KINGSTON, Jamaica — With the controversial Dutty Money Riddim having fueled a lyrical showdown between Jada Kingdom and Stefflon Don at the start of the month, yet another ‘war of words’ is in full effect on the dancehall circuit.

Dancehall newcomer, Valiant  – now signed to Romeich Entertainment – and the ‘Uptop Boss’, Teejay are currently at odds. The pair have released two ‘diss tracks’ aimed at each other as they keep the excitement flowing in the dancehall realm, proving to music lovers that the clash culture is alive and well.

As the local musical battlefield continues to heat up, Observer Online rolls back the curtains on some of the most epic lyrical warfare in dancehall history. Take a stroll down memory lane as we look back on clashes that rocked the local entertainment scene.

Bounty Killer and Beenie Man

Beenie Man and Bounty Killer had the longest-lasting dancehall rivalry in local music history. Dating all the way back to 1993, the two deejays have had many lyrical encounters over the years. Although their heated exchanges sometimes spilled over into real life, the Bounty vs Beenie clash pumped life into dancehall music and kept things exciting for fans of both entertainers. To date, the catalogues from both entertainers still make for a great showdown. In fact, the pair made history during the COVID-19 pandemic when they brought all their musical artillery to Swizz Beatz’ Verzuz stage in what has been dubbed as the best musical battle in the show’s history.

Super Cat and Ninja Man

This iconic clash took place at Sting in 1991. Veteran deejay Super Cat entered the battlefield as the favourite with several clash victories under his belt. But Ninja Man proved a formidable opponent and brought the war to Supercat. He was crowned the victor in that duel.

Merciless vs Ninja Man, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man

Arguably one of the hottest, most-talked-about clashes in dancehall history, the late Merciless annihilated not one, not two, but three opponents in one show. The epic victory from the self-proclaimed ‘War Head’, Leonard Merciless Bartley, happened at Sting 2000. Merciless easily defeated Ninja Man before turning his attention to Bounty Killer. It was then the ‘War Head’ versus the ‘War Lord’ and the late Bartley also lyrically devoured Bounty Killer. He then did the same to Beenie Man when he took to the stage.

Vybz Kartel Vs Ninja Man

What was supposed to be a ‘war of words’ turned physical at the 2003 showdown between Vybz Kartel and Ninja Man at Sting. The pair were to engage each other in a lyrical battle but the two ended up throwing blows at each other on stage, resulting in the premature end of the show. At the time, Vybz Kartel was a newcomer to the dancehall scene while Ninja Man was a veteran. The clash excited fans of both parties but the night ended in disappointment as the two exchanged fists instead of lyrical blows. Ninja Man was left with a bloody nose and had to be shielded by security. The fight was later dubbed the lowest point in the event’s history by Sting founder Isiah Laing.

Mavado vs Vybz Kartel

To this date, while both parties claimed to be the victor, no winner was crowned at this 2008 Sting encounter. Still, the Gully vs Gaza war etched its place in musical history and continues to hold prominence today. The countless ‘diss tracks’ released by both entertainers have become dancehall classics but music aside, the war resulted in the country being divided with fans of the entertainers engaging each other in physical fights. The situation got so heavy at one point that it warranted the intervention of then-Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Golding invited the deejays to publicly denounce their feud.

Lady Saw Vs Macka Diamond

Onstage clashes between female artistes have been less popular than that of their male counterparts but Lady Saw and Macka Diamond took their social media brief to the stage in 2013 when they faced each other at Sting. Lady Saw was crowned the victor in that battle.

Macka Diamond vs Spice

This highly-anticipated clash did not materialise as Macka Diamond did not take to the stage to face Spice in their 2012 encounter. Instead, Spice, using a donkey to represent her opponent, fired shots at Macka Diamond.

Honourable Mentions:

Danielle DI vs Ishawna

Lisa Hyper vs Spice