The Griot | Stories Roots Legacy

Gully vs Gaza: When a Dancehall Feud Reached the Streets and Politics

The Griot | Stories Roots Legacy

Show Notes

Between 2006 and 2009, a rivalry between dancehall artistes Vybz Kartel and Mavado split Jamaican youth into two camps, Gaza and Gully, and was blamed in some neighborhoods for street violence. On December 8, 2009, the two met Prime Minister Bruce Golding at Jamaica House in an attempt to calm it. This episode tells what the record shows about the feud, the government's role and what is and is not established. Sources: the Jamaica Gleaner and Jamaica Observer in December 2009, the Jamaica Information Service, DancehallMag, the Village Voice and reference histories. Claims about violence are attributed to the sources that make them.

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