Crown him! - Sumfest prepares for Vybz Kartel’s royal return
Dancehall is about to witness a historic coronation of Vybz Kartel, and popular entertainer Trippple X says he is more than deserving of the crown.
"Asking who is the king of dancehall right now is a no-brainer," said Trippple X, adding that the Worl Boss' impact on dancehall has been like nothing that has ever been witnessed.
Joe Bogdanovich, Reggae Sumfest promoter, told THE STAR that Friday's crowning of Vybz Kartel "will be a special moment for dancehall". He said Spice, the reigning Queen of the Dancehall, will be the one to crown Vybz Kartel.
"We will be flipping the script. This time around it will be the queen crowning the king," Bogdanovich said.
Friday's coronation could reignite discussions about whether the Fever hitmaker is the rightful dancehall monarch. Veteran dancehall artistes Beenie Man and Yellowman have laid claim to the title of king.
The crowing of Vybz Kartel comes 16 years after Beenie Man was crowned at Reggae Sumfest in 2009. At the time, the Girls Dem Sugar hitmaker was honoured for 30 illustrious years of contribution to dancehall music.
"Since he exploded on the dancehall scene, he has generated hit after hit, maintaining his supremacy as King of the Dancehall despite attempts to unseat him," the directors of Summerfest Productions said in the citation read at the time of the crowning.
"In this his 30th year in the music industry, it is only fitting to recognise his undeniable contribution to the development of dancehall and his role in promoting Jamaica's culture to international audiences," Beenie Man's citation read.
"Beenie Man embodies the ideals promoted by the directors of Reggae Sumfest. Perhaps it is these qualities that we hold in common that have sustained Beenie Man's dedication to the 17-year-old festival."
Beenie Man said, "There is nothing that compares to it, not even the Grammy that I received".
But Trippple X argued that Beenie Man's crowning was "extremely controversial as some people were saying he was no king".
"But he took it gracefully and reigned for the time that he reigned," Trippple X said.
For his part, Bogdanovich said the Worl' Boss has dethroned the 'Doctor'.
"Vybz Kartel is a new man. He is a different person. He has transcended into the hip-hop world. They love him wherever he goes. He is selling out big stadiums in the United States and Europe," Bogdanovich said.
In fact, Bogdanovich said Reggae Sumfest had no reservation about crowning Vybz Kartel as the new king of the dancehall, noting that "king comes, and king goes" and it is now Kartel's time.
"King Tut in Egypt, hundreds of years ago, was a king who made history, but his reign came to an end ... .Vybz Kartel is now the the new king, the best of Jamaica," said Bogdanovich.
Vybz Kartel heads an impressive list of dancehall artistes set to perform at Reggae Sumfest this Friday night at the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay, St James. The list includes Masicka, Tommy Lee Sparta, Skeng, Govana, Jamal, D'Yani, and Shaneil Muir.
Bogdanovich is predicting a show-stopping performance from Vybz Kartel.
"We are very excited about bringing back the energy he is showing on the international circuit to Sumfest. He is getting ready to deliver a special performance for the Jamaican people and we are all excited," added Bogdanovich.