By: Joseph Cunningham
"Nuff" is the word used in Jamaica to describe a character who is considered inquisitive, overly excited about others' business or a person who is very involved. It so happens that in the Jamaican context the word brings to mind, the most dynamic and comedic character in the Dancehall, MC Nuffy.
No matter how major the occasion is, whether it is Reggae Sumfest, Reggae Sunsplash, or Sting, once it is time for the biggest stars to perform, MC Nuffy is one man who is always given the responsibility to do introductions.
The very sound of his voice is amusing, and even more so are his efforts to dance. Interestingly, he told YardFlex that he was a dancer before he got involved as an MC. "I was a dancer who would carry-on with a lot of antics onstage with multiple women simultaneously. I was the kind who would make the patrons laugh."
Further, Nuffy revealed how he became an MC. "I went to a show with my friend Ras Ghandi (a singer), and it was his time to perform. He was very amused by my personality and so he asked me to introduce him onstage. The introduction created a platform so that he could not fail. The audience was behind him 100 per cent," Nuffy recalled.
Today, he is Jamaica's most entertaining MC, and it happens to be the "silly season", the busiest period on the Jamaican entertainment calendar. Chief among all activities in this period will be "Sting", the "acid test" or "the end of year examination" for Jamaican artistes.
The show has the reputation to be the beginning, revival, impetus, or the end of careers. Nuffy believes that, “Sting is that show at the end of each year which is like the moment of truth. The show is also a major challenge for MCs, because patrons always come to the show anticipating high drama; and this sometimes creates a challenge where crowd management is concerned."
Nuffy will again be the MC who will ascend the stage at the "crack of dawn", when Dancehall's legendary acts take to the stage. I have special surprises for the show. Although I am not a singer or deejay, I will bring my own artistry to the stage, he said. "I have recorded my debut single which is creating a buzz in the Dancehall. I will perform it," he revealed.
MC Nuffy is encouraging patrons to come to Sting without bias, and to support the artistes based on what they do at the show. He pleads, "Do not fling, do not boo, do not stone. Reggae music is bigger than all of us."
