By Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

( L - R ) Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer, Ninja Man , Beenie Man , Mavado - file

Only weeks ahead of this year's Sting, artistes have been spending their time preparing for battle, as tensions rise, words toss back and forth, and enemy lines are drawn.

Among the main contenders who fans are definitely on the lookout to see some action from are Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Aidonia, Busy Signal, Mavado and of course, Vybz Kartel. But, not to be left out of the action is 'Mr. Sting' himself, Ninja Man.

Word in the street is that Mavado intends to take the battle to Beenie, Kartel to Bounty, while Aidonia and Busy Signal square off. However, the 'Don Gorgan', Ninja Man, says he wants to take the battle to the entire Alliance.

"Lyrical war, mi prepare fi kill off di whole Alliance. Bout dem waan kill man fi original badman title, my days a badness done, guh look fi Jim Brown or Natty Morgan. I goin murder dem lyrically an no peace till di whole a dem dead off, lyrically."

Not willing

He continued, "Mi nuh waan nuh fren nor nuh son roun mi, me alone. Di whole a dem weh did a instigate fi tek my life inna 2003, yuh bad like mi boot heel? What is for Caesar is for Caesar, nobody but Ninja can name Gorgan, none, yuh cyan waan my name," Ninja warned.

Ninja also added, "Laing haffi change dat bout no competition ... Sen out di whole a dem, cause Sting nuh nice unless smady dead een deh!"

Some members of the Alliance were not willing to give away too much, but Busy Signal said, "Sting a Sting, wi jus prepare fi anything a Sting."

His answer remained vague even when asked about a possible clash between himself and Aidonia, stating, "As mi seh, mi prepare fi anything a sting. Wi always a guh prepared fi anything, whether Sting or any stage show."

Vybz Kartel, another artistes who has been the topic of much discussion and controversy as it relates to his allegiance to Bounty, says Portmore is his place so all artistes who come to challenge him should be careful.

"Vybz Kartel is a lyricist both on pen an paper and spontaneous, so Kartel prepared fi anything. Vybz Kartel isn't planning to step to anybody and I don't think anybody would be so stupid to try to step to Vybz Kartel. Kartel is a Portmore son, so these artistes better not be so stupid to let their egos trick them into stepping to Vybz Kartel," he said.

He also added, "And any attempt of such an action will be dealt with severely."

When questioned about Ninja Man and his threats of avenging the blow, he (Kartel) handed to him at Sting 2003, Kartel says, "I have nothing to say (to Ninja) cause action speak louder than words."

For Beenie Man, another veteran of Sting, he says, "The vibe is not really nutt'n new. Dis a mi 13th Sting, a whole heap a contention, whole heap a vibe a guh gwaan. People a guh call up yuh name, but is all about going there to do your ting an please your fans, so you can be di man di next day," Beenie said.

Beenie says his focus is on taking the overall show and in order to do that "yuh haffi have di appearance, tek di best dress, best performance an be di man weh tek di show. Me waan be di man fi do all a dem ting deh."

He also added, "If a man waan step to mi lyrically a fi him business, cause me an Killa did fi clash a Sumfest an when mi guh on everybody seh a me mash up di show. But him (Bounty) a call up mi name bout 20 minutes pon stage an when mi guh on him run weh lef it. Dem seh a me mash up di show an mi song dem nuh play fi bout nine months, mi nuh deh pon dat again," Beenie said.

Beenie says, "a di two a wi start di ting, a we rule it, suh di two a wi fi always deh deh, but Bounty Killa cannot confront mi, nuh care wah him waan talk seh, is charisma rule music, people haffi love yuh, not jus yuh song dem."

In responding to rumours about a possible match up between himself and Mavado, Beenie said, "Mavado a baby man, but a good singer, mi rate him, but yuh si when him a get involve inna Killer war wid me, him nuh know wah him a do, as mi seh, him nuh bad like mi bomocl##t Tims. If mi walk up pon a stage wid him it nah guh nice, suh him nuh bodda do it (think bout clash me)."

Least concerned

With all the noise about Sting and talk of clashing, the warlord, Bounty Killer says he is not in the least concerned. "Mek everybody gwaan plan, God a di greatest planner an when man a plan God a wipe out, suh mi jus a guh a di show (Sting) guh do my ting," he said.

Michael Lunan of Solid Agency, Bounty's Management Company, says the warlord has strict rules about who dares to enter the stage while he performs.

"Bounty Killer is not a group or duo, is a solo act and during his performance, he invites who he wants on stage, otherwise from that no unauthorised person can't jus walk up. And if Bounty want to clash, he has to invite up who he wants, an him nuh invite nobody fi clash, cause a strength dem a look," Lunan said about Bounty's mood ahead of Sting.

With all that said, however, Sting promoter Isaiah Laing says, "There definitely won't be any clashes at Sting, but this time a year, every artiste hype an Sting is a hype show. But we have seen what it (clashes) has done over the years and we're moving away from that."

Laing added, "no artiste will be walking out (on another) unless the crowd calls for a certain artiste to come out and answer and that is a dangerous trend."

The Star was, however, unable to get a comment from all artistes concerned, as Mavado's phone rang without an answer when called several times throughout the day and Aidonia's Road Manager, Kirk Roberts, said he was unavailable due to other engagements.