Mavado: A Sure Four Sell-Off
[Saturday May 6th] I had just flown back into the country from visiting with the Bajan Dancehall family in Barbados. I arrived at JFK where the Immigration inspection area was a total mess. It was an hour before I could even see the back of the line. I had less than three hours to get to where I had to go and the likelihood that I would make that deadline was as probable as President Bush actually telling the truth. Not a chance.
Desperate times call for drastic measures. So, I cut line itching behind a couple waiting to be process by an Immigration officer. I was hoping one of the people that I had skipped didn’t rat me out or that security would not yank me out of line and send me to the back, somewhere near Iowa I think. Lucky for The Kid, I came off like panties on prom night.
The reason I was so anxious to get back to the NYC is because Mavado was performing for the first time this year in Queens and Nowadayzdancehall.com could not miss this show for the world. The buzz surrounding Mavado has been incessant and New York in particular has been begging for him to make an appearance. Lady Saw, Assassin and Aidonia were also on the billing---anyone still wondering why I was in a rush?
My man one-hundred grand Dee-Dub decided to accompany me to the show at the ever-popular Club Amazura. It was 1:30 am and there was a long string of people that twisted around the corner. For 60 degree weather, much of the women-folk were dressed kind of light, if you get my drift. Made me hot and sh** just looking at them! With the fellas in the crowd also bringing their fashion A-game to the venue, things were percolating just nicely.
At 2:30am Dub and I made our way into a tightly-packed Amazura with Lady Saw. I can’t recall when last I saw the place this thick. It was a beautiful scene. The dance did really sell off.
After getting some pre-performance pics of Lady Saw and her crew, she asked me where the other entertainers were. I was about to answer when a slight ruckus occurred behind us. It was “Mr Ras It Up” b.k.a Aidonia making his way in. He was vigorously motioning to the security to have them not put their hands on him. The security got the hint so it was only a minor disturbance…
At 3am Lady Saw took the stage and was greeted with a roar of welcome. She quickly proceeded to demolish the place with some of the raunchiest lyrics ever heard. She explained that she don’t want any belly rub-a-dub because a strictly “Backshot” she love. She went on to tell the audience about the tight “pu**y walk”. I was left with the impression her’s is tight enough to squeeze her man who must have grease to ease in a piece, capisce? When she demonstrated the “walk” the place shuddered with awe at her female bravado. She then dropped into “I’ve Got Your…” and the audience blew up with approval again.
Lady Saw only performed for about 15-20 minutes. Trust me, she was not shy about letting the audience know that she was not pleased with the sound quality and the way she was being mixed down. She also made it clear that she felt that she should not be opening the show. She went on as a professional does and said she had to just “gwaan mek it work.” She made it work for sure. She placed a passion-fever on the crowd that would not be broken for the rest of the show.
Assassin took the stage at 3:25am. Over the past six years Assassin has amassed a very nice inventory of songs. He made sure to give the people every note of them giving out cuts of tunes like “Girls Gone Wild”, “Idiot Thing That”, “Not Afraid”, “Anywhere We Go” and “We Not Boring”.
The audience appreciated when he started a song but he took too long to get there. He was on stage for 25 minutes but it felt like an hour. As a deejay you should never peel off every stinking word of every song&Omega only the boom tunes should get the treatment, dig? But he chose to catch a piece of most of his tunes. Ouch! Next time, run those tunes faster homie! We keeps it movin’ in New Yawk! Don’t think we are being biased&Omega a noticeable reaction from the audience (uh, boredom?) was detected while he was performing. We just callin’ it as we saw it…
The following artist has been causing quite a stir in the dancehall reggae realm recently. Aidonia has made a name for himself in the last year with his tongue- twisting, million-words-a-minute lyrical style. He began making major noise first as a member of a powerhouse crew The Alliance and then more currently he has been pounding up riddims as the same group’s rival. As a result of the falling out with the Alliance he has been creating a desirable disturbance in dancehall with such tunes as “Addi a Mi Daddy” and “Buccam Buccam”.
Aidonia immediately went for shock value and rushed the stage with “Addi A Mi Daddy”, which was met with flaming lighters and the familiar two-finger pistol-pointing in the sky. Aidonia then asked the audience what sound does his gun make when he bust it, and the audience answered “buccam, ,buccam” and with that Aidonia unleashed the boom of that monster “Buccam” sound on the audience.
Then it was time for the girls. Aidonia took them for a ride on his “Bicycle” on the “Let’s Dance” riddim. I played this song for three days straight when I first got it. It was not what I was used to hearing from this new lyrical warlord. Aidonia then went on to describe some of the girls that he bucked up in New York. He explained that he wanted gals with the good ting because that one he’s after, “She’s So Tight”. This song came out about a month or so ago on the “Tremor” Riddim. Yes Selectah BussHead, we know this is one of your favorite tunes!
Aidonia concluded with his latest hit also on the “Tremor” riddim “Ras It Up”. Aidonia didn’t even come again when he began the song, he just dropped the chorus then vanished. Aidonia’s performance was short and spicy and the audience devoured every second of it.
Well, at 4:05am it was time for the man of the evening. Mavado touched the stage the crowd giving him props like a hero’s welcome. This is what New York was waiting for. When he dropped his signature word “anyway…!” the bowels of Amazura became congested with frantic hands, swinging towels and ganja smoke. It is kind of crazy to say, but right now and Mavado has a cult following. People are just really feeling his “gangsta fi life” vibes.
Mavado told Amazura that this is New York and “right now we deh inna ‘Bad Man Place’”. The crowd began to jump and before they could stay flat on the ground he told them about the gun he bust “Last Night”, inna de past night…
Mavado shared his childhood visions of being a great entertainer with Amazura and now that he has arrived he feels that he is still “Dreaming”. Don’t you dare mess with this man’s dream because you might earn an eternal sleep, ya heard!
Before leaving Mavado tore up the place with the favorite “Wey Dem A Do”, which was received well by the audience. He also slapped headz up with the soon to be classic “Dying”. He closed the show by thanking the patrons for coming out to support and by telling them that he really appreciates what they have meant to the growth of his career. And with that he was gone like a mercenary pursuing his target. Still, it was quite interesting that absent from Mavado’s performance was the Vybez Kartel dis track “New Name fi Informa” and his monster hit on the “Tremor” riddim “Amazing Grace” …
The night was a smashing success overall. The capacity-filling audience’s conduct was on point and the entertainers all showed up and performed for solid sets. Big up Karen for inviting us down to cover the show&Omega respeck, sistren! Ayo, Dee-Dub&Omega you safe, nuh watch nothing. 0Steelie Bashment wi si yu, DJ Roy what’s up? What’s Up? We also thank the security and personnel at Amazura for a safe and fun show. Till the next time y’all keep on striving and just remember that it doesn’t matter if some people judge you because the people who matter won’t judge…lay-tahz…
Click here to view photos about this event.
For Reactions email me at
shotta@nowadayzdancehall.com
Reported by: Mr. Shakes
Assisted By: Dee Dub
Photography: Mistah Shakes
Layout and Design: B.Diamondz and Mistah Shakes
Written by: DESTRO
Nowadayzdancehall.com 2007
Mavado informed the audience that some bad-mind people want to take away his things and would rather see him dead, but that it does not matter to him because even if they kill him, “Don’t Cry” because none of them never ever built him. I’m telling you, the man is no joke!
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