I-Octane, Khago Say They Deserve Credit For Breaking Vybz Kartel, Mavado’s Vice Grip On Dancehall

Dancehall stars I-Octane and Khago have asserted that younger artists should show appreciation to them for dismantling what, back then, was the seemingly unbreakable dominance of Mavado and Vybz Kartel in the early to the mid-2010s.

“All dem young artiste dem weh buss afta me enuh fi pay mi homage.  Dem owe mi… an mi not even a hype bout it,” I-Octane told Veteran entertainment journalist Anthony Miller, during an interview on Television Jamaica’s The Entertainment Report.

“Owe you for what, really?” Miller replied. 

“Den nuh me buss Gaza an Gully.  A me break it mek di yute dem have a career bout yah,” was Octane’s reply.

“Khago owe you too?” was Miller’s facetious next question, to which Octane laughed and replied: “Bwoy a different story dat.” 

On Friday, Khago shared similar sentiments in an Instagram Live, where he credited Octane, along with himself and Tommy Lee Sparta, for clearing a path for new artists to rise in the mid-2000s, effectively, according to him, dismantling the Gully-Gaza vice-grip on Dancehall.   

“All of unno young artistes weh come after me, I-Octane a unno grandfather, me a unno father and Tommy Lee (Sparta) a unno uncle. A dem three artistes yah mash up the Gully and Gaza thing and set it fi unno,” Khago had said.

Khago, whose real name is Ricardo Gayle, came to prominence in 2006 when he entered the Festival Song competition with Only If You Know.  He’s known for hits such as Nah Sell Out (2011), Tun Up Di Ting (2008), and Caan Cool (2009).

I-Octane, with his string of songs promoting conscious messages, stole national headlines following his performance at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay in 2011, when he did the unthinkable by “taking the show”, relegating Mavado and Vybz Kartel to mere mentions.  

He was greeted with a barrage of firecrackers, horns, and whistles from the estimated 20,000 patrons inside the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex.

During that performance, which was talked about for weeks, Octane delivered a slew of hits such as Cyaan Ramp Wid Man, Badda Dan Dem, Mama, You Alone, My Life, Study You Friend Dem and Puff It, before ending with Lose A Friend.

During the interview with Miller, I-Octane also touched on the subject of persons claiming that during his 2023 Rebel Salute performance, he copy-catted the performances of Jahshii at Rebel Salute and Valiant (at Sting), by going down into the midst of the audience.

“An meck mi meck clarity to. All who a seh mi a falla artiste a guh inna di crowd, check mi performance; a me invent it.  A me guh everyweh guh carry drum pan pan mi head and guh inna crowd,” he said.

I-Octane emerged on the Dancehall music scene back in 2007 with his one-drop Stab Vampire hit track, which rose to the top 10 of several local charts.

In 2009, at the heights of the Gully-Gaza domination, he topped the charts with Mama You Alone and Lose A Friend.

Thereafter, the Clarendon native continued his reign in Dancehall with a slew of hits produced by Cashflow Records, including No Love Inna Dem and Puff It.   He also went on to top the charts once again with the DJ Frass-produced My Life in 2013.

I-Octane’s debut album, Crying To The Nation, was released in February 2012 via Robert Livingston’s Scikron Entertainment in the Caribbean and VP Records internationally.   Crying To The Nation’s lead single was the lovers rock L.O.V.E. Y.O.U., which scored big in Jamaica and was also marketed to international audiences.

I-Octane did a tour of the U.S., Canada, and Europe, following the release of the album, and followed up later in the year with a series of hit singles, including Badmind Dem A Pree, a collab with Bounty Killer and Love Di Vibes, and Gal A Gimmi Bun on producer Seanizzle’s One Day riddim.

His second album, My Journey, was released in March 2014 on Tad’s International Records label.  He also released Love and Life in 2018, Moods in 2021 and I Am Great last year.