- File Ninja Man, left, walked onto the stage while Mad Cobra was performing on 'Fresh 95'. The Ninja was whipped.
Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
TONY REBEL defines a clash as "the trading of lyrics between two or more deejays or singers to see who can outdo the other".
"It's like a competition to see who is better than who in terms of style and lyrical content," he continued.
However, Rebel gives the practice a dignity that managing director of XL Agency, Brenda Hamilton, refuses to even acknowledge. "I don't even know, because it is stupid. A show like 'Sting' was built on clashing and that was all in the name of fun, but now they teck it to a different level," she said.
Clashes arise for many reasons, whether it be personal differences or the ever-popular case of 'counteraction' (when an artist does a song in response to another artiste's). Counteracting and clashing is not a modern invention, but dates as far back as ska with Prince Buster and Derrick Morgan 'locking horns'. The trend continued with the likes of Ninja Man and Shabba Ranks in the late 80s and early 90s to the present day impasse between Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, which has been happening since 1994. Several attempts have been made to keep the peace between the two rivals.
Producer Jeremy Harding of 2 Hard Records, who has Beenie Man's Who Am I and Mr. Vegas' Nike Air among his more noted work, thinks that clashes arise from mainly two situations. "Usually rivalry is out of people's comparison or trying to prove who is better," explained Mr. Harding. Nine-year veteran Frisco Kid, aka 'The Ancient Monarchy', tabs name-calling as the most likely reasons. "Calling of names and people defending their name. Each time Bounty lick out pon a man is because a man call him name and him answer back," Frisco said.
A few industry people, as well as many fans, share the view that there was once a bonafide reason for clashing, but apparently the pure motive has disintegrated. "It used to be proving ground for an artist, it used to be a measuring stick of lyrical prowess, but nowadays it's a tracing ting - all rumours and people making up stuff," Mr. Harding explained.
Tony Rebel went a step further. "The significance was really to promote an event that is different from the everyday show. It was a novelty at a stage show. It forced people to go and develop good lyrics, but it has diverted somewhat. People are starting to take it personal," he emphasised.
However, Ms. Hamilton does not see eye-to-eye with the claim that clashing enhances dancehall music. 'There is no significance in clashing. I cannot see the reason why they have to clash. I have never seen the significance and I never will," Ms. Hamilton stressed.
The bitter feuds that are being labelled clashes sometimes lead to physical confrontations and have serious repercussions on dancehall music and the wider society. In fact, Ms. Hamilton thinks that there will be some 'slow singing and flower bringing ' if the feuds are not aborted immediately. "The way it is going right now, somebody is going to end up dead!" she said. She added: "It is not uplifting. As a matter of fact, it is more physical than anything else. One of these days somebody is going to say something that hurts somebody and they are going to retaliate (physically). I think they should stop it right now."
Frisco Kid also foresees the impending danger. "It come een like a Biggie Smalls and Tupac ting. Dem a lick out against dem one another until it get physical and gun and violence get inna play," he said. He paused, then continued: "To how me see it, it a move pon a negative level -- not even the artist them so much but dem entourage a tek it pon another level. A long time clash a gwaan, but now dem tek it pon a serious personal level, cause one time a man coulda still hail a man when dem jus done clash but now yuh caan hail nuh man cause dem nah tek nuh hail."
Mr. Harding predicts an exodus of fans. "It's having a negative impact at this point. There is no longer any proving ground, but rather it signifies who can trace better. The audience will eventually get bored and tune out and tune in to something different and the industry will turn on itself," he said.
Even though Tony Rebel can see the repercussions, he thinks that clashing should not be completely abandoned. "It should be put on pause till they really understand what it's about. When I keep my show nobody caan clash or invite me to nuh clash," he said.
