DANCEHALL NICE AGAIN

Beenie Man, the self proclaimed ‘King of the Dancehall’, spent all of 2006 taunting the competition. He took up, dusted off, greased and re-applied his oldest method of seeking attention- ‘Warring with Bounty Killa’, and, provoked everybody who was somebody in the Dancehall arena in 2006; including the Marley family.

He continued his tirades, taking them to the stage at Jamworld, ‘Sting’. His track record throughout his career tells that his fortunes in lyrical karate at Sting has been limited, yet, he took to the stage ‘dissing’ a well-armed ‘Warlord’ who he had given an emotional battering all year long. The ‘Warlord’ ascended the stage, Beenie Man fled, and it has been misery for him since.

Along with losing ’street ratings’- that thing that matters so much in the Dancehall world, he seems to be losing it all! Shocking Vibes, Don Mafia, bookings on shows, and could soon be losing loads of money to his main songwriter, who suddenly remembers that he has not been collecting royalties for over 30 songs he wrote for Beenie Man.

Ace deejay Bounty Killer gave his former protégé a serious tongue-lashing last week Thursday at the Asylum nightclub in New Kingston.

“Every Palmer is ah bl–dc—h informer,” he declared immediately.

The crowd almost lost its collective mind and the air was immediately alive with a forest of hand gun salutes, flickering lighters and frenzied forwards. As the tumult died down, the Killer blazed on.

“How him fi switch and par wid the fish? Him violate and disrespect him real friends dem,” an outraged Bounty Killer said.

The Asylum selectors attempted to play a slamming rhythm for the deejay to spit a few rhymes but he was not in the mood to perform, he was in speech mode that night.

“Mi no come fi deejay, mi come fi tell oonu mi mind!”.

“Mi come fi straighten out some b—-c—- bwoy weh lean, how yuh fi tek side with Fisheenie when yuh come to me and beg me when yu ah bl—dc—h suffer over Portmore, b–tybwoy?” Killer said.

However, by that time, the object of his anger, Vybz Kartel had already left the building. Earlier, Kartel a.k.a Addi the Teacha had deejayed a couple of girl tunes, and got a favourable response from the crowd.

She is known as the first lady of Mafia House. Other people have less savoury names for her, but Michelle ‘D’Angel’ Downer is a woman who projects the silent threat that she will not be derailed. There are things she wants to achieve, and nobody can stop her from realizing her goals.

She has announced her re-entry into the dancehall world after a sabbatical to have her child with the radio hit, ‘Baby Daddy’ with Vybz Kartel. The video is currently in heavy rotation on cable stations all across the island. The controversy generated by the subtext surrounding the song, has given it wings. Check it, number one, the animosities between Kartel and D’Angel’s former lover, Bounty Killer, and ‘number twice’, the content of the song which seems to validate Beenie Man as the father, have combined to make the song a surefire hit.

“If D’Angel neva marry Beenie, all the things that happen in dancehall would’n happen. Look at what Patrick (Roberts) say when dem ask him about the split with Shocking Vibes, the first thing he said was that ‘Beenie Man is married now…’, so yu see everything change since wedding, everything,” one source said. “And look at the Kartel issue, ever since him attend the wedding, the rift between him and Killer widen, so ah fi har arrival change up everything.”

The questions remain unanswered, but you can tell us what you think. Is it pointless to blame D’Angel just like how sexist males blame Eve for original sin? Or would Beenie still be a member of the Shocking Vibes camp? Would Don Mafia still be writing hit tunes for Beenie Man? Would Vybz Kartel still be in the Alliance? Would Aidonia?  Would Beenie and Bounty be able to finally bury the hatchet and end the animosity?

Tell us what you think, dancehall massive.