Vybz Kartel at his 'Pretty Like A Colouring Book - My Life, My Art' lecture. - Hasani Walters

Posing the question 'Who is Vybz Kartel', 'di Teacha' taught the University of the West Indies, Mona, a little about his life, his bleaching and the rumours of his Masonic influences.

Guest lecturer at the university yesterday, on the topic 'Pretty Like A Colouring Book: My Life and My Art,' Kartel had thousands of students' attention at the Undercroft. Hosted by the Department of Literatures in English and the Institute for Gender and Develop-ment Studies, Kartel came prepared with explanations and comments that were aimed to raise eyebrows. The deejay kicked off his lecture by asking 'Who is Vybz Kartel?' and responding "I am Adidja Palmer, dancehall artiste, hero, businessman, proud father of seven children and counting."

Moving into his past, including his love for music, which was partly brought on by his uncles who were aspiring deejays, Kartel discussed his career from the beginning. He mentioned his meeting with then mentor Bounty Killer, in January of 2000 at the Autovision Car Wash in Half-Way Tree, which he described as "another short-term relationship formed" and material for another lecture. His love of music led him to dancehall which he maintained has got 'a lot of flak from society'.

"Vybz Kartel's music is the centre of controversy, friend to some, foe to others. Dancehall music reflects the duplicitous nature of the Jamaican community. While reggae goes along the teaching of Garvey's 'One Love', dancehall music comes from Bogle whose message is 'rebel'," Kartel lectured.

Reggae music, Kartel said, when it first started was controversial in nature, as was reggae icon Bob Marley who was at one time shunned and had to be accepted abroad before being accepted in Jamaica. Now, the deejay said, the same is happening to dancehall music, which is the centre of controversy. A controversy that he strives on.

In the midst of a lapse in dancehall's creativity, Kartel said he entered the arena in early 2000, saying, "A new star was born and here to stay ... I'm not merely a deejay but a poet of Shakespearean status." Saying that he's not 'the best', but 'one of the best' lyricists in dancehall, Kartel urged the crowd to listen to his lyrics for the more complex meanings citing a few examples.

From his lyrics, the deejay discussed his many controversies, saying his headlines such as his fight with Ninja Man, his encounters with the police, leaving the Alliance - was not part of a 'diabolical' plan but "just me being me." Focusing on the media, the deejay explained that the media uses his life and art to gain readership and make headlines but few focus on his "regular good deeds" such as his businesses which he says employ a large number of Jamaicans.

beauty scars

Not shying away from the topic at hand, the artiste soon discussed 'tattoos: scar or beauty mark', explaining that his love for tattoos originated in his fascination for his favourite rapper, Tupac Shakur, who was also tattooed. "I see myself as a living breathing canvas and my tattoos represent milestones in my life, and are another form of expression. Each tells a different story that shows my interior," he said. The 'teardrops' on his face represent the friends he has lost, the names on his body are of his sons, 'Gaza thugs' represent the community he's from and his 'love is pain' tattoo is a paradoxical phrase that represents that the things you love have the most power to hurt you.

He soon opened the bleaching topic with the comment, "One may not understand why I alter my skin." The reasons often proposed, he said, are opinions and not facts. "My skin alteration has nothing to do with self-hate," Kartel said, before describing the ways in which persons alter their appearances through weaves, straightening their hair, cosmetic surgery and more. He explained to much uproar that bleaching today doesn't mean the same thing it meant 20 years ago, saying that black people are a proud race that can do what they want. He added, "Bleaching now is just a style, I bask in its controversy, wid cake soap as my sun tan."

The next hot topic of the lecture was his rumoured Masonic affiliations. Kartel said: "People say Vybz Kartel worships the devil, how does one go about selling one's soul to the devil?" He said that a lot of people believe Kartel's dancehall success has a lot to do with him selling his soul to the devil, which he concluded like the sudden success of a number of overseas artistes is a conspiracy theory saying, "If you want to think Vybz Kartel is a mason, that's your opinion."

"In concluding, I would like to say my life is my art, my art is my life. Life is a colourless colouring book and we all have the crayons to make it colourful. Everything I do is precisely orchestrated to achieve a desired response. I'm conscious of everything I've done to make my life pretty like a colouring book," Kartel said.

An intense question and answer segment followed, the most interesting being how Kartel views himself as a role model. To which he responded, "Right now, Vybz Kartel doesn't embrace that title, I'm not going to carry the weight of Jamaican problems. I'm an entertainer not a political or religious leader. If you, as a parent, want Vybz Kartel as a role model for your child, you've already lost as a parent."

Prior to Kartel's lecture, Professor Carolyn Cooper made her opening remarks, as well as Dr Leith Dunn from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies. Dr Donna Hope also presented the deejay with two books, one of which was her last effort 'Man Vibes.'