. McLean apologised unreservedly for his actions. McLean remained owner of the club for another two years, after which he sold his controlling interest to Eddie Thompson.

He may be best remembered by fans as the man who took an average club, with no major silverware and little experience in Europe to a Scottish League Championship, 10 domestic cup finals, a UEFA Cup final and many seasons of European football.

Since his retirement he has written a football column in the Daily Record, drawing from his 50 years in Scottish football to comment on current events in the game. He has also written Jousting With Giants: The Jim McLean Story with Ken Gallagher (ISBN 1-85158-088-3), an autobiography and account of his time with Dundee United.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Newcastle Fans profile

Charles "Chick" Young (born 4 May 1951)^[1] is a professional association football pundit, who regularly appears for BBC Scotland on Sportscene and Sportsound. He is known for his trademark laugh and speech patterns, which have made him a popular target for lampooning on the BBC Scotland sports comedy Only an Excuse?.

Career[link]

Young has become a prominent football commentator with the BBC. He started hosting episodes of Sportsound in October 2009, working two to three episodes a month.^[2] In addition, he regularly writes his own view on Scottish football matches and players in his online column with the BBC, titled, "Chick Young's View".

In 2008, he was injured in a game between MSPs in Glasgow. He was tackled and his ankle was badly hurt, forcing him to miss a charity golf event the following day.^[3]

Personal life[link]

Young was born in Govan, Glasgow. His father died at the age of 47 from a heart attack when Young was six years old.

Young was married to but separated from Sally Carr, lead singer of 1970s band Middle of the Road although Carr has not divorced Young and they remain friends; later he lived with June Lake, a former Miss Scotland.

His only son, Keith, died at the age of 20 in 2001 in a road accident when his motorcycle was hit by a driver on the A8.^[4]

References[link]

This Scottish biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article related to British television is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Beenie Man
Beenie Man performing in August 2008
Background information
Birth name	Anthony Moses Davis
Also known as	Ras Moses, The Doctor, The Girls Dem Sugar[1]
Born	(1973-08-22) August 22, 1973 (age 38)
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Reggae, dancehall, reggae fusion, ragga-soca
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, deejay, producer
Years active	late 1970s–present
Labels	Brookland Universal Republic Island Jamaica/PolyGram Records Virgin/EMI Records
Associated acts	Don Omar, Snow (musician), Talib Kweli, Memphis Bleek, YoungBloodZ, Pastor Troy, Johnny J , T.I.
Website	www.beeniemanmusic.com

Anthony Moses Davis (August 22, 1973),^[2] better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".

Biography[link]

Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973.^[2][3][4] He was involved in the music industry from a young age, starting toasting at the age of five, and was encouraged by his uncle Sydney Wolfe, who played drums for Jimmy Cliff.^[5][6] He won the Tastee Talent contest in 1981,^[3][7] and Radio DJ Barry G introduced him to local sound system operators, who helped to establish the popularity of the young deejay, who became known as Beenie Man.^[5] He recorded his debut single, "Too Fancy", with record producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes in 1981, with Lawes also including him on the 1983 album Junjo Presents Two Big Sounds alongside established stars such as Dillinger, Fathead, and Ringo.^[3] His debut album, The Invincible Beenie Man: The Ten Year Old DJ Wonder was produced by Bunny Lee and released in 1983,^[8] his first hit single following the same year with the Winston Holness-produced "Over the Sea".^[3] In 1984 Beenie Man recorded some material with Barrington Levy (released ten years later), but his music career was put on hold while he finished school, and spent time travelling to the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.^[3]

1990s return[link]

Beenie Man continued performing and honed his craft beside the then dominant dancehall figures including Ninjaman, Admiral Bailey and Shabba Ranks. He found his artistic home at the Shocking Vibes studio where he continued to record singles with only moderate success in the early 1990s. His career gained momentum after a performance at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1992, and a rivalry with Bounty Killer began the following year after Beenie Man was accused of stealing Bounty Killer's style and catch phrases.^[3] The rivalry was captured on the 1994 album Guns Out, with the two artists settling the feud with a soundclash.^[3] Beenie Man had his first number one single in Jamaica in 1993 with "Matie", and he won the DJ of the Year Award the same year, the first of eight consecutive awards.^[7]

