Vybz Kartel. - Contributed

'I won't be visiting Guyana ever', is the response from controversial deejay Vybz Kartel, following a ban of his music from radio stations there.

Yesterday the Associated Press reported that the state-owned radio network in Guyana has banned Kartel from the airwaves of the South American country because of obscene lyrics. National Communications Network spokesman Martin Goolsarran says the music of Vybz Kartel was banned because it brings "nothing positive" to the entertainment industry.

He added that the decision came after a week of internal debate and said they are reviewing the lyrics of other musicians and could ban them as well. This is the first time that the government has taken such action against a specific artiste. Vybz Kartel angered local music promoters and the Tourism Ministry last month when he failed to show up at a government-supported summer music festival.

In August, the deejay left a Caribbean Airlines plane minutes before take-off and left the promoters of a show in Guyana in a panic. The artiste was on board a flight destined to take him to Guyana where he would be appearing at the 'Jam Zone Summer Break' show along with Mavado. In 2009, the artiste had pulled a similar 'no show' for a Guyanese show after claiming that he was also receiving death threats.

It is reported that the artiste was booked to perform in Guyana but refused to board any flights out of the island.

Yesterday when contacted, Kartel was not distressed over the ban. He told The STAR, "It's interesting, especially since that same radio station did a concert with me based on the fact that, and I quote, 'The Guyana people don't want to see nobody but you.' Unfortunately, I didn't attend the show and that is the reason why the ban on my music was imposed. With that being said, I care zero about them and their ban because I won't be visiting Guyana ever."

When asked if the ban was lifted in the future if he would reconsider his stance the deejay added, "I refused to go there before the ban was imposed so that ban wasn't necessary. I banned myself. Big up the Guyanese gaza fans but I would sooner tour Iraq than go to Guyana."