Before he stepped behind the Tiny Desk, Beenie Man contemplated our office space. The man born Moses Anthony Davis is accustomed to performing at maximum velocity, touching every part of a big stage … and here were but a few square feet for him to move. Nevertheless, the king of dancehall brings Kingston to Washington, D.C.

As an exemplar of longevity, he pauses to remind us just how long he’s been at it: “I’ve been doing music since the age of 5. I did my first single at the age of 7. Now I’m 50-something and I’m doing the same thing.” Just in time for our Black Music Month anniversary theme, Beenie Man’s most commercially successful album, Art and Life, turns 25. (And, not for nothing, his work visa was reinstated after a ten-year ban, allowing him to perform again in the United States.) The real dancehall fans were front and center with flags in tow, easing any doubts that Beenie Man had as he powered through a decades-spanning set of club classics.