International stardom[link]

Partially as a result of prodding from his producers, Sly and Robbie, with whom he recorded cover versions of Bob Marley's "Crazy Baldhead" and "No Woman No Cry" in 1994, the latter a Jamaican chart-topper, Beenie Man converted to the Rastafari movement, as did several of his contemporaries at the time, although in 2005 he stated "I have not converted. I was baptised an Ethiopian Orthodox and at the age of 10 I became a Judah Coptic."^[3][6] In 1994, he was signed by Island Records and released the critically acclaimed album Blessed, which established his reputation internationally.^[3] In 1995 he toured the UK and joined up again with Barrington Levy to record an updated jungle version of Levy's "Under Mi Sensi".^[3]

In 1995, Beenie Man collaborated with Dennis Brown and Triston Palmer to release Three Against War and Mad Cobra and Lieutenant Stitchie on Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man. He also collaborated with Lady Saw on "Healing", Sanchez on "Refugee", and Michael Prophet on "Gun 'n' Bass", further establishing his reputation.^[3] He took another step up the ladder in 1996, releasing the seminal Maestro, produced by Patrick Roberts and shot him to UK fame. During the period from the mid to late 1990s, Beenie Man dominated the Jamaican charts to the extent that he perhaps had a good claim to the crown of "Dancehall King", a title only bestowed previously on Yellowman in the early 1980s. Beenie Man's first real break into the United States came in 1997. He heard an instrumental rhythm by an unknown producer named Jeremy Harding, and demanded to add his voice to the rhythm. So this was the birth of his first international hit; he recorded "Who Am I" and the single quickly went Gold. It opened the doors for the world to see a new reggae star in the pages of Newsweek and other major media outlets. The same year, Beenie Man topped the Jamaican singles chart with seven different singles.^[3]

Beenie Man appeared as himself in the 1997 film Dancehall Queen.

In 1998, Beenie Man headlined Reggae Sunsplash and signed to Virgin Records to release albums in the United States. His first American offering was The Doctor (1998). During the late 1990s, Beenie Man began his conquest of America with the hits, "Romie", "Who Am I", and "Girls Dem Sugar", which featured American R&B singer, Mýa. During this time he received an impressive number of international music awards including a MOBO Award for Best International Reggae Act in 1998,^[9] while remaining at the top of the local charts. In 2000, Beenie Man released Art & Life, which featured Arturo Sandoval and Wyclef Jean (The Fugees), for which received a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.^[3] In the same year he co-produced (with Wyclef Jean) the debut album by actor Steven Seagal.^[3] Beenie Man, like many dancehall artists is outspoken on a number of social issues, as exemplified by songs such as "Steve Biko" and "Murderer".^[10][11][12]

In 2002, he had a sizeable hit with a duet with Janet Jackson called "Feel It Boy", but his biggest break in America came in early 2004 with the release of a remix of "Dude", featuring guest vocals by fellow Jamaican Ms. Thing, as well as rhymes by Shawnna. He thus cemented his fan base on both sides of the Atlantic.

He had hits in the UK in 1998 with "Who am I" (#10), in 2003 with "Street Life" (#13) and "Feel It Boy" (UK #9), a duet with Janet Jackson, and in 2004 with "Dude" (#7) and "King of the Dancehall" (#14).^[13]

He was also a judge for the 6th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.^[14]

In April 2008 it was announced that Beenie Man was to co-write and star in the film Kingston.^[15] In October 2010 Beenie Man came out with the EP "I'm Drinking Rum and Red Bull", which included 4 songs, "Im drinking Rum and Red Bull", "I'm Okay", and two versions of "Stack and Pile". He later relaased the full album on February 28, 2011. "Im Drinking Rum and Red Bull" features Future Fambo. In September 2008 Beenie Man was cleared of charges of tax evasion.^[16][17]

In April 2009, Beenie Man signed with Brookland Entertainment, a new record label formed by Eric Nicks and The Trackmasters, in preparation to release his new album, "The Legend Returns". The music video for the release of his new single “Gimme Gimme” will be shot in Canada on April 18, 2009. The song "Let's Go" was released on the Overproof Riddim compilation album in 2011.

