Beenie Man - Contributed

Beenie Man claims that reports in the media and widespread rumours are untrue regarding his fee for Sting.

The Doctor, as the deejay is popularly known, denies requesting a $2 million (US$30,000) fee from Sting promoters to perform at the show.

According to Beenie Man, he was offered the money by Isiah Laing, promoter of Sting, as a lure to perform at the popular Boxing Day stage show.

"Laing afta him threaten mi sey if mi guh pon radio guh talk sey mi nah do Sting again mi a guh get it," Beenie told The STAR. He also claims that following this alleged threat, Laing said "dat him have two million dollar rap up fi gi mi, an mi sey keep yuh money, I'm not doing Sting."

However, when contacted, Isiah Laing told The STAR, "I didn't threaten him, I only spoke to him hard. I told him if he's not doing my show then stop talk and leave my show alone.

"If him not doing my show, then he can't come on the stage, period. But by this weekend I will make a definitive statement on the whole matter," Laing said.

And as to offering Beenie Man $2 million to perform, Laing said that was a crazy notion.

"I? Not in this life. I don't know anything about that. I only heard that he wanted $2 million. I told him he needs to do Sting this year, he only needs to tell me how much money he wants ... although the figure I heard that he wanted first was $4 million. But even then, Beenie couldn't come to me wid dem figure deh," Laing said.

Love and respect

In addition to that, Beenie said he had not been shown the love and respect that he deserved after performing exceptionally at Sting over the years. He also claims that his career was "set up" last year.

"Sting is a show that I've closed for the past six years and I've always taken di show an den yuh always hear bout somebody else di next morning ... it don't mek nuh sense. No matter what I do, I'm not getting no leverage from Sting ... it don't mek no sense," Beenie said.

And as it related to a "set up" of his career at the last Sting, Beenie says, "Last year, mi look pon Laing an sey mi nah clash, dem call an ray ray an mi sey alright, if yuh want mi fi clash pay mi fi it. Dem pay Bounty Killer fi clash an tru dem know sey me nah run from nuh clash dem nuh pay me. Suh mi jus change mi mind an sey mi nah clash wid nuh man."

He continued, "When Killa come up, him have bout 40 man wid him an Killa neva have a mic. An mi look backstage an mi si Mavado an Busy Signal wid mic, afta a nuh dem mi fi clash?"

So, Beenie says his decision not to do Sting this year is final and nothing can change his mind.

"No mi definitely nah do Sting, nutt'n nah change mi mind. All ma fans an well-wishers looking forward to seeing me at Sting this year, I am not going to be there. I'll be at other shows like Teen Splash, Reggae Campfire and Anthony B show," Beenie said.

In light of this, many have been left asking the question: who will close Sting this year?

While not disclosing such information, Laing said, "We have wi ting set, we create things and let things happen, so we don't have a problem with closing the show. Beenie Man is not the only artiste on the show who can close."