Sting 08

Every year I promise it’s the last year I am ever attending Sting. Yet every year, there I am behind VIP - sighting bottles, fighting pickpockets and avoiding being trampled. Thus far I have managed to keep all my bodily fluids in place and I am happy that from my first Sting with Kris Kross to Sting 2008, the only incident I ever had was losing my house key and having to wake up my mother.

“The Settlement of All Arguments” that’s what Sting 2008 was billed as. Personally I am not sure if the audience has grown up over the years, or if it’s too much trouble to fill plastic bottles with water or piss to hurl at the lame-Os but there were many loose ends going into the New Year. Usually Sting is black and red. The artiste clearly makes their point when the crowd thinks it was executed in an efficient enough manner and then said artiste won’t have to dodge a rain of bottles. If you can’t dodge well, then you see the red. To be honest, the evil side of me really misses the days of bottle flinging and the ensuing excitement.

This year quite a few artistes really deserved to play dandy-shandy on stage. Like some no name Rasta in orange and black who got a one forward then started to diss the Empire, so after that he had to go. Fluffy Miss Kitty almost got a few under her “fluffy to the worl” skin but that would be wrong…so I am happy they never bottled her and already pop up Ragga Shanty when the crowd got a bit restless.

Aidonia must only make albums and go on tour in Europe and Japan and make his money there. That or learn some stage presence. Every time I see this man he upsets patrons. This man having the home court advantage, was a major understatement, being in Portmore Empire and the show being held at Jamword. Still he got booed. Poor thing. With Aidonia you get the feeling he might never really mature as an artiste in the eyes of Dancehall patrons. The force ripe and leave Alliance before he really had an identity still plagues him. Here’s hoping he finds himself in ‘09.

It is said that Sting sets the tone of an artistes’ career for the year to come. Example, good show at Sting, prosperity and good things for the year to come and vice versa. If that is the case then it is in the Monster Empire’s best interest to tie a millstone around their collective necks and go jump off in the deepest part of Kingston Harbour. If any promoter employs Monster Empire after this for a show, it is only to pick up bottles after the show has ended. From start to finish Sting patrons were not interested in what they had to say. Kip Rich, yes people Kip Rich killed the Monster Empire. Kippo came with blood in his eyes and the fire in his soul was unquenched. Either by design or by choice the Empire was absent when the enraged Kip Rich demanded all three to face him. When they finally graced the stage the crowd took the no show for cowardice. And cowards have no place in Sting. One good thing about Monster Empire was that they were all co-ordinated, if they had some back-up dancers and did some old non-throw-word songs and Backstreet Boys out the thing it would have gone better for them.

There was not much respect for veterans this Sting. Patra is a case in point. Being away for so long, she still looked good and moved beautifully. Unfortunately, Sting wasn’t having any of that, guess when it is wartime no one really wants to hear “Pull up to my bumper”. Her being booed was undeserved. Zebra got a small boo too, which was understandable because it seemed he has not found his out of jail footing yet.

TNT was cute. Tiffa split and tore her tights and show the world her white panty - good thing it looked clean. While that was funny as hell she actually gave a good performance. Of the three ladies Nathlie looked the hottest, lock me up any time Mrs Officer Storm. Weeooowww, Weeooowww, Weeooowww. It’s safe to say that TNT are now the Sting Princesses.

Etana gave one of her best performances to date. Every time you see her she truly gets better than the last time you saw her. There is this mutual respect between her and the audience. During her set the only thing you could do was keep your eyes glued on the stage as she sang while her words connected with you. In short you got your money’s worth. Terry Linen, Ginjah, and Stevie Face all gave very good performances. I have to admit that Ginjah has one of the sweetest (new) voices around. It was a pleasant surprise that he sounded better live than he does on the radio, which is great because one gets so use to the opposite with many of today’s artistes.

I-Octane and Assassin were uber-professionals. Especially Assassin, both performers had great costumes as well as presence and their delivery was impeccable, but Assassin just had a little more to give him the edge. I have to say I was very proud of Assassin who decided that with all the passa-passa that was happening around him, he rose above it and give a performance everyone could enjoy. No matter whose camp you were in.

Hands down, the King for Sting, the man who won all the clashes even though he wasn’t in them, the man who Settled All the Arguments and put his stamp on Sting ‘08 forever, was without a doubt, Andre ‘Flippa Mafia’ Davis. Who? The Flossing King of course. After his performance, anyone not clear on what real flossing was about, got a very full understanding. He didn’t even need to break out his power point presentation with charts and graphs and diagrams. Flippa is the Boasty Boss and all I want to know from him is what pocket he keeps his Pounds and Euros in, ‘cause he already showed us the U.S pocket. Personally, I hope he keeps his momentum and do bigger and better things for the years to come. That’s it, review finished. Andre Boasty Boss Flippa Mafia Davis is the flossing king for Sting ‘08. THE END.

Alright that’s it. What you mean it’s not finished? You are not you writing it bright eeh! Clash? What cla… ok fine.

Let me put things in perspective. Remember in high school and you have an un-even match up. All along the really good fighter kicking the ass of the lame one and just beating him like he owes him money. Then the not so good fighter gets a one two in on the better fighter and probably slaps him with a stone and then runs off. By default him win, not a good win but a win is a win as much as it pains me to say it. That’s kind of what happened this year at Sting. To be honest Kartel did everything right up to the “Wha dat fa” song. And who can blame Movado for preparing for and using his opponent’s one flaw. That one opening gave him all he needed lick and run. And in the Sting tradition it’s who leave wicked, and Movado left in a wicked way. Kartel even did a song about it already because to tell the truth that was a real punk win. But a win is a win.. I guess.

OH YEAH! My Great granny use to say fowl a go fat, him begin a him toe. Anybody who knows me know that mix up and carry news is not my forte, but. That Romping Shop set with Spice and Kartel look a little too real fi say dem a play play house. I do stand corrected and if somebody not brushing somebody, not even a little bit then Vybes Kartel and Spice need to get the Oscar for best actor and actress of the year. Dem pieces a whine up whine up and skin off teeth and hug up and all these things then come tell me say no real romping not going on in that shop. Scorn Dem^_^