HERITAGE: Vybz Kartel & Mavado Clash Live On Stage At Sting In Jamaica, A Format That Inspired Grime Culture And Beyond (2008)

HERITAGE: Vybz Kartel & Mavado Clash Live On Stage At Sting In Jamaica, A Format That Inspired Grime Culture And Beyond (2008)


December 13, 2022

A few years ago, Chantelle Fiddy sat down with Troy 'A Plus' Miller to discuss his career and his incredibly important Practice Hours DVD series. They talked about a whole bunch of things, but when they got to the topic of the early Eskimo Dance raves he explained that back in the earliest days of grime, he'd had conversations with Wiley, Riko Dan, Flow Dan, Slimzee and others about what a grime rave should look like.

"You know, Ninja Man, the vibe, how the performers came out, clashing elements," he told her. It seems obvious when you put it like that and if you watch this iconic clash between Vybz Kartel and Movado—which actually took place once grime had already been established as its own entity—you can really see where the early grime innovators got their inspiration. Between the marching dancehall drums, the brass, and Vybz emerging from the crowd in full military fatigues, it really does feel like they're going to war.

Let's be clear, though: the tension between Vybz and Mavado was no joke. This clash—held on Boxing Day at Jamworld Entertainment Centre, Portmore—was born of a long-running and very heated rivalry. Vybz and his Gaza outfit despised Mavado and his Gully Squad team, calling him "Mafraudo" and making personal cracks about his mother. Mavado responded in kind with accusations that Vybz is a "sexual deviant", bleaches his skin, and is an atheist.

It's pretty widely accepted that Vybz won, but it's not exactly unanimous. The day after the clash, Vybz dropped a track called "Don't Run" that claimed he won the clash and took a few extra shots at Mavado for good measure. Even supporters of the two artists picked sides and butted heads. In fact, things got so bad that the following year, JA Prime Minister Bruce Golding decided to step in and try to get the two to make peace.

More of a ceasefire than anything you could call peace, they still don't like each other. Mavado actually brought the topic up on Instagram rece, only to be made fun of for repeating the claim that he actually won. We'll let you decide.



Image via Jamaica Observer


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