Gaza Gully beef escalating?

876.com are saying that Movado’s Range Rover was shot up and that this shooting follows Kartel’s car being fire bombed – although the entertainer says it was an “electrical fault”.

It also reports that the situation on the Gully side – aka Movado’s home area of Cassava Piece in Kingston is tense right now.

Anyone got any more info on that?

I am hoping that Movado is not going the same way as Sizzla in August Town.  Read more about that in this blog post.

Kartel win it

The dancehall clash everyone was waiting for.  Kartel vs Mavado at Sting 2008 and the overwhelming consensus is that Kartel reigns supreme over the Gully God.  It was Kartel coming out in army fatigues signalling he was serious about this war.   It threw Mavado and he starts stumbling and shouting about his microphone levels not being right when it seems he was covering up for forgetting his lyrics.

I’m not surprised as Kartel is the far more eloquent and media savvy of the two, but just because you’re good at battling, does not change the fact that the big hits of 2008 came from Mavado’s melancholic voice as opposed to Kartel’s aggressive lyrics.

Sting is coming

This is the concert that I have always wanted to go to but never have yet. Every year I’m like, wouldn’t it be great to go, but I still never have. One day, one day.

It is a legendary concert. The proper ghetto concert – not for the faint hearted. Go there expecting some shots to be fired!

It happens in Portmore every Christmas time. Run by the promoter called Leng – proper name Isaiah Laing from Supreme Promotions.

It’s the 25th concert this year and it has been launched by Portmore native, Vybz Kartel (who’s been busy promoting Ramping Shop!)

Laing of course and none other than Renato Adams. Adams is a more than controversial police man. To just get a flavour of how controversial he is take a look at some of these newspaper headlines about him – here and here.

Gosh I could write a very long post about Adams, but this is about Sting.

2004 I was set to go but life got in the way – that year was when Kartel bottled Ninja man in the face and there was a lot of blood.

There is always some beef between the artists that has to get hyped up – but hopefully it won’t lead to any actual violence this year. In the past, the big beef has always been between Bounty Killer and Beenie man – but them two are ready to collect their pension now!

It’s all about Kartel and Mavado nowadays.

I always loved Kartel the best – whenever I have met him and interviewed him he has made me laugh and i’ve always been blown away by his eloquence and sense of humour. I like the guy and I’ve always liked his songs.

But I don’t feel like that anymore – since Mavado, Kartel just seems like old news. Mavado is singing about Jamaica now – he’s got the sadness and the grief in his voice.  Kartel has got the bravado and cockiness and cheekiness which I think is the past. Today’s Jamaica is much more serious. Read more about this years’s Sting line up and details here.

Shaggy in a new light

I read that Shaggy is holding a concert on Jan 3rd 2009 to raise money for Jamaica’s Bustamante Children’s Hospital.  I always considered Shaggy as abit of a useless artist, so hearing this news certainly increases my estimation of him. 

There seems to be quite a lot of charity events in the reggae and dancehall world – usually some gala or other going on. 

Like Richie Stephens who did this thing with BET to raise money for potential athletes in Jamaica.

Also as i said in my last post, Buju Banton has a charity supporting people with HIV. 

I had a quick look arouns to see what Vybz Kartel was doing and found an article from 2007 which says he donated funds to Tredegar All-Age School.  I’m sure he probably does a bit more than that.  I wish they would publish a list like Forbes rich list which detail how much they give away as a percentage of their overall wealth and to which causes. 

Of course the question probably worth asking is, what’s the point?  If the government can’t fund education, equip hospitals, maintain law and order, what can Shaggy do about it?