Heavy D says no fighting at Sting

Following a fracas on stage between a member of dancehall newcomer Jahshii's entourage and fellow youngster Brysco, at Ghetto Splash on Tuesday, Sting promoter Heavy D has declared that his event will be a safe zone.

With only a few days to go before the highly anticipated return of Sting, Heavy D explained that the stage will be like a "prison", and also discouraged anyone who may have thoughts of physical confrontations on stage.

"Our stage this year is a prison stage. When yuh enter in our ring, a prison you gone inna ... so every man know say when you go a prison, you haffi walk good and act good or you a go stay a jail. That can't happen pon our stage, that can never happen. The kind of stage we are setting up, no man can't come pon no man stage, and two man cyaah up deh at the same time, unless dem inna a clash. That we agree wid and we a go monitor every clash up deh like a referee," Heavy D warned. Both Jahshii and Brysco are on Sting's line-up.

Heavy D added that there will be a plethora of resources used to ensure that Sting is well secure.

"Sting a the most secure place inna Jamaica at this time. The Government gave me 178 police plus mi have another 20-odd police and soldier, plus a next 70 security guard. Plus mi have some muscle people and mi have serious security, no joke business," he said.

He also warned artistes who have large entourages that the number of persons who will be allowed backstage will be restricted.

"We only have a limited number of people that each artiste can carry backstage and we naw run no joke wid it, and we will have police backstage all the time. People who will be in arguments, we will separate them, and I tell people all the time, not even a pen you can carry with you around there."

Artistes who have licensed firearm holders as part of their security detail will also have to abandon those plans.

"Mi naw allow no firearm around there unless is a police have it. So I tell the artiste dem that if you need security for yourself, get police and don't tell me that your friend has a licensed gun because they won't be allowed. We have big, armoured places to keep licensed gun dem in there."

While acknowledging that dancehall's two hardest artistes are Vybz Kartel and Mavado, Heavy D said that even they showed him respect and respected security safeguards at previous stagings of Sting. In light of that, he said he was not worried about any potential breaches among newer artistes at the show.