Kartel’s no bleach message may fall on deaf ears

Even though Vybz Kartel says he will never return to skin bleaching, music expert Clyde McKenzie said he doesn't believe that is enough to hinder "influenced fans" from practising the act.

Vybz Kartel made the revelation during an interview last Wednesday on the Hot 97 podcast, when he was asked if he'd ever go back to skin bleaching.

"No, no, no - fully melanated," he said as he smiled from ear to ear. During the peak of his career, the artiste added what he described as a "shock value" to his image by bleaching his skin. In the interview, he shared that during that phase of his life, he saw the practice as a way to "show his tattoos" but later realised it was done out of a lack of "self-love".

"But looking back, I think it was just, as a black man sometimes we have those issues. I would never bleach again though," he said.

However, with many Jamaicans being impacted by a bleaching culture, McKenzie said though a good choice, the impact the deejay has will forever remain.

"Kartel is still an important influencer. What he does certainly has an impact on society, though perhaps less so than 15 years ago. I think, however, what an artiste endorses has more impact than what he does not endorse. So I don't know if his saying that he no longer bleaches will necessarily have a huge impact on those who engage in this cosmetic practice," McKenzie told THE STAR.

With the deejay now preaching a message of "self-love," McKenzie was asked if he believes that message could help in fighting against skin bleaching in Jamaica.

"Perhaps if he should give his reasons as to why he is renouncing the practice, then more people might listen and perhaps behave accordingly" said McKenzie.

While admitting that it "excited" him at the time to see the world going crazy over his new image and the worldwide impact it created, the deejay said that it worked for him.

"Shock value is good too because now people are looking so now you're gonna need content because you need to deliver," Vybz Kartel said in the interview. Some fans shared that the deejay's best musical content came during his 'Black Kartel' era, while others debated that it does not take away from the strong impact his skin bleaching had on his music going global, and impacting skin bleaching in Jamaica. Nevertheless, one of the podcast's hosts said that skin bleaching is a worldwide practice, which he finds "heartbreaking". In tapping in to the negative concept adapted by mostly blacks in desiring a lighter complexion and Eurocentric features, Vybz Kartel admitted that it's still a struggle most black people still fight with today. But he pointed out that the tables are now turning as Eurocentric women now desire "black women's body and the lips".

The hosts further complimented Vybz Kartel on now looking like a "fantastic, healthy version of himself," after he discontinued bleaching. The artiste briefly shared about his ongoing fight with Graves' disease while revealing that he's remaining steadfast on his fitness journey in keeping up his health and appearance as 'Black Kartel'.