So we’ve had “Street Vybz” rum, the “Daggering” line of condoms, “Addi’s” shoes and accessories, and now this: “Vybz Cake Soap”. Commercially speaking, strictly a JA thing for the time being.

Al Fingers wrote an excellent article about the whole bleaching story here, there’s really no point in me sitting here paraphrasing and taking credit for it. So check it out.

You gota give the Teacha credit for his strong-willed response to Fader magazine:

“I’m my own man, and as such I do my own thing. When black women stop straightening their hair and wearing wigs and weaves, when white women stop getting lip and butt injections and implants, when bald men stop getting hair transplants, and when people stop getting nose jobs and cosmetic surgery then I’ll stop using the cake soap and we’ll all live naturally ever after. Until then f**k you all.”

Truesay! …and people going on tanning beds, he’s got a point.

Advocation of light-skinned women:

Buju Banton - Love Me Browning

and Captain Barkey said this pon the Mudd Up Riddim…

Captain Barkey - Bleach On

Denouncement of the act. “Them a bleach fi look a brownin”. Bam Bam Riddim, 1992:

Nardo Ranks - Them A Bleach

There have been a couple of major disses of Kartel’s bizarre whitening habits recently, most of them are musically quite poor (Peppa Riddim for one, what’s that Teletubbies intro about?! I don’t care if Shabba if a good vocalist, this is just awful), so I shan’t bother mentioning them, but this one’s aight..sexy video as well:

I feel like there is a lot of negativity in this post (apologies!), so here’s something great by Kartel, from his hot new LP ‘Kingston Story’. Dre Skull on the buttons, as with previous bangers. Seems man can hold down the slow vibe as well. This is emotional, melancholy whine. Beautiful pure sounding woodblock throughout, met with a ravy, reflective, contemplative synth topped off with an ever so fat sharp kick…

Vybz Kartel - Breathless

“Gal, from mi was a baby, mi mama tell me sey, ‘Son you are to find a gal fi take yuh breath away” - deep.