Staff Writer - Kerran Monroe
2011 saw the loss of 3 main Jamaican artistes to the jail or prison cell. Let me hasten to say that they all faced very serious charges. The first loss was the loss of Ninja Man on murder charges. It has always been said that Ninja Man is like the grandfather of the Boxing Day show, Sting. This was very sad news for the Dancehall fraternity to hear that such a veteran in the business was about to fall by the wayside. However, Ninja Man’s incarceration was not very hot on the lips of Dancehall fans, and neither did they seem to care that much. This was evident when the benefit concert put on by the Dancehall fraternity for the embattled Deejay was sparsely attended. It could be assumed that Ninja Man is the most insignificant loss to Jamaican music, since he is, for the most part not really a recording artist, and persons only get to see him or hear him at Sting or other stage shows.
The second and maybe the biggest of the three losses is the loss of reggae
Dancehall sensation Ninja-Man
superstar and icon Buju Banton. This may be the biggest loss because this loss affects both Reggae and Dancehall. Fans of Buju were shocked at the cocaine charges laid against the Til Shiloh singer and would not have it. They thought the Banton was being framed by Gay Rights Activists, due to his Boom Bye Bye song, lashing out at the group. Others were just really disappointed in the artiste and convinced that he was guilty of the charges, especially since the prosecution had videotaped evidence of the artiste tasting the cocaine. A Rastafarian should not be involved with the white lady, much less tasting her. This is the view of these persons.
The final loss, the industry endured for the year 2011, is the loss of Dancehall deejay, Vybz Kartel. This case is still at court. The deejay is being charged for not one but two murders, along with a number of other charges. Of course the hardcore fans claim their deejay is being framed. One thing is for sure, if he is convicted, he will be missed by dancehall fans, as he was arrested when he was in his prime of making hits.
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