Story of the Song: Mavado's helicopter line from own experience, Did not reference Buju Banton's 'Operation Ardent'

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Mavado's 2008 song I'm On The Rock is only in part about the raid on his birthday celebration at Temple Hall Estate on December 1, 2007, but there is no mistaking the similarity between his helicopter reference and Buju Banton's in Operation Ardent.

He sings:

"Wid helicopter inna de air

Bright light a shine a grung

Dem say nobody move, nobody run

From de river to de bank lock dung

Dem no know which part mi tun"

In the early 1990's 'Operation Ardent' Buju deejays:

"Wid helicopter inna air, bright light a shine a grung

Haffi decide fe run cause mi no want no frisk dung"

However, in a 2008 interview he makes it clear that he was not imitating the Gargamel:

Mel: The line in that song whe sey "helicopter in de air" (Mavado says 'yeah'), yu deliberately tek it from Buju song from (Mavado interjects 'no!') dem time deh?

Mavado: Me neva tek it from Buju song. Cause a real ting Buju did deejay seh, cause Buju was dere when it happen. Yu understand? Buju was there y'nuh when it happen. Dem time deh me tief out go a dance wid my bigger fren dem, dung a Red Hills Road.

Mel: So a de same experience it come outta?

Mavado: Yu understand. An den me keep my party now inna 2007 a Temple Hall Estate an' a de same ting mi si 'appen. Helicopter in de air, bright light a shine dung pon people an dem ting deh. De people get scared. Mos' people sey dem tink a me a come outta helicopter. Special ting.

Mel: Shabba style.

Mavado: Special appearance. Until we hear a man sey nobody move, nobody run, we are surrounded by the river an de sea an everyting (chuckles) an de bushes. So a wha really 'appen we tell dem inna de song.

The STAR report of December 3, 2007, confirms the helicopter presence:

David 'Mavado' Brooks had an unpleasant surprise about 4 a.m. as his birthday bash was prematurely brought to an end when police and military personnel swarmed down on the Temple Hall venue in St Andrew, where the event was being staged.

For hours, patrons and artistes were under siege as a senior police officer took the stage and announced, "No one move, we have the place surrounded and troops in the river, so be careful what you say or do. Just cooperate and everything will be okay."

The police and military personnel were conducting a search for guns and ammunition and the hundreds of patrons that had filled the venue to capacity were forced to wait for more than an hour as the police and military personnel conducted their search.

The exits were sealed off, heavily armed soldiers surrounded the periphery of the venue and a helicopter hovered overhead, shining floodlights into the crowd as even vehicles were searched as they made their way through the exits."

While the Gully singjay has refuted any borrowing, on the Gaza side of the dancehall there is no questioning Kartel's musical nods to Grindsman and Bingie General, the latter's challenge to "touch a button nuh" remade to good effect.