Beenie Man & Bounty Killer Make History As First Dancehall #Verzuz Battle, The Culture Won
The highly anticipated battle between and was not only monumental, but it was the first time in history that the two legends appeared on the same stage to participate in the , which is usually all virtual.
On Saturday (May 23), streamed live from Kingston, Jamaica, the Memorial Day “Soundclash Edition” of and ’s flagship IG Live series was easily the most exciting and entertaining yet, as well as the first to delve into Dancehall Reggae. Although the showdown wasn’t a typical Jamaican Clash, it did incorporate elements from the Clash culture adding it to the unique #Verzuz battle format, creating an amazing experience for everyone tuned in, while simultaneously tapping into an epic rivalry that stretches back more than 25-years.
Stepping on stage and showing the world how to battle, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer came ready with coordinated outfits, each with their own DJs and a dancer.
With more than 450,000 people tuned in, including , , and Jamaican Olympic gold medalist , the battle was underway with the two icons trading jabs and having fun, that was until the police almost stopped the fun.
“People, the police are here,” Beenie Man announced, greeting the cops who remained off-camera.
“Can we not do this right now? The world is watching us. We have 500,000 people watching us all over the world. Do you want to be that guy?” questioned Beenie Man before resuming the clash.
By then, Bounty Killer had gone off-screen.
“Come on officer. Tell the officers to go home,” pop star Rihanna posted in the comments during the live.
The country has a curfew beginning at 8 p.m., according to the US Embassy in Jamaica.
“No no, we not stop now” Beenie Man said as the live stream continued for another hour.
Despite the minor setback, the show did go on and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness tweeted a celebratory tweet about the event. Speaking later on his behalf, press secretary Naomi Francis said it was a night when Jamaica won.
“Jamaica won tonight and the prime minister is ecstatic to have witnessed how well both men represented,” she said.
“This is how we represent the culture … At the end of the day, it’s a musical sport,” Bounty Killer said at the end of the two-hour live stream as he and Beenie Man sang Bob Marley’s “One Love.”
If you missed it, check out the full replay of the #Verzuz Battle below and peep what Twitter had to say after the jump.
