Jamaican singer Diana King says convicted artistes like Vybz Kartel, Ninjaman and Jah Cure shouldn’t be able to record and release music from prison. In a tweet yesterday, King said that the allowance of those privileges behind bars does not sit right with her for artistes convicted of murder and rape on the island.

Diana King, 49, is best known for her hit single Shy Guy, which was released in 1995 and peaked at 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2012, the singer was the first Jamaican artiste to come out as a homosexual.


Prison time can seriously impact an artiste’s career, but Vybz Kartel, who was convicted for murder in 2011 and is currently serving a life sentence, has managed to remain King of the Dancehall with a steady stream of hit releases.

Kartel and his three co-convicts have appealed their conviction and a judgement is expected soon in that case.

I’LL NEVER B ABLBE TO IGNORE THE FACT THAT A CONVICTED ARTIST/ PRISONER SERVING TIME, B IT FOR MURDER / RAPE, CAN STILL RECORD & RELEASE MUSIC FROM PRISON IN JAMAICA HOW DO U ALL DO IT? IS IT BECAUSE IT WASNT U WHO WAS RAPED OR YOUR LUVED ONE KILLED?? — KING DIANA (@DIANAKINGDOM) January 10, 2020 Advertisement

Yesterday, Kartel released a new album titled To Tanesha, which likely prompted King to ask her followers how they felt about the artiste’s privileges while in prison given that he was convicted for murder. “How do u all do it?,” she asked. “Is it because it wasn’t u who was raped or your luved one killed?”, the singer continued.

Reggae singer Jah Cure also served time for rape and robbery and recorded most of the tracks for his album Freedom Blues while he was behind bars, at a digital recording studio inside the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in Jamaica.

Another dancehall artiste, Ninjaman is also currently serving a life sentence for murder. He has released two songs since his imprisonment in December 2017.

The Jamaica Observer reported in August 2019 that single-room recording facilities for in-house radio stations at both of the island’s main correctional centres were active again as part of the facilities’ rehabilitation programs. Vybz Kartel has maintained his innocence and has not been a participant in any of these programs.


Prison authorities have repeatedly denied giving him special privileges to produce music and the artiste has himself denied recording music in prison. He incredulously claims that any new music released since his imprisonment is the result of a massive catalog of previously unreleased material.

In mid-December last year, there were reports that Kartel had a ‘change of heart‘ regarding the prison music rehab program, according to Mikie Bennett a music producer who started the program in 2004 as a way to bridge the gap between the police and the inner-city communities. It was reported then that his indirect request to join the program would have to be processed.

Backlash

Twitter users and fans of Vybz Kartel, immediately fired back at King for her comments. “And I can never come to grip that a prisoner serving time with very little resources still record hit songs/album and you weh free as a bird can’t even find a chorus,” said one twitter user.


“Lady stop badmind eh man and guh mek some song fi people sing along to,” added another.

Another fan of the Bad Mind deejay said, “a true a jada kingdom deh pan the album and not diana”, referencing the song Neva Walk Alone which was included on Kartel’s album released yesterday, featuring Jada Kingdom.

One fan said: “The Jamaican court just freed Tesha Miller trigger man of all charges and you worried about Vybz Kartel ”. Kartel made similar comments recently when he lashed out at the justice system in Jamaica and criticized those, who he says are only pretending to care about Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams – the man who he was convicted of murdering, while real killers are getting away with their crimes.

Diana King is not the first artiste to question why Kartel is still allowed to record music behind bars. In a 2016 inteview, Flexx from the now disbanded dancehall group, T.O.K. sounded off on the issue but for albeit different reasons. “I don’t understand how a man fi deh a prison and have so much songs a play and people out there hustling everyday in the studio, writing good songs, and dem can’t get them songs played,” he said. Vybz Kartel’s fans were livid about Flexx’s remarks.


Despite the online backlash, King says she is not bothered. “U cannot live an authentic life without disappointing, pissing off or offending sum ppl – And I don’t mind doing all 3”, she said in another tweet.

Vybz Kartel, who has maintained a very active Instagram account, has not responded to King’s comments.