Jah Vinci gets emotional about Shante Skyers’ murder

Although the song that Jah Vinci is observed singing in a video circulating on social media is not newly penned, the dancehall singjay says the lyrics are quite relevant to the horrifying case of Shante Skyers.

Young Skyers was murdered and her body dumped in a section of Sterling Castle in West Rural St Andrew. Hurt by the incident, Jah Vinci posted a song on social media in which he poured out his soul in the single, Sad Story, which was released as a tribute to Khajeel Mais.

Mais, a 17-year-old Kingston College student, was fatally shot inside a taxi in Havendale, St Andrew, as he was on his way to a school party.

This time around, Jah Vinci has added Skyers' name to the lyrics as a tribute as he sings: "Ah dem medz to wi music but nuh know the pain wi feel; Ghetto youth ah feel it, yea ghetto pain real. Lot a friend mi si die by the steel, but she was only eight years old so why dem kill off Shante."

Speaking to THE STAR, Jah Vinci said: "The song may not be new but the words express exactly how I feel about this situation. Reason being, tragedies like this happen throughout the world ... and seeing that music is a universal language, my hopes for doing this song is to touch hearts and raise awareness globally. It is truly sad what took place, my deepest sympathy goes out to the family of Shante."

He continued: "Words have power and yes, we can sing as much songs to raise awareness, but at the same time, the world we live in, not just Jamaica, is full of sin and evil acts."

The dancehall singjay is well known for producing music that raises awareness of acts involving violent acts against children, the level of crime, the struggles of people living in poverty, and the need to address them yet. He said that songs recorded for this purpose are not always given the attention needed from the industry.

Raise awareness

"The best way to raise awareness is to come together as one to circulate the message, promote the music that gives awareness, through all platforms so that everyone can receive the message," he said.

"We, meaning the entertainers, can do more songs telling people to be more watchful over their children and reach out to the men lyrically to tell them to stop killing our future and pray... it might not be proven but people receive messages through music faster than other mediums."

Jah Vinci, a father of two daughters, said he is struggling to come to terms with the recent murder of Skyers.

The Hear My Cry singjay said: "What happened here truly hurts me to the core and I pray that God be with Shante's family at this time of grief. Many Jamaicans feel it; the fact that the post alone is getting so much views it simply shows that this is something people are really hurting over."

"As parents, we can try our very best to raise our young men as best as possible with hopes of them doings what's right even though we can never predict how one will turn out at the end of the day; and as adults, as a people, it is our duty to protect the future generation," he said.