Business[edit] In 2008, Vybz Kartel launched his own liquor line; Street Vybz Rum. He hosted a weekly dance party Street Vybz Thursday, at the Building, a Kingston nightclub he managed with Street Vybz Rum business partner, Corey Todd.[32] The rum is officially distributed by Vybz Distillers Limited. The same year, he also released his own condom line, Daggering Condoms.[33] Street Vybz Rum production was stopped in 2011 because of a disagreement between he and Corey Todd. However, the collaboration resumed in 2012 as the two settled their differences, and despite Kartels ongoing incarceration.[34] In 2011, he released his own shoe line, named Addis, as well as his own line of cake soap.[35][36][37] When his singles Clarks, Clarks 2 (Clarks Again) and Clarks 3 (Wear Weh Yuh Have) featured the British shoe brand Clarks in 2010, its sales numbers and prices in Jamaica increased considerably.[38] Vybz Kartel has also hosted his own reality television show Teachas Pet on CVM Jamaica broadcast channel, the first reality television show hosted by a dancehall artist in Jamaica. The premise of Teachas Pet found 20 women living in a Kingston house vying for the artists affection; the shows lascivious content elicited condemnation of its sponsor, telecommunications company LIME. The show came to a halt with the artists arrest on murder charges in September 2011.[39] Controversies[edit] Unbalanced scales.svg This articles Criticism or Controversy section may compromise the articles neutral point of view of the subject. Please integrate the sections contents into the article as a whole, or rewrite the material. (December 2012) Whitening (Bleaching)[edit] Kartel has come under controversy over perceived skin whitening, or bleaching, leading him to claim to the use of cake soap to lighten his skin.[40][41] The Blue Power Group, Jamaican manufacturer of the popular cake soap (or blue soap), has refuted claims it changes skin color.[42] Kartel then stated the soap used to lighten his skin was his own Company brand, which he intends to release on the local market and to overseas clients .[35] Airwave Ban[edit] In September 2011 the National Communications Network of Guyana banned Vybz Kartel from the airwaves—the first such action against a specific artist. His music contained obscene lyrics and brought nothing positive to the entertainment industry, said NCN spokesman Martin Goolsarran (Wednesday, Sept 21) after a week of internal debate. He said NCN was reviewing the lyrics of other musicians and could ban them as well. In fact the government had no problem with Kartel, its Tourism Ministry inviting him to an August music festival, angering the Tourism Ministry and Guyanese promoters when he failed to show up.[43] Murder charges[edit] On 29 September 2011, Kartel was arrested by police. Jamaicas Major Investigation Taskforce (MIT) charged him with murder, conspiracy to murder and illegal possession of a firearm. The deceased was Barrington Bossie Burton, a 27-year-old businessman and music promoter based in the St. Catherine suburb of Portmore. They first visited Kingstons Norbrook community where the DJ resides, then went to a property on Swallowfield Avenue in Kingstons Havendale area. That residence was the scene of a fire several weeks ago; a scorched computer hard-drive and several boxes were removed. They then drove to Portmore to a home purportedly owned by Kartels mother, where a number of items were similarly confiscated. Kartel was detained for the weekend in relation to a partially burned, decomposing body found inside the Swallowfield Avenue home.[44] Kartel was granted bail for the Burton murder 23 March 2012 for JD$3,000,000, but currently remains in jail in connection on a second murder, of one Clive Lizzard Williams.[45] He was also charged, along with two others including Vanessa Gaza Slim Saddler, with perverting the course of justice, after Saddler allegedly claimed that Williams had robbed her to mislead the police into believing that he was still alive.[46] His trial was originally scheduled for 21 January 2013, but had to be postponed due to a lack of jurors, and was rescheduled for July 11. [47] On July 24th a jury found Kartel Not Guilty and he was acquitted of the charge of murder of Barrington Burton, but still remains in custody until November when his trial for the murder of Clive Williams is set to take place.[48] While in prison in 2012 his book The Voice Of The Jamaican Ghetto: Incarcerated but not Silenced, co-written with business associate Michael Dawson, was published.[49] Discography[edit] Albums[edit] 2003: Up 2 Di Time 2004: More Up 2 Di Time 2004: Timeless 2005: J.M.T. 2008: The Teachers Back 2009: Most Wanted 2010: Pon di Gaza 2.0 2011: Kingston Story 2013: The Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto - Incarcerated But Not Silenced 2013: Kartel Forever: Trilogy Extended Plays[edit] 2010: Raw - EP 2011: The Gaza Don 2011: Colouring Book 2012: Stronger We Get 2012: Amsterdam 2012: Mentally Free
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:49:22 +0000
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