Alkaline honoured at Up to the Line

Dancehall star Alkaline was honoured by Guinness on Sunday morning ahead of his performance at the Up the Line after Champs event as a true champion of dancehall culture.

Guinness said the recognition was grounded in Alkaline’s undeniable cultural influence and his role in shaping modern dancehall on his own terms.

“Alkaline has carved out his own lane and defined what it means to be a champion in this era. Guinness, through this Champion of Culture plaque, is proud to honour that journey, one built on confidence, consistency, and cultural influence,” Guinness Junior Brand Manager Lasana Wilson told The Gleaner.

Hitting the stage at 3:33 a.m. to an eager audience, the ‘Vendetta Boss’ ruled the stage for the next 50 minutes, churning out hit after hit to an audience that knew every line and lyric. With Mad Luv and Company, Alkaline started the lyrical banter with the fans. For the ladies at the front of the stage, he got intimate as he crouched down and sang songs such as On Fleek (Love Yuh Everything).

Beyond the headliner, the event offered a mixed bag of performances. DJ Fresh Mint controlled the turntables initially with the early 2000s dancehall that built a vibe that got the crowd warmed up. Midway through the event, the Stone Love Crew took over the reins, and Boom Boom and Gugu Mental had the needed rapport between each song to keep the crowd entertained well past midnight. Despite rain, mud, and chilly temperatures, fans kept streaming into the Police Officers’ Club for the event.

After 2 a.m., the crowd started getting restless. It was at that time that the early acts made their way onstage and received mixed reactions.

Valdomore failed to build a vibe while Knaxx fared a little better. Khandy also brought good energy, and her acrobatics delighted patrons.

Sita Lyrical was embraced by the crowd and had them eating out of her hand from the minute she hit the stage. Bouncing on the popular WYFL riddim, she offered up a song comprising only words that began with the letter ‘S’, and the crowd was in an uproar when she rode the rhythm to perfection. She delivered snippets of other songs like Right Desso, which connected with the crowd. Before exiting, she showed off her singing voice, acceding to Boom Boom’s request.

Skippa was a man on a mission to dominate, which he did with Go Girl and Currency. Near the end of his set, he bellowed “You know why the girls love me? Cuz me full a money”, and proved it by digging into his pocket for a wad of $5,000 bills and just casually sprinkled them liberally over the audience at the front of the stage which sent those within reach in a mad scramble to grab as many as they could. He also took shots at Reggae Sumfest and declared he did not need them, before closing out his set with Healing and Just Do It.

The surprise guest artiste of the event was Shane-O, who demonstrated that he is still on top of his game with Wicked People, Last Days, and Take It Tell Me. Reminding them of how far he has come since his early success, he then did Lightning Flash, which had patrons singing along.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com