Laing recalls Gully Bop’s ‘historic’ Sting performance

Promoter of Sting Isaiah Laing says that when overnight sensation Gully Bop performed at the 2014 edition of the popular show, "It was an historic occasion..

"Nobody has ever risen from the gully to be a headliner at a major show such as Sting," Laing said. "To promote the show, we put up 51 billboards throughout the island. He was a talented artiste."

Gully Bop, given name Robert Malcolm, died in the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) last Monday. Known for dancehall bangers such as Every Gyal Want a Wuk Affa Mi, the deejay was battling kidney disease. In August, he told THE STAR that he had undergone surgery at the KPH in 2021 and had received a kidney transplant.

Laing said that when the entertainer was introduced to him, he was very ill and had to get treatment at a local hospital. He subsequently went overseas before he could be booked.

"He had hernia, which cost US$7,000 to be treated at the time, and I got somebody to pay for it. As soon as he was ready, we signed him as the headliner for Sting 2014. He did not disappoint," Laing said.

He declared that Gully Bop was an entertainer who could spontaneously create a lyric with good effect.

"He was special, having a style just like Ninja Man, to create lyrics instantly. He was witty and humorous in his delivery," the veteran promoter said.

It was revealed that when Gully Bop went by the stage name 'Countryman', he was brought on stage before 2014, but it was Sting 2014 that cemented him as a dominant performer. Laing sent condolences to Gully Bop's family.