Personal life[link]

Beenie Man married Michelle "D'Angel" Downer on August 22, 2006. Downer was previously known as long-time girlfriend to Bounty Killer. They have a son together, Marco Dean,^[18] born in November 2006. In June 2007, Beenie Man separated from his wife due to her alleged infidelity. In March 2010, they released a duet single titled "You Are My First", although at the time they were separated.^[18] The couple divorced in 2011.^[19]

Controversy[link]

The lyrics to some of his songs have been criticized for inciting the murder of homosexuals.^[20] He was removed from the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards after protests by gay-rights activists.^[21] That same year, Beenie Man was stopped by police at Heathrow Airport in London, after the cancellation of a concert in England.^[22] He then issued an apology for the lyrics through his record company.^[23] In 2005, gay rights group OutRage! suspended their opposition to Beenie Man after he agreed not to play songs featuring homophobic lyrics, and he performed in London that year.^[24] The following year, he claimed his lyrics were anti-pedophilia, not against consensual homosexual relationships.^[25]

In 2007, it was reported that Beenie Man, along with several other artists, had signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, an agreement to cease performances of anti-gay material.^[26] He later denied that he had signed the act.^[27] As of 2010, protests have continued to cause cancellations of his concerts in some countries, including New Zealand, Belgium and the Netherlands.^[28][29][30]

In 2012, Beenie Man apologized to the gay community for his earlier 'homophobic' lyrics: "Let me make this clear and straight.^[31] I have nothing against no one. I respect each and every human being, regardless of which race or creed, regardless of which religious belief you believe in, and regardless of which sexual preference you are, including gays and lesbian people. I respect all human...Please I am begging you do not have me up for some songs I wrote a long time ago. I love each and every one and am just begging each and everyone to do the same."^[32][33]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 1983: The Invincible Beenie Man: The Incredible Ten Year Old DJ Wonder - Bunny Lee
• 1992: Cool Cool Rider - VP
• 1994: Dis Unu Fi Hear - High Tone
• 1994: Defend It VP
• 1994: Guns Out with Bounty Killer - Greensleeves
• 1995: Blessed - Island
• 1995: Maestro - Greensleeves & VP
• 1995: Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man - VP
• 1997: Many Moods Of Moses - VP
• 1999: Y2K - Artists Only
• 1999: Ruff n Tuff
• 1999: The Doctor - VP
• 2000: Art and Life - Virgin
• 2001: Black Liberty
• 2001: Youth Quake
• 2002: Tropical Storm
• 2004: Back to Basics
• 2006: Concept of Life
• 2006: Hundred Dollar Bag
• 2006: Undisputed
• 2007: Monsters of Dancehall
• 2009: The Legend Returns
• 2012: TBA

Compilations[link]

• 1995: All the Best
• 2000: Best of Beenie Man
• 2002: Gold - The Very Best of - Charm
• 2005: Kingston to King of the Dancehall
• 2005: Greatest Hits So Far

Live albums[link]

• 2004: Live in San Francisco

Mixtapes and unofficial releases[link]

• 2000: Trendsetter
• 2004: Cool Cool Rider - The Roots of a Dancehall Don
• 2006: Its Ah! Beenie (riddim mixtape)
• 2007: Monsters of Dancehall

Singles[link]

• 1981: "Too Fancy"
• 1983: "Over the Sea"
• 1993: "Matie" (PROD by Dave and Donovan Mills and Efraim Barrett on the Shelly Power label)
• 1995: "Slam"
• 1995: "Romie"
• 1995: "Old Dog"
• 1995: "Healing" (with Lady Saw)
• 1997: "Dancehall Queen" (with Chevelle Franklin)
• 1998: "Who Am I (Sim Simma)"
• 1998: "Tell Me"
• 2000: "Jungle Boogie" (featuring Sly and Robbie)
• 2000: "Love Me Now" (featuring Wyclef Jean)
• 2000: "Girls Dem Sugar" (featuring Mýa)
• 2002: "Fresh from Yard" (featuring Lil' Kim)
• 2002: "Feel It Boy" (featuring Janet Jackson)
• 2002: "Red Red Red" (with Robyn)
• 2003: "Street Life" (featuring Assia)
• 2003: "Bossman" (featuring Sean Paul and Lady Saw)
• 2004: "Dude" (featuring Ms. Thing and Shawnna)
• 2004: "King of the Dancehall"
• 2005: "Specialists" (featuring Vybz Kartel)
• 2006: "Girls" (featuring Akon)
• 2006: "Hmm Hmm"
• 2006: "Dreaming of You" (featuring Alaine)
• 2007: "Give It Up" (featuring Barbee)
• 2008: "Wine Gyal"
• 2008: "Pickney Nah Hold Yah Dung"
• 2008: "Gimme Gimme"
• 2010: "I'm Drinking/Rum & Red Bull"
• 2012: "Let's Go"

