Biography
Jamaican-American artist BEAM merges trap with dancehall to create bold yet uplifting tracks meant to remind audiences they share common ground in moments of doubt and longing. Initially focused on production, he supplied beats for Papa San, his father, along with Lecrae and 2 Chainz, before issuing his own recordings starting in 2017. That year also marked the arrival of his first full-length project, 95, which drew from Cypress Hill through Kid Cudi, followed by guest spots alongside Major Lazer and Justin Bieber.
Born Tyshane Thompson near Kingston in 1995, he is the son of dancehall star Papa San, who embraced Christianity in the 1990s and helped establish gospel reggae. After the family relocated to a Miami suburb, Thompson began making beats at ten and later formed the duo 808xElite with Matthew Massaro. Production work surfaced from 2010 onward on projects by Christian rappers such as Andy Mineo, Lecrae, and KIDD, plus material from his brother Tyrone Andrew and his father. By 2015 he had also collaborated with 2 Chainz and Yo Gotti, prompting him to launch the BEAM moniker—short for Be Everything and More—to combine trap and dancehall. The 2017 singles “Problem” and “Chat Bout” explored themes of sex, drugs, and nightlife that contrasted with his background, yet they traced a path through depression and anxiety while promoting resilience. He appeared on Skrillex’s 2019 track “Mumbai Power,” and the vintage-styled album 95 arrived via Epic. The Crimson Soundtrack EP came out in 2020, after which he joined Major Lazer’s fourth album Music Is the Weapon, notably on the single “Rave de Favela.” Further features followed in 2021 on Justin Bieber’s Justice and Freedom EP.
Born Tyshane Thompson near Kingston in 1995, he is the son of dancehall star Papa San, who embraced Christianity in the 1990s and helped establish gospel reggae. After the family relocated to a Miami suburb, Thompson began making beats at ten and later formed the duo 808xElite with Matthew Massaro. Production work surfaced from 2010 onward on projects by Christian rappers such as Andy Mineo, Lecrae, and KIDD, plus material from his brother Tyrone Andrew and his father. By 2015 he had also collaborated with 2 Chainz and Yo Gotti, prompting him to launch the BEAM moniker—short for Be Everything and More—to combine trap and dancehall. The 2017 singles “Problem” and “Chat Bout” explored themes of sex, drugs, and nightlife that contrasted with his background, yet they traced a path through depression and anxiety while promoting resilience. He appeared on Skrillex’s 2019 track “Mumbai Power,” and the vintage-styled album 95 arrived via Epic. The Crimson Soundtrack EP came out in 2020, after which he joined Major Lazer’s fourth album Music Is the Weapon, notably on the single “Rave de Favela.” Further features followed in 2021 on Justin Bieber’s Justice and Freedom EP.
Singles