Beenie Man - File

Less than a month after he was crowned King of the Dancehall at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay and a week before he officially celebrates 30 years in dancehall at his Sizzle concert in Kingston, DJ Beenie Man was soundly and repeatedly booed and given the handclap treatment at Champions in Action.

In the initial stages of the negative response, Vybz Kartel, who called up his 'uncle' Beenie Man before the large audience at Jamworld, Portmore, St Catherine, close to 7 a.m. yesterday, also got handclaps. But as the two alternated lyrics, there were eventually big cheers for Kartel, but boos and handclaps every time Beenie Man deejayed.

And when Kartel left Beenie Man onstage, not returning although Beenie Man turned MC briefly and said that the people wanted to see him again, he was left as the sole, undisputed recipient of the disapproval.

It eventually caused 'The Doctor', known for keeping a grin through the toughest of circumstances, to lose his cool momentarily, saying "yu see di bag a man whe a boo, me nah tek dem on. A crotches morning. De bag a man whe a boo, fin' a crotches. R...c...t!"

And he attempted to silence them with a lyric, deejaying:

"Me no want no man boo mi P... pree an' yu no have none fi show mi."

Stood his ground

Although the women, especially, cheered and it seemed the tide could turn when Beenie Man repeated the lyric, he was booed soundly again. Kartel pulled the Doctor's raised arm down and dropped a lyric and the boos immediately turned to cheers.

To his credit, though, Beenie Man stood his ground and did manage to salvage some pride.

After a rapturous reception, Kartel worked his way through snippets of his money songs, including Money Fi Spen and then celebrated Life Sweet. At the venue of the famous 2008 Sting, Kartel did his triumphant Last Man Standing about Mavado to the delight of the audience before calling in his uncle.

Beenie Man started of well enough, getting the audience 'mad' in his standard opening, and they exchanged a couple rounds of lyrics to very good effect until it went downhill on a disjointed Breast Specialist and the handclaps started. And as Beenie declared "mi nah beg no p... nutten cause me done have me tings", the boos started.

"We know Gaza fans deh ya. All Bounty fans go so," he said, trying to start a hand wave. The crowd was not impressed. It got worse when with his own Ruff Kut band, which had played for the numerous performers up to that point on the stand, he tried to squeeze Red Red on the Chakka rhythm. Kartel asked for a change of rhythm to the Baddas, but Beenie said he was not yet done with the rhythm and did Frame I.

more boos

"Mi no come ya fi inna di argument. Who no like me say boo," Beenie Man said. And the boos rang out again. Many hands went up when he asked for the Beenie Man fans, but when he called for a Michael Jackson rhythm and did the moonwalk there were more boos.

"Me neva come ya fi inna di war. Bounty Killer carry him fans fi boo me. Oonu boo," Beenie said. And they booed again.

The audience loved Kartel's "don't cry", but two exchanges later when Beenie told all to "wiggle up yu body an shake up yu ass" there were resounding boos again. There was the same pattern on the following lyrical exchange; cheers for Kartel as he mused on "gal from yu come a me yard", but claps and boos for Beenie as he sang "come ya gal".

Kartel survived his own handclaps as he delivered his virginity-taking song, but he persisted and the negative response faded.

Beenie Man hit a recovery note with Stock and Pile to cheers before Kartel requested "gi mi a chance, fi talk pon poor people behalf" and then left.

When he asked the crowd if they wanted more Kartel, they said yes but 'Addi' did not return. Beenie Man asked "how im fi run an' lef' me alone? A me alone a work".

"Me ago call up my son. Me nuh business if Alliance nuh waan work. Me haffi work my time," Beenie Man said, calling up a boy dancer and older man team, who the crowd also started clapping off, although they eventually won applause.

Alliance time now

When they left, Beenie Man said "Alliance time now, no true? Me supposed to come off an mek Alliance work". He repeated his invitation for the Alliance to perform on his Sizzle concert this Saturday, as he deejayed "we neva inna whey yu eena. Me love you Jamworld, goodnight," Beenie Man said and left to a last round of ha****ing handclaps.

After the band change, Bounty Killer and Mavado obliterated the audience, causing pandemonium with forward after forward.

See full coverage of Champions in Action in tomorrow's STAR.