KipRich speaks out - Artiste defends his name amid police probe

Dancehall artiste KipRich says he is "stressed and disappointed" after being listed as a person of interest by the St Catherine North Police Division.

In an exclusive interview with THE STAR on Sunday, the entertainer suggested that a recent dubplate recording for a sound system may be the reason for the police's interest in him.

"The only badness mi know bout a fi mek di song ... I don't know bout no affiliation wid no gunman and fi a support no violence against police," he said.

The St Catherine North police included KipRich, whose given name is Marlon Plunkett, among 16 individuals named as persons of interest last Friday.

"The police believe that these individuals are able to assist them in the investigation as it relates to several incidents in the parish," stated the Corporate Communications Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

KipRich, who has declared his intention to visit the Spanish Town CIB with his lawyer today, believes the situation stems from a dubplate he recorded for a foreign-based selector. The track, intended as a One Order Dub, may have been spliced and altered to make it seem as though he was endorsing Othniel 'Thickman' Lobban, also called '1Daddy Badness', an alleged One Order Gang don who was recently killed by police.

"Mi duh a dubplate fi a sound system, and di man dem splice di dub and fit it how dem waah fi get dem fawud," KipRich explained.

"Is like dem flip it fi mek it a talk bout 1Daddy Badness. ... Mi always do One Order dubplate fi him and big up who him ask mi fi big up. Mi nuh even know half a di names dem wah mi call inna di dubplate."

The police have not stated whether their interest in KipRich is linked to alleged violent lyrics in a dubplate.

But convinced that the dubplate is the only reason for police interest in him, KipRich explained that in sound system culture, selectors often request dubplates featuring shoutouts to key figures to hype up the crowd. While some of these individuals may be associated with street life, he insists that the practice is strictly for entertainment value and helps selectors earn money.

"Mi know seh di names dem give out fi call inna dub, some a dem a badman, but when di selector play di dub and di crowd hear dem name, a so dem get dem fawud," he said.

KipRich, known for hits like Telephone Ting and Leggo Di Bwoy, says he never imagined that his career would become entangled in such controversy.

"A just music mi duh, mi nuh inna no foolishness. Now mi name call up inna all kinda mix-up? It rough pon mi, star," he lamented.

"Mi is not a artiste weh a promote violence, it's just a song ... Yes, as a clash artiste mi duh certain kind a song, mi naah guh deny that, but mi naah guh tell nobody fi duh things to nobody or mi naah guh incriminate myself."

The deejay said the situation has taken an emotional toll on him and his family.

"Right now mi deh yah stressed ... To di amount a things mi see, mi affi literally stop go pon di Internet and tell mi mother and mi daughter fi stop go pon it. Mi daughter, who inna di army, call and a cry and a seh she a see some things all a seh 'mi get shot' and people a question har," said KipRich.

Expressing his disappointment, he emphasised that he has always been a positive entertainer and has no ties to criminal activities.

"Mi feel very disappointed because me know di kinda fans dem me entertain. Me know myself and know seh mi nuh deal wid illegal foolishness or criminal businesses. I am not for that," he said.