by Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Vybz Kartel - File

When Vybz Kartel hit the stage at Weekenz, Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew, at about 3:30 on Sunday morning, he looked out at the empty lawn and said, "a lie. A so much people deh yah man?"

One hottie in a hot three-quarter-length white pants had been taking full advantage of the room, using a lot of the space as she danced to the music of Bass Odyssey, Razz and Biggy and Swatch International, while the rest of the small audience stood on the fringes.

Wasting no time

Quite a few young women dressed to the 'short up' theme, going 'tight up' as well, to show the cheeky side of dressing up.

Kartel wasted no time in delivering. He performed looking directly into the sole video camera on stage, constantly turning as the videographer moved around.

He took a little while to address the matter of his breakaway from the Bounty Killer led Alliance, although when he did get there, he made matters very clear. "True me sey Vybz Kartel stand alone dem tink a ramping ting. Dem fi memba sey a ol' vigilante a deejay," he said.

Just before he had sent his respects to deejay Aidonia, chanting "watch dem a switch like gal, true dem hear Aidonia a link de teacher".

And Kartel was true to his word, after the small audience had erupted when he informed "bus me gun widdout license" and the selector had been a bit slow in restarting the song and he said "a million lyrics me have, why yu a tek so long?"

From the opening "no bway cyaan buddy dis" to singing the song of loss, "standing in the rain", a run of gangster lyrics in which he proclaimed "dis bad man yu get gunshot" and the lyrical construction of a world where there is "smoking without police provoking no HIV, no syphilis, no STD," Kartel put on an intense display of lyrical mastery.

It was interspersed with contributions from three members of the 'Portmore Empire', a "bu-le-le-le-let" igniting the audience, while Pinchers delivered a mini-medley of hits, including Bandelero on a quick-paced dancehall rhythm to good effect.