Vybz Kartel says he will 'never bleach again'

Dancehall legend Vybz Kartel says he will never bleach again, as that era was tied to problems he had with "self love".

Kartel made the revelation on his latest interview with Ebro Darden on the Hot97 radio show.

While admitting that he enjoyed the shock value it provided, in hindsight he was facing issues with his image as a black man.

"In hindsight, I think it definitely had to do with self-love. But on the other hand, while I was doing it, my mind wasn't telling me that. My mind was telling me I'm doing this to show my tattoos because I got a lot of tattoos. But looking back, I think it was just, as a black man sometimes we have those issues. I'll never bleach again though," he said.

He continues to say that many black people face issues with self love and often gravitate to European beauty standards to find gratification.

Now that he is out of prison after 13 years, Kartel says he has cut down on his drinking and smoking as he continue his battle with Graves disease.

"I analyse myself a lot of times, and I think it just, the heavy drinking when I came out and smoking, I think that's just my crutch. You got to try to cope with I'm in prison 13 years; I'm out now. The world is bigger; it's a lot," he said.

Kartel also shared that he now wants some "Turkish children" as he looks forward to marrying his partner Sidem Ozturk and start their family.

- Antwaine Campbell

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