Veteran selector Ricky Trooper and a UK-based promoter, Scar Face, are at odds. The promoter claims Ricky Trooper has refused to honour an agreement to play at an event.

According to a release sent to The STAR, the promoter, owner of UK-based Playmaker Sound, hired Trooper to play at an event called Star Selector Wars, which is to take place on September 28, at the Santa Cruz Bus Park in St Elizabeth. The release claims Ricky Trooper backed out of the event after five months of promotion.

He said Trooper withdrew from the event because of a prank they had played on him.

"Everyone in the international dancehall community is aware that a member of my sound made a prank call to Trooper last year, posing as a gay promoter requesting his services in Europe to play at an event, which he agreed to do. The call was recorded and circulated all over the world, we never expected Trooper to take the bait. I thought he had got over it but obviously he hasn't, and that's the reason he has taken my money and refuse to play at my dance," said Scar Face.

get paid

When THE STAR contacted Ricky Trooper, he denied these claims however, and said that the gross unprofessionalism of the organisers is the main reason why he will not be performing at the event.

"How yuh fi honour an agreement for something that yuh neva get paid for?" he questioned.

In explaining the issue, Trooper said that he considered the prank played by the promoter as a low blow.

"If gay people waan come to a show and listen dancehall or listen reggae music, mi caan stop dem. If mi did seh no mi nah play at the event a same way dem would do dem prank, and try drag my name inna di dirt," said Trooper

The popular selector said that he had been upset with the female selector who did the prank but over time, they came to be on speaking terms again.

He went on to explain that they then asked him to play at an event in Jamaica but it was continuously being cancelled. As a result, he had lost business.

"That girl was very disrespectful, dem drag mi name inna di dirt. They're not good business people. A just bere bad vibes, suh mi nah do nothing wid them. Put the receipt public if yuh seh mi owe yuh money," said Trooper.

Scar Face, in his release, said that despite Trooper's withdrawal, the show must go on, so he has contracted the services of other selectors, and changed the name of the event to Go Hard or Die Trying, St Bess and UK Buk Up.