Shy Guy artist Diane King ruffled the feathers of dancehall and reggae lovers in a recent tweet. She sparked a controversial debate in relation to the penitentiary system and how artists are allowed to make music.
“I’ll never be able to ignore the fact that a convicted artist/prisoner serving time, be it for murder/rape, can still record and release music from prison in Jamaica. How do you all do it? Is it because it wasnt you who was raped or your luved one killed???†she tweeted.
Objectively speaking she is onto something. If one of my loved ones was murdered or raped by someone, it would irk me if I was to constantly hear their songs on the radio every odd week. Just knowing they will still be able to do what they love would definitely bother me. On the other hand its not really about what I think. It should be about their rehabilitation right? If there were no grounds for rehabilitation the death penalty would come into play.
In the case instant, Diane touched a nerve of dancehall and reggae fans. After the release of his latest album ‘To Tanesha‘, Vybz Kartel came into the spotlight. Incarcerated Ninjaman is the other artist who also came into question who is currently serving a life sentence for murder. Ninjaman is not as prolific in making music like the Worl’Boss having just released two songs since his incarceration in December 2017.
I can totally see where Diane King is coming from but lets not forget that Vybz and co. are still human beings. If making music is a form of rehabilitation then who are we to say something. If their lives were over they should have just been given the chair. Their freedom has been taken from them. Isn’t that enough?
Nevertheless, it is still a hot topic to discuss. Vybz continues to thrive and top the charts. For his sake I hope he does not respond to this and waits patiently for his appeal verdict without antagonizing anyone.