Featured singles[link]

• 1996: "Sound Clash" (Dream Warriors featuring Beenie Man)
• 1996: "Hands In the Air" (Doug E. Fresh featuring Beenie Man)
• 1999: "Outa Space (UFOs)" (Machel Montano featuring Beenie Man); album Any Minute Now
• 2000: "Money" (Jamelia featuring Beenie Man)
• 2001: "I'm Serious" (T.I. featuring Beenie Man)
• 2004: "Compton" (Guerilla Black featuring Beenie Man)
• 2005: "Soul on Fire" (KMC featuring Beenie Man)
• 2006: "Belly Danza" (Don Omar featuring Beenie Man)
• 2006: "Zingy" (Ak'Sent featuring Beenie Man)
• 2006: "Flow Natural" (Tito El Bambino featuring Deevani and Beenie Man)
• 2006: "Heaven Baby" (Brooke Hogan featuring Beenie Man)
• 2007: "Back It Up"
• 2008: "Better than Dem" (Natasja featuring Beenie Man)
• 2008: "Scorpion" (Nisha B. featuring Beenie Man)
• 2008: "Burnin' Burnin" (Ms. Triniti featuring Beenie Man)
• 2009: "Get It On" (Rasun featuring Beenie Man)
• 2009: "Giggle" (Busta Rhymes featuring Beenie Man)
• 2009: "Woman"
• 2009: "International" (Chali 2na featuring Beenie Man)
• 2009: "Pleasure" (2G featuring Beenie Man and Chris S)
• 2012: "Gun Shot" (Nicki Minaj featuring Beenie Man)

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Thompson, Dave (2002). Reggae & Caribbean Music. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 0-87930-655-6. 
• Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0242-9. 

Further reading[link]

• Wray, Milton: Who Am I?: The Untold Story of Beenie Man, 2008, Great House/Omnimedia, Kingston, Jamaica, ISBN 978-9769519930

External links[link]

• Official website
• Beenie Man discography at MusicBrainz

John McCain
United States Senator from Arizona
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1987 Serving with Jon Kyl
Preceded by	Barry Goldwater
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 1st district
In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1987
Preceded by	John Jacob Rhodes Jr.
Succeeded by	John Jacob Rhodes III
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Daniel Inouye
Succeeded by	Ben Nighthorse Campbell
In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Succeeded by	Byron Dorgan
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Larry Pressler
Succeeded by	Ernest Hollings
In office January 20, 2001 – June 3, 2001
Preceded by	Ernest Hollings
Succeeded by	Ernest Hollings
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Ernest Hollings
Succeeded by	Ted Stevens
Personal details
Born	John Sidney McCain III (1936-08-29) August 29, 1936 (age 75) Coco Solo Naval Air Station, Panama Canal Zone
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Carol Shepp (m. 1965, div. 1980) Cindy Lou Hensley (m. 1980 - present)
Relations	John S. McCain, Jr. (father, deceased) Roberta McCain (mother)
Children	Douglas (b. 1959, adopted 1966) Andrew (b. 1962, adopted 1966) Sidney (b. 1966) Meghan (b. 1984) John Sidney IV "Jack" (b. 1986) James "Jimmy" (b. 1988) Bridget (b. 1991, adopted 1993)
Residence	Phoenix, Arizona
Alma mater	U.S. Naval Academy (B.S.)
Profession	Naval Aviator, politician
Religion	Baptist congregant (Brought up Episcopalian)[1]
Signature
Website	www.mccain.senate.gov
Military service
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1958–1981
Rank	Captain
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
This article is part of a series about The life of John McCain Early life and military career House and Senate career, until 2000 2000 presidential campaign Senate career, 2001–present 2008 presidential campaign Cultural and political image Political positions

In 1951 at left, with mother Roberta, brother Joe, and father John S. McCain, Jr.
In 1951 at left, with mother Roberta, brother Joe, and father John S. McCain, Jr.		In 1954 at the Naval Academy

John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican presidential nominee in the 2008 United States election.

