KipRich charged for violent lyrics

The long-standing battle between artistic freedom and legal boundaries has reignited after dancehall artiste Kiprich was yesterday arrested and charged under the Offences Against the Person Act for the lyrical content of a dubplate.

The 45-year-old entertainer, known for his sharp lyrical skills, was charged by St Catherine North police after he turned up at the Spanish Town Police Station. The cops listed him as a person of interest last Friday. The hitmaker was charged with use of audio and audiovisual communication to promote criminal activity. Authorities claim that Kiprich's song, widely circulated across media platforms, glorifies gang violence and pays tribute to the notorious One Order Gang. KipRich, given name Marlon Plunkett, was charged after a question-and-answer session in the presence of his attorney. He is scheduled to appear in the St Catherine Parish Court later this month.

Head of the St Catherine North Police Division, Superintendent Hopton Nicholson, said "lyrical content" from KipRich and fellow artiste Skippa contributed to them being listed as persons of interest recently.

"Yes, it has something to do with that, I don't know the total but lyrics has a part to play," Nicholson told THE STAR on Monday before CCN issued its release. Nicholson had also confirmed that both artistes had reported to the police for questioning. On February 5, Skippa, whose given name is Tahjay Clarke, was listed as a person of interest in a bulletin issued by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Just two days later, another bulletin bearing the names of other persons of interest was published with KipRich among the group. According to the JCF's Corporate Communications Network, lawmen "believed that the persons listed are able to assist them in the investigation as it relates to several incidents in the parish". The recent police killing of reputed One Order don, Othneil 'Thickman' Lobban, caused unrest in Spanish Town and its environs.

However, KipRich, in a previous interview with THE STAR, firmly denied being involved in any wrongdoings and stressed that his lyrical content has nothing to do with instigating a riot against security forces. He also theorised that this situation might be in relation to a 'One Order Dub' he recorded for a foreign-based selector, that he said was "spliced" and altered to make it seem as though he was in support of Lobban.

However, when Nicholson was pressed about his views on the correlation between music and its influence on crime, the lawman said "I don't wish to speak on that".

Last year, the St James Police Division refused to give permits for events on which Montego Bay-based dancehall artiste Eddy G Bomba was booked to perform. This came after a policeman died after being mowed down by a motorist who was signalled to stop - a scenario Eddy G Bomba described in his single No Cap.