The dancehall DJ, Vybz Kartel, yesterday accepted responsibility and apologised for the nasty on-stage brawl with Ninja Man at the Sting concert on Saturday.

He specifically apologised to Ninja Man.

At the same time, the organisers of the show, which has a reputation for boorish behaviour by performers, and for violence, claimed to be contemplating its future, to the point of shutting it down.

“We are seriously considering that December 26, 2003 will be the last Sting,” said Howard McIntosh, a director of Supreme Promotions, which has put on the Box Day show since 1983.

Action at the Sting concerts have run the gamut from the verbally abusive to the dangerously violent.

A normal fare is expletive-riddled diatribes from performers, to gunshots being fired in the air. But it also gets worse.

In one case, a performer hurled a bottle that was pelted at him into the crowd, injuring a female member of the audience in the process.

Last year Ninja Man, one the protagonists in Saturday morning’s bust-up, handed over a 9mm Beretta pistol to former head of the now disbanded Crime Management Unit, senior Superintendent Reneto Adams, claiming to have turned over a new leaf in his life.

But the show dived deeper into controversy this year when a full-fledged fight broke out between Ninja Man and Vybz Kartel, a rising star in the business, and their respective entourage.

At a press conference yesterday, Vybz Kartel, whose official name is Adidja Palmer, claimed to be remorseful over the incident:

He said: “Apologies are in order, especially to the ‘Don Gorgon’ Ninja Man, and the organisers of Sting. I must accept responsibility.”

But Ninja Man, whose real name is Desmond Ballentine, and is nearly as well-known for his brushes with the law as for music, was not in the room at the Hilton hotel in New Kingston to hear the apology.

He had left early in the press conference and Vybz Kartel spoke separately to reporters after the promoters and police officials had had their say.

In fact, while both men were in the room, the tension was thick and heavy and it appeared that Sting promoters were having a difficult time placating Ninja Man, who has said that he had turned the issue over to the police.

The press conference followed a closed-door meeting between senior police officers from the headquarters staff, who had demanded a meeting with the bosses of Supreme

Promotions and the two DJs and their management teams.

“We wanted to ensure that the artistes understand that they have followings and we want them to appeal to their followers to ensure that no further incidents occur,” said Superintendent Ionie Ramsay, who heads the police information arm, the Constabulary Communications Network.

Ramsay did not elaborate on the specific concerns of the police but these were thought to include reports of threats against Vybz Kartel and rumours on Sunday that he was fatally shot in the aftermath of the on-stage brawl.

Superintendent Glenford Hudson, the head of the Portmore police, in whose district the show took place, said tapes of the concerts were being reviewed, to identify artistes who used obscene language, which is illegal in Jamaica.

“We are reviewing the tapes and will charge those who have been found to have broken the law,” Hudson said.

While the fight between Vybz Kartel and Ninja Man has gained most attention it was not the only cause for the pandemonium at Sting.

Sections of the audience rained missiles on the stage when it was announced that one of the top billed acts, Bounty Killer, whose real name is Rodney Pryce, would not perform.

Sting officials claimed yesterday that Bounty Killer walked out because he was placed lower down the order and they hinted at legal action for breach of contract.

“We have no choice but to rebuke Rodney Price and his entire management team,” Supreme Promotion’s McIntosh said. “The same must be said about Vybz Kartel and his entourage whose behaviour was reprehensible.”

“Bounty Killer became upset about the band change. He and his management became uncooperative and bluntly refused to perform,” McIntosh added.