“No bwoy can’t diss badman/ can’t thump and fist badman” - Zumjay

As we were preparing to go to press, Vybz Kartel gave Boxing Day a whole new meaning when, in front of 20,000 Sting patrons, he flattened the Ninja Man with a straight right and a well-placed boot to the face of the Don Gorgon. Ninja’s bandaged nose and the puddle of blood on the Jamworld stage bore testament to the severity of the beat-down (no word on whether any guns were dislodged from Ninja’s teeth). A few weeks prior, the venerable producer King Jammy’s allegedly floored up-and-coming badman DJ Zumjay and unveiled a gun called “Run Go Tell Police.”

Is Dancehall descending into chaos and violence? Not really. Is this bout of fisticuffs, threats and recriminations a precursor to more sinister problems? Hopefully not, but it wouldn’t be the first time.
All those who are fondly remembering the days when Super Cat and Ninja could clash onstage without violence forget that bloodshed of that era. Nitty Gritty was shot dead by you-know-who. Beenie Man and Bounty Killa have both been on the receiving end of a few pimp slaps for their feistiness. And the Sting audience – now being castigated by the mainstream press for their riotous rain of Heineken bottles – were simply holding true to form. Remember, this concert used to be called “Fling” for it’s bottle-hurling excesses. Nothing new there (Although bottling singer Frankie Paul – who is blind and can’t see the oncoming projectiles – may have been a bit much).

In fact, this bout of DJ-on-DJ crime had some positive, surprising, developments. Both Zumjay and Ninja man broke with time-honored street code and filed assault reports with the police. Not a very cool move by two avowed enemies of the cops, but one that shows that cooler heads can prevail. Also, Vybz Kartel apologized to Ninja for giving him his belated Xmas gift, a move that is almost unprecedented in bad man circles. This war may yet devolve into Dancehall’s version of 2Pac vs. Biggie, but we’re hopeful that everything is on its way to being resolved. And if, God forbid, blood is spilled, let’s be honest: It won’t be the first time. Warring DJs may give Dancehall a black eye, but won’t kill it. Dancehall is too strong for that.

“Thank you to remember I” - Burning Spear

Last month’s return of Reggaematic was an unqualified success: Thousands of hits on our website, scores of encouraging emails, and, best of all, well over a thousand of you took the time to download our .pdf magazine, which bodes well for our future plans of world domination. We were grateful for all the Reggae and Dancehall fans who remembered Reggaematic from back in the day and who welcomed us back into Raggaspace with open arms. We definitely apprecilove the response we’ve received thus far.

“Big tings a gwaan 2004” - Bounty Killa

Our first issue for ‘04 is pure niceness, if we do say so ourselves. Opening the batting is our lengthy Q&A with Junior Kelly, who serves as a reminder that our music isn’t going to hell in a handbasket, as some would have you believe. Don’t miss the photos of the great Shabba Rankin’s splashy return to Foreign, our Diary of the Sting debacle, or our award-winning album reviews. Keep in mind that we were in the Christmas spirit at press time, so we probably gave every album about a half-star more than they deserved. We hope you like the issue, that you share the .pdf magazine with your friends, and that you write us letters. We love to hear from our readers.

“We getting hot this year, whe dem a go do fi hold we?” - Dirtsman

Our sentiments exactly.

Bless.

Milo

milo@reggaematic.com