STING 2002 - HIGHLIGHTS

Dancehall fans got their fill last night beginning at about 2am when the 10 Giants took the stage.

Elephant Man lived up to the name he earned at Sting '99 with an intense, high-energy segment that only the Energy God himself can deliver. From his wining with an unsuspecting Japanese lass to taking on a section of the audience in a debate of sorts, Ele never sold the crowd short.

Buju Banton, the night's most highly anticipated act, left his mark on Sting 2002, performing a ground-breaking number of his classic hits throughout which the crowd's response remained at an all time high. Gargamel's signature on-stage antics brought down the house at Sting's 19th Anniversary. We're all waiting with bated breath at what his upcoming projects have to offer in 2003.

Jamworld was set on fire with the chants of King Shango who was carried on stage in regal form by a throng of Capleton followers. The Prophet sat high above his loyal subjects and was in his usual form - intense energy and in complete control of the crowd, who watched in awe as he lept across the stage before the High Priest, Kolonji made his entrance. Sizzla continued in the same breath as Capleton, taking Sting to higher heights with another incendiary performance.

Moses Davis aka. Beenie Man was the 8th Giant to hit the stage on Boxing Day. The 20,000 strong crowd was very receptive of the super deejay. Fireworks, lighters, rags and fists took to the air upon his entrance. Dressed in a formal Naval officer uniform, he released a slew of hits from 92 to 2002. The crowd's energy reached it's climax when The Doctor unleashed his latest chart topper - "No Gyal" (cyaan siddung pon mi...). He left the stage after preaching love & unity and congratulating Bounty and all the other Giants on their various achievements in 2002.

At exactly 6:24 am, di Original, Front Teet', Gold Teet', Gun Pon Teet' Don Gorgon Ninjaman made his entry. This was perhaps one of his more controversial performances because Renato Adams was somehow convinced to come on stage and perform alongside the deejay, much to the crowd's consternation. Ninja called the Senior Superintendant on stage initially to relinquish 2 of his licensed firearms which he had on his person. Supt. Adams was more than delighted to partake in this "positive" acvtivity. He expressed his emotion through song before bidding the crowd good wishes and good morning.

Enter Bounty Killer, Sting's main event.

Once again, the Killa ripped it up and closed the show but didn't perform for any substantial amount of time because of how restless and tired the crowd had become. His performance was remarkable but alas, far too short to please the ardent Bounty Killer fan. Note to Laing, take Rodney's advice and slate him at a decent hour because he's always given the difficult task of waking the crowd. Although we know he is capable, he had come in from Teensplash in Oracabessa hours earlier and was pumped to done the crowd at 4am.

Despite the late start, artists and paying patrons remained through Sting's entirety. 2 Giants who were missing from the poster, Spragga Benz and Mad Cobra, were backstage taking it in themselves. It's a mystery why they weren't on the lineup, but Cobra blessed the mic and the fans with a short stint during Ninja and Bounty's duet.

Sting 2002 was definietly bringing back the love and incident-free, save for a few bottles from antsy fans. Big up Supreme Promotions for doing it once again!

20th anniversary next year, yuh knuh.... cyaan miss dat.

CAPLETON

"With 10 different artists (headlining) there will be 10 different types of fans to cater to. No matter the size of the crowd my energy will remain the same. We have to give thanks fi di positivity because is jus uplifment me come fi promote... Delete the negative energy in the business and no bodda wid di crab inna barrell mentality. All artists will get their due... no clash ting. Music is a mission not a competition."

SPICE

"Spice is like a time bomb waiting to explode! This year the fans will get a chance to see the younger artists and see what they are capable of bringing to the table. With Bring Back the Love, Sting will be much better than past years, a much bigger crowd... more positive vibes- better than when people were afraid to come out because of the violence. No fleeing from bottles in 2002!"

Buju, Capleton, Sizzla, Bounty, Beenie, Anthony B, George Nooks, Ninjaman, Mr. Lex and Elephant Man have been named the "10 Giants" of Sting 2002. Despite many artists we have spoken to who cite this theme as merely a clever marketing tool, they are all positive that the end result will be peaceful this year. What do you think? Bounty & Beenie... Sizzla & Capleton... add Ninjaman to the mix and it sounds like a pretty hairy concoction.

Opinions on the street though, clash themselves, from absolutely no clashing to how can there not be a clash with those artists on the same stage? Well we spoke to the artists and asked them what they think. Capleton hasn't performed on Sting since 1995 for the simple reason of not being into the whole "crab-in-a-barrel" ting. He made is very clear that "music is mission not a competition" and he will not be clashing this year. Buju reiterated. Beenie Man spoke of love & unity for Sting 2002 at its launch.

See how the launch went down last year and how Sting 2001 ended up. We, however, are looking forward to a rich stage show for 2002, full of peaceful vibes and great music. In the end, Sting isn't about clashing - it's about the music.

So back to the lineup. In the Young Giants segment, Wayne Marshall (who performed on Sting for the first time last year), Vybz Kartel, Assassin, Spice and Zumjay are all representing for the young talent. Chuck Fender (who recently tun Ras) and Danny English are also booked for the pre-Giants segment.

Whaddat.com once again is up in the mix for Sting. We affirm that this is the Greatest Reggae Show on Earth and we will definitely be at Jamworld on Boxing Day to witness yet another moment go down in music history.

Bless!