Ragga beef: Gully vs Gaza

By Caroline Wahome

Forget the fatal US hiphop East Coast-West Coast beef — a repeat is likely to happen in Kingston, Jamaica. In fact, the latest beef between Jay Z and T Pain since the release of the Death Of Auto Tune looks like money minting ploy. The war of words between Gully versus Gaza League is about to get physical. The feud started 15 years ago was spearheaded by Beenie Man and Bounty Killah and has attracted many artistes to either camp. Gully side now consists of Mavado, Elephant Man, Bounty Killer, Serani among others while Gaza consists of Vybez Kartel, Spice and Beenie Man.

But what brought the latest war? It all started with Vybz Kartel who was DJ with The Alliance outfit whose members included Bounty Killah. However, he soon fell out with the leader of the group, Bounty. Kartel had introduced Movado into the industry and even wrote him his first five songs. He saw Mavado prosper and forget about him.

Bounty Killer took Mavado’s side because he did not get along with Beenie Man who was in Gaza League. The two fell out over a woman called Angel who was Bounty’s girlfriend. In fact, Beenie Man had spent Sh8million on his wedding with Angel but the marriage lasted less than a year. Angel left Beenie Man and hooked up with ex-husband’s nemesis Bounty Killah again. Now Beenie Man is dating Barbie and the relationship is on the rocks.

"Some people say Kartel was disappointed with the level of attention his career was getting and this is why the reason he left the group," says Nairobi’s Jamaican-born Homeboyz presenter G Money. "When Kartel left, there was a lot of subliminal disses between the two camps and Mavado felt that Kartel was dissing him and his boss (Bounty) and so the beef started. Mavado is very loyal to Bounty," he adds.

Dancehall competition

G Money argues that there has always been competition in Dancehall. "Bounty Killa accused Beenie of imitating his style and the two have been at it on and off ever since. Is it hate? No, it’s just two artistes who have been at the top for the majority of their careers and the best are supposed to clash at the top. In the same way that Ninja Man and Shabba Ranks battled, just like how Beenie and Bounty battled, the trend continues with Kartel and Mavado," adds G Money.

And since reggae and dancehall is largely embraced by many Kenyan youth, this war has not gone unnoticed. Camps have been formed locally, you are either a Gaza or Gully supporter.

Recently, G Money took a radio poll on whom they thought was the better of the two and Mavado narrowly beat Kartel. It was the same scenario on Metro FM listeners.

In 2006 Kartel performed a song, Yuh Know Yuh Baby Father with D’Angel, Bounty’s former girlfriend and now Beenie Man’s ex-wife. And Kartel further attended D’Angel’s wedding when she married Beenie Man. It was after his departure that numerous diss-tracks were released with cases of on-stage scuffles between member camps being experienced. But the two artistes were forced to call a truce and the two appeared at a police protected press conference where they apologised and announced an end to their enmity.

However, the war was revived again in August last year. Its culmination came during the annual Sting Show, held in December where the two took to the same stage to battle it out. Though it was not clear on who came tops Kartel insists he did and released Last Man Standing, Don’t Run directed to Mavado soon after. And Mavado replied with Dem A Fag accusing Kartel of homosexuality because of using ‘bleaching’ products and called him an atheist. Kartel hit back calling Mavado a Gully Girl, a gangsta wannabe and then telling him about his sexual relationship with his mother with the title of the song as Weh Dat Fah.

Reggae DJ Junior Dread thinks the wars are a means to keep dancehall music heated saying that musical wars have always been used as a marketing gimmick since they always tend to pitch on the hottest artistes of the moment. He recalls Yellowman vs Charlie Chaplin, Lieutenant Stitchie vs Papa San, ShabbaRanks vs Ninja Man, Bounty Killa vs Beenie Man and now Kartel vs Mavado.

However this feud seems to have heightened in Jamaica as last month according to one of their publications, a motorist visiting Kartel’s homeground, Portmore Empire, was subjected to the ‘no Mavado law’. He was reportedly slapped across the face for disobeying and questioning the order. Two weeks after this incident, in the same neighbourhood, a lady was harassed for listen ing to Mavado mixtape. "It is alleged that she was approached by some supporters of Kartel, who demanded that she turn down the music because a Mavado selection was being played," reported the article.

Beef or no beef the two artistes are talented. Mavado’s So Special seems not to be near fading popularity a year after since it became a hit. Romping Shop by Kartel (featuring Spice) has equally been well received. Mavado, born David Constance Brook also known as the Gully god was born and raised in, Cassava Piece, Jamaica. Mavado visited Junior Reid’s recording studio in Kingston, where he met to his hero Bounty Killer. Bounty recognised the singer’s talent and introduced him to the music world. This saw Mavado release Real McKoy, his breakthrough single in 2004.

Mavado and cartel

He released his debut album "Gangsta for Life in 2007 which had hits like Dying, Weh Dem Do, Last Night among others. His 2008 cut I’m on the Rock featured Jay-Z on its remix before being re-recorded as We Need Barrack in support of the presidential hopeful. That same year, he continued to cross over to the world of hip-hop with an appearance on 50 Cent and G-Unit’s album T.O.S. Early this year he released his second album Mr Brooks… A Better Tomorrow, which contains the hit "So Special".

Vybz Kartel (Adidja Azim Palmer) aka Addi di Teacha on the other hand his influence in music from his two uncles who were also inspiring musicians. In 1993, He recorded his first single Love Fat Woman in 1993 and was later on with two of his friends to form a group, Vibes Cartel, but the trio soon fell apart with Kartel reformulating the name and going solo. It was in 1998 that his talent was noticed by Bounty, after he performed at a show held in his hometown. He then started working as a ghost-writer for Bounty, Elephant Man among others. He later released his early hits such as Gun Clown, Badman among others.

Currently, the two continue to release song after song (not necessarily attacking each other). But how soon a resolution will be achieved no one can tell. Both G Money and Junior Dread reason that the feud is healthy as long as people are not killing each other.