5. Vybz Kartel vs. Mavado (2008)
With the exception of the violent outburst between Vybz Kartel and Ninjaman in 2003, Sting’s clashes have primarily been theatrical in nature only, rarely spilling over into actual violence. When Mavado and Vybz Kartel clashed in 2008, there was a sense that there was more to their rivalry, that it could easily boil over into something else. Once allies in Bounty Killer’s Alliance camp, the two had become bitter foes, splitting the dancehall audience between Gully and Gaza.
The clash itself lived up the hype, with Kartel arriving in camouflage military gear, while Mavado presented himself as a Grim reaper figure in all black, years before Tommy Lee. Ultimately Kartel emerged victorious, as he would in his career over the following year, beginning a string of hits and other successes that made him the definitive artist of his era.