Meaning
Derogatory slang for the police. Like 'Babylon', it casts the police as a hostile, oppressive force bearing down on the people, and 'di beast a come' is a warning that the police are on their way. Belonging to the language of the ghetto and of reggae and dancehall's long, wary quarrel with the law, the word strips the police of authority and names them as a brutish, predatory power to be watched and avoided rather than trusted.
Examples
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Watch out, di beast a drive up.
Watch out, the police are pulling up.
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Di beast lock off di road.
The police blocked off the road.
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Everybody scatter when di beast come.
Everyone scattered when the police arrived.
Origin
From English 'beast', used figuratively for the police as a brutal, predatory force — related in spirit to the Rastafari term 'Babylon'.
How it’s used
Hostile and street-level in tone. Overlaps with 'Babylon', though 'Babylon' carries a broader spiritual-political meaning.