After four decades of spearheading the most controversial dancehall event on Boxing Day (December 26) in Jamaica, Isaiah Laing, Chairman of Supreme Promotions, announces his decision to step aside. He says he believes it’s time for a new generation, particularly his son, to take on the reins at Sting and steer the show in a new direction. In an exclusive interview with WMV, Laing expresses his intention to eliminate the clash concept, which has traditionally been the headline event.
This year’s installment marks the return to Jam World Portmore after a four-year hiatus for the show which inspired the concept for the multi-million dollar hip hop brand founded Verzuz by Swiss Beats and Timbaland. The Sting lineup this year features icons such as Bounty Killer, Spragga Benz, Capleton, and other prominent dancehall figures; it is dubbed by Laing as the “Ten Giants of Dancehall.”
Verzuz started out as an Instagram Live series in March 2020 between famous artists then into live clashes on Instagram — including acts like Brandy vs Monica, Jeezy vs Gucci Mane, and Ashanti vs Keyshia Cole.
The series quickly became a cultural phenomenon worldwide, garnering 6 million views and billions of impressions on single episode, breaking Instagram’s live-streaming record, and winning a ‘Break The Internet’ Webby Award in 2020. In August of that year, Verzuz inked a partnership with Apple and Twitter, to expand its broadcasts outside of Instagram, allowing viewers to watch the battles on Apple Music after the Beenie Man and Bounty Killer show stopping performance. The show is now owned by Thriller in a multi-million dollar deal that saw Beenie Man and Bounty Killer being allotted shares in the company ThrillerVerz and Swizz and Timbaland pocketing more than US$50 Million.
Even with the success of Verzuz overseas with a similar format, Laing says he has not been able to attract sponsors or partners for the 40 year old event, but this year he will be going global in partnership with streaming platform CODA. The event will be exclusively live-streamed worldwide on the CODA network, reaching 174 countries, according to Laing.
“Whoever can’t come, or whoever in Jamaica and can’t come, they can stream for $13.99,” he said. “No one can hack into the system and we not gonna allow anyone to come in there and stream, we are promoting in Africa, Japan, Panama, London and Europe we have people in those places promoting the stream,” he added.
The “giants” on the lineup of the show does not include the leading women in dancehall, such as Spice, Shenseea, Jada Kingdom, and others.
However, Laing asserts that this year’s event is specifically aimed at showcasing and promoting emerging female talent within the industry. In a conversation with WMV, Laing delves into the origins of Sting and its rich history, which is marked by memorable moments and at times, violent incidents which include instances where displeased attendees hurled bottles onto the stage during performances.
Why did you start Sting?
I started Sting because I was in the music business doing some dances on the ground and I say let me go on the stage. The first stage show I tried I lost, in May Pen, then a second one Easter Monday (1984) in Montego Bay with Junior Reid’s first time on a stage show, he was the one who opened that show and he ran out and we think it was Bob Marley flashing the locs.
Then by Christman the Sting idea came up?
The Sting idea came up one day I was driving the Police car and Michael Palmer ran out in the street and stopped me. He said ‘Boss a we a sting and a we a shock outl’ so I went back to the station and select the word Sting. So I would say Michael Palmer gave me the idea for the name.
In 1984 who was on the first Sting line up?
It was the cat, the Rat and the Dog; Michael Palmer, Half-Pint and Junior Reid, worked together. Papa San, Brigadier Jerry, Josie Wails and Charlie Chaplin, and Sugar Minott. Nice bill and we got 4000 people at Cinema 2 New Kingston.
Was this the first big dancehall show?
I wouldn’t say that, I was one but there was a show named ‘Dancehall’ in 1983 in Harbor View.
When did Sting become a clash show?
From the inception but it was a friendly thing tune for tune. They use to hear them do it on the sound system but I elevated them to the stage doing the same thing.
Dancehall is copied worldwide, why are Jamaicans not embracing dancehall the same way it is being backed worldwide?
It needs backing, government or private, right now I am doing Sting and I am suffering for a few dollars to complete the show because nobody cares.
Why don’t the upper class embrace dancehall yet?
Dancehall is ghetto music, anything they think come from the ghetto them nah embrace it nuh kinda way, them use it one particular kinda way.
When was the first real clash?
1985, first real clash Papa San and Tanto Irie, that clash brought over 13000 people to Sting and the next year we had 14000 and had to to move to Cinema 1 by 87 and then after that the National Stadium. One year at Cinema 1 another clash brought out a huge crowd, Papa San, Admiral Bailey, Lt. Stitchie and Professor Nuts.
That the clash that inspired Busta Rhymes to be a rapper?
Yes, thats why when he came to Sting in 1997 he tried to generate that energy he saw the Jamaicans did and he took the show.
Papa San clash was big with Stitchie, which other one yo recall?
88, with Flour Gan, Red Dragon up against Ninja Man and Junior Demus. When Junior Demus was going too slow for him he said Demus siding let me take on them and he draw some lyrics.
The man who loose Sting clash always get an international career, why is that?
I don’t know, but the man who win always get a lot of accolades locally. Ninja Man always winning. When him kill Super Cat, Super Cat get signed. When you get bottle at Sting you get signed too.
Is violence still part of Sting?
No, mature artist, nice vibe with the ten giants going out there to give them A – game. Ninja Man is not here so no gun gonna be in play. Nobody nuh so brave.
Have you salvaged the relationships with artist who say they are not performing again on Sting that cause the show to be stopped?
It’s something I said I wouldn’t speak of. So let’s just leave certain things alone.
When you held it in St. Ann last year was it the same?
No, different vibration.
Do you think the show has the power to break artists again?
It has that power more now more. Watch December 26 and January morning and see what happen. Most people only heard go Pablo YG since Sting.
Can these young artists perform with the same presence and energy to have a real clash on stage?
They have it and they can find it. The there year Covid break they didn’t have any space to perform, its just now they have a space to perform. They will get there.
There was a Sting recorded for Columbia Records but it never came out?
I don’t have that tape, it was 1992, they brought Kriss Kross and they paid money for us to record it for them with one master and they took it and nothing happened.
Is there a Sting documentary coming out?
Yes it’s in the making, there is also a Sting book.
Going forward will you sell Sting?
I have my little son here who will take it and run with it. If he wants to sell it we will talk, maybe his idea is better than mine. I can tell you this Sting this year will be the last of its kind, what we doing with the Ten Giants and the Clash, it’s the last of this, 40 years, the young people have them own mind. I will take advice from him and list to him now.
Watch full interview on YouTube.