McCain followed his father and grandfather, both four-star admirals, into the United States Navy, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958. He became a naval aviator, flying ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. During the Vietnam War, he was almost killed in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. In October 1967, while on a bombing mission over Hanoi, he was shot down, seriously injured, and captured by the North Vietnamese. He was a prisoner of war until 1973. McCain experienced episodes of torture, and refused an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer. His war wounds left him with lifelong physical limitations.

He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1981 and moved to Arizona, where he entered politics. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, he served two terms, and was then elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, winning re-election easily four times, most recently in 2010. While generally adhering to conservative principles, McCain at times has had a media reputation as a "maverick" for his willingness to disagree with his party on certain issues. After being investigated and largely exonerated in a political influence scandal of the 1980s as a member of the Keating Five, he made campaign finance reform one of his signature concerns, which eventually led to the passage of the McCain-Feingold Act in 2002. He is also known for his work towards restoring diplomatic relations with Vietnam in the 1990s, and for his belief that the war in Iraq should be fought to a successful conclusion. McCain has chaired the Senate Commerce Committee, opposed spending that he considered to be pork barrel, and played a key role in alleviating a crisis over judicial nominations.

McCain ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 but lost a heated primary season contest to George W. Bush. He secured the nomination in 2008 after coming back from early reversals, but lost to Democratic candidate Barack Obama in the general election. He subsequently adopted more orthodox conservative stances and attitudes and largely opposed actions of the Obama administration.

Early life and military career, 1936–1981[link]

Formative years and education[link]

John McCain was born on August 29, 1936, at Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone, to naval officer John S. McCain, Jr. (1911–1981) and Roberta (Wright) McCain (b. 1912).^[2] At that time, the Panama Canal was under U.S. control.^[3]

McCain's family tree includes Scots-Irish and English ancestors.^[4] His father and his paternal grandfather, John S. McCain, Sr., both became four-star United States Navy admirals.^[5] His family, including his older sister Sandy and younger brother Joe,^[2] followed his father to various naval postings in the United States and the Pacific.^[6] Altogether, he attended about 20 schools.^[7]

In 1951, the family settled in Northern Virginia, and McCain attended Episcopal High School, a private preparatory boarding school in Alexandria.^[8] He excelled at wrestling and graduated in 1954.^[9]

Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, McCain entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. There, he was a friend and informal leader for many of his classmates,^[10] and sometimes stood up for targets of bullying.^[5] He also became a lightweight boxer.^[11] McCain came into conflict with higher-ranking personnel, and he did not always obey the rules, which contributed to a low class rank (894 of 899), despite a high IQ.^[10][12] He did well in academic subjects that interested him, such as literature and history, but studied only enough to pass subjects he struggled with, such as mathematics.^[5][13] McCain graduated in 1958.^[10]

Naval training, first marriage, and Vietnam assignment[link]

John McCain's early military career began when he was commissioned an ensign and started two and a half years of training at Pensacola to become a naval aviator.^[14] While there, he earned a reputation as a partying man.^[7] He completed flight school in 1960, and became a naval pilot of ground-attack aircraft, assigned to A-1 Skyraider squadrons^[15] aboard the aircraft carriers USS Intrepid and USS Enterprise^[16] in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas.^[17] McCain began as a sub-par flier^[17] who was at times careless and reckless;^[18] during the early-to-mid 1960s, the planes he was flying crashed twice and once collided with power lines, but he received no major injuries.^[18] His aviation skills improved over time,^[17] and he was seen as a good pilot, albeit one who tended to "push the envelope" in his flying.^[18]