Ian Coke (CEO of Hard Rock) approached me as Whaddat?com months before the event, to touch base and let me know his plans. I knew Ian because of his affiliation with Da'Ville - as his manager. I did not know Ian as a promoter, but he wanted Whaddat?com's tried and true backing for Eclipse. It's not every day Whaddat?com endorses an event. When Whaddat endorses an event, it means that I back it. It means that I believe in what the promoters are trying to do. I too see the vision, y'understand. The promoters have got to come real good for this to happen. Well, Ian and Robert representing Hard Rock came real good. They laid all the right cards on the table, and Eclipse Pool Party IV became a Whaddat Endorsed event 5 weeks prior to it's staging.

At first Eclipse Pool Party was just that - a Pool Party being hosted by Lady Saw and Vybz Kartel 'longside Da'Ville, sound provided by Razz & Biggy and Code Red and Renaissance and Swatch!... at Rockfort.. interesting... Hard Rock could push this event to everybody as opposed to just one piece of Kingston's party people. Right? Right. When Ian informed me that Bounty Killer was added to the bill, everything changed. The "Pool Party" had just turned into a stage show. Not "everybody" wants to go to a stage show. What was I going to do? This is a Whaddat Endorsed event after all! Well, Hard Rock was going to push this event as a stage show with a difference. It wouldn't be your regular stage show. First of all, there were just 4 chart-topping artists on the bill... Da'Ville, Lady Saw, Vybz Kartel and Bounty Killer. Only 4... not 14, yuh see it. Secondly, the venue is new to the general party people. The poolside has been used many times before for smaller events, but the expanse of Rockfort Mineral Spa hasn't been used in a while. New venues are always good to test out, especially if they are nice venues. Thirdly, Hard Rock was not sparing any expense for this event. Nothing was being done half-assedly. They were ready to rock the place.. ready to Hard Rock the place...

Now selectah, as we entah insiiiiiide.....

Lady Saw performed then Predator and Jagwa took the stage and after going on well, called up Vybz Kartel. Vybz Kartel did a short set before Rodney Price a.k.a. Bounty Killer took centre stage.

While Rodney was holding the crowd, Bling Dawg came up and released 2 hit. Meanwhile, something very peculiar happened. Moses Davis a.k.a. Beenie Man appeared out of nowhere unbeknownst to the artists on stage, including Bounty Killer.

*P-P-P-PULL uuuUUUUP!*

Bounty Killer was on stage deejaying, and up steps Beenie Man. To tell you the truth, I don't really remember what exactly took place between them noticing Beenie on stage to when Beenie took the mic, because I was freaking out and so was everybody else! If ya DIDN'T know, Beenie and Bounty have been at quite serious odds for years. These 2 artists are hands down the 2 biggest artists in Jamaica, so the odds that they were at was common knowledge.

What happened next was magical. Bling Dawg, Vybz Kartel and Delly Ranks followed Captain Barkey's suit when he started "Mi seh do you remember remix? Tune afta tune and hits afta hits.... and it goes a little something like this..." One after the other they chanted this intro before handing the mic to Bounty, then Beenie, then Bounty, then Beenie.

I think I shed a tear! It was marvelous. imagine Beenie Man tek di mic and chat bout "well - bwoy, stop live dung inna di past..." and Bounty tek the mic with "Ridin' west inna mi bullet proof ves'!" and and the Beenie seh "memories, don't live like people do, they always 'memba yoooou", then Bounty "coppershot, 'memba mi tell oonu bus' dat..", then Beenie Man "mi get a gal inna mi new Suzuki, she neva expect mi sumpin big and spooky..." then Bounty "gal dem have di face and dem have di figure, remind me a di Benz and di Lexus and di Bimma..." WOAH
Bumbaaaaclaaaaaaaaaaaaat star!

Big up to Hard Rock Entertainment. Eclipse gone down in history fo SHO! I haven't enjoyed a stage show like I did this one in a long time. Try to imagine it for yourself and you'll understand what I'm saying. The only thing that could have added to it was if Cobra and Supercat followed Beenie Man on stage. Mad eeeeh? Imagine... "Dun wife, and wi nuh watch fa-a-ace..." then "Dolly mi seh Dolly my baby...." then "Gal seh yes, nuff gyal ah get so-so sex..." then "Spread out Miss Angela, Mr. Wukka man deh yah wid di Rough Ridaa..." Nuh seh NUTTIN!
Mi gawn... Mi gawn... Boom! Quizz