Sunday night saw the first staging of Hype 2007 at Font Hill Beach Park in St Elizabeth. It is an event promoters promise will be annual.

Seemingly designed to satisfy the entertainment appetite of hardcore dancehall fans, the show was a tour de force of current and not-so-current dancehall artistes, as well as hip hop performers from the US.

DJ Sunshine of Irie FM and the hilarious Nuffy shared MC duties, with Nuffy carrying the bulk of the time and warming up the crowd in the moments leading up to the show. Nuffy provided good humour, as he introduced a few dancehall hopefuls from St Elizabeth.

A fashion show with trendy designs preceded the major acts for the night. All performances were done to tracks, but the system was crystal clear and technically, audio and lighting effects were well executed.

If this was a movie, it would be rated ‘For Mature Audiences Only’ except for a few instances, such as the group LUST’s harmonious and neatly packaged presentation, the infectious dancehall rhythms were accompanied by the predictable testosterone-dripping lyrics of street-style macho bravado extolling sexual ‘bedroom bullyism’, gunmanship and ‘fire fi gays’.

The women were represented through the sole major female artiste on the show, Macka Diamond, who was one of the brightest spots of the night. Living up to her established style, she rode the rhythm with confidence, and had body movements to match her gritty urban style.

Local superstars Sizzla and Anthony B were greeted with huge adoration by the crowd, and the devoted fans in the audience acknowledged their presence with the waving of flags and flickering of lighters.

When ‘Bounti’ was announced, the energy in the crowd peaked and he – joined by his crew and Movado – ensured they registered their claim as the undisputed credible ‘Rough Necks’ of the dancehall genre.

Miami resident Rick Ross coolly jiggled good reaction out of the crowd. His was one of the better audience-responsive performances of the night. Many familiar with his popular hit sang along at points during his presentation; and he showed respect to the crowd by expressing his appreciation and love of Jamaica and its people.

Because our local stage shows are marathon exercises, food and beverage are important elements in the mix and plenty of good-tasting food was available. I found they had assembled some of the best food vendors for this event. The mannish water had the right gastronomic balance, while the boiled corn was done soft enough to make for pleasant eating, and the sliced cane was sweet and juicy.

The question when I attend shows like these is always, ‘Why a production that is clearly set up for mature audiences, always have so many young children in attendance?’ The expressions and values often expounded should be reserved for adults, who are in a better position to determine what to filter out and what to recognise as mere artistic hype and posturing, and are hopefully not as susceptible to be influenced. Hype 2008, if organised as another hardcore show, should make a stipulation about minors. Indeed, all events of this type should follow suit.