written by owen on 2011-Mar-15.

Adidja Palmer (born January 7, 1976), better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He is commonly known in Jamaica as both the Teacher and Gaza (the nickname of his home town).

I don't know. There are varying views on this hot topic, I made sure not to read Annie Paul's article before writing my own. Who is to know what the future will bring? Who is to know what future generations will look back at today and say.

Really, in the present economy and the recent interviews and his lecture up at UWI, Kartel is EVERYWHERE in the news. Either he is today's Bob Marley or he is a really crazy devil worshipping Dancehall artist. He has some good points though, people do hate what they do not understand and fear what they cannot conquer.

As I mentioned in my last article Dancehall is about controversy. Controversy in Jamaica drives EVERYTHING. Concious people only talk about concious things and concious events, rarely is topic deemed important if it is not taboo. Maybe it is just human nature.

With the The Manatt Dudus Enquiry soap opera on the tv everyday, this maybe the best time to be controversial because that commission of inquiry is not going anywhere but in the pockets of the lawyers involved. if this is how boring regular court room activities are I pray I do not end up on the witness seat. Dorothy is either a strong black woman or a good liar.

Anyway back on topic.

Is Kartel a roll model for Jamaica's youth? In his view parents should raise their children and not leave it up to Dancehall music. Many a interview have tried to "corner" him into accepting the fact that his is a social leader. The topic of who is a social leader is tricky. Even I don't know who in Jamaica is a social leader - everybody doing them own thing. Pasters carry licensed fire arms, politians rarely live in the constituencies which they represent, Business people drive over expensive cars like drug dealers, Politicans all have dual citizenship in case Jamaica goes to hell they can fly away and send their kids to be educated in America. It all appears to be a bad batch of goat soap and double standards. It is a complex topic. In most cases I would like to believe that everybody is roll model or a social leader but I would not allow my kids (if I had them) to look up to Bruce Golding as a role model or Kartel or any Politian or even Bob Marley but then who? Who do you think is worthy of such a position? And even if there is such a person - what guaranties are there that you child will follow them?

There is no doubt that Kartel is intelligent even more so that I am is certain respects. I doubt I could have survived an interview on certain topics in Jamaica culture - I stay far away from discussing religion because there is no right answer to any questions involving some ones faith and people who try to forward their own personal beliefs are usually self-righteous-bastards.

Conclusion

If I could release some tracks I too would be singing dancehall and making the money and driving the cars that he is driving. Is that not measure of a man? The kinda car you drive? The size of your bank account? The area in which you live? The cellphone you have? The color of your skin? The letters you have behind your name? The texture of your hair? These and many other things are what truly plagues our people as a nation. As they say there are 3 kinda of people in this world: the rich, the poor and the in between.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. - Martin Luther King Jr.

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