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The sexually explicit and violent lyrics for which deejay Vybz Kartel - one half of the Gully-Gaza feud - is known affect how Jamaican teenagers think and view themselves, according to a recent study. Numerous young people between the age of 10 and 18 have spoken of the negative influence of Kartel's lyrics and music videos on them, communication specialist and former permanent secretary in the ministry of energy and mining, Marcia Forbes said her research had found. Forbes, who put the issue in the context of the vicious Gully-Gaza feud between Kartel and his arch-rival Mavado, said the research showed that the deejay had power over what teenagers thought about and how they viewed themselves based on his lyrics. (See page seven for the full article) "One girl was delighted with herself because she met Kartel's standard by having a tight "pum pum" and not one that "placka like mud", as he disparagingly described vaginas with lax walls/ insufficient muscle tone," Forbes said of a girl who "used Kartel's lyrics to validate herself and her sexuality". One boy, she said, explained that the deejay's Tek Buddy song of some years ago was good because it gave power to men. "To this boy, the song showed that men were taking back power from women who were usurping men's roles," Forbes said, reiterating that "teenagers really listen to Kartel". Last week, the police cracked down on several vendors at school gates in Kingston, who were selling badges depicting images of Kartel with what are believed to be two chrome 9mm pistols, bearing the words 'Calabar Empire', and another showing the entertainer holding what appeared to be a firearm to the head of an image which bears the resemblance of Mavado, and has the words, 'Mi murder people inna broad daylight'. The deejay has distanced himself from the pins, insisting that he did not authorise the pins to be made and neither would he derive any financial benefit. And principal of the Edith Dalton James High School, Ray Howell, last week lashed out against the sale of badges, saying it would sow seeds of division among schoolchildren. "We are very concerned about what I call the 'G culture' in schools - the Gully, Gaza, gun, ganja and graffiti. This is the worst disease that has come into the school system in my 37 years of teaching," Howell told the Observer. Forbes said when young people were asked whether music videos reflected mostly real life or mostly fantasy, over 80 per cent said reggae music reflected mostly real life and almost two-thirds expressed similar sentiments about dancehall. "So we see that the vast majority of those in the survey of 447 adolescents believed that our two indigenous music forms really reflect life," Forbes said. SOURCE: Jamaica Observer

ST. CATHERINE, JA (Ms. RAINE INC.): In response to current reports of 'Gaza buttons' and paraphernalia depicting the violent images of Dancehall deejay Vybz Kartel and the so-called Gaza/Gully feud being seized from vendors at several Corporate Area schools, Adidja 'Vybz Kartel' Palmer issues the following statement: "Vybz Kartel does not sanction or condone the selling of Gaza buttons with violent images and statements, especially to children and teenagers. We do not own the Gaza name but recognize that unscrupulous and unethical persons may be seeking to profit from the popularity of the Gaza name by engaging in these terrible practices. We urge the relevant authorities to move quickly to protect innocent children from those who would seek to corrupt them. Vybz Kartel is in the business of music, and through Vybz Rum Limited,the business of alcoholic beverages. We are not involved in the business of merchandising, nor do we benefit from the sale of clothing and other paraphernalia which may bear the Gaza name."

Format: So, for those of us who may not know… who is Serani, the musician? Serani: I’m a singer and songwriter, with a musical background. I’ve been playing the keyboard since, I can’t remember myself. That’s where it all started from, before I started singing or anything. I started producing in 2001 in Jamaica, making dancehall reggae music. Things started to pop off for me in 2004 when I started working with Sean Paul, I co-produced “We Be Burnin’”. I guess that’s really where it all started for me. Format: So, you started in the music game as a producer, at what point did you realize that you wanted to make that transition from being backstage as a producer to being a performer on stage? Serani: 2007 really. That’s when I actually started singing. Format: What led to that transition – was it one moment? Is this something you always wanted to do? Serani: Well, I guess it was something that I thought about, but never really took seriously. I guess it really just happened through God. I didn’t really know I could do it, but then I was making a beat and something just made me stop making the beat and just get up, literally stand up, and start singing. Then out comes something that sounds like a hit. Like I said, it’s not like I used to sing, I really and truly started singing in 2007 so I didn’t have any kind of training. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just trying, you know? But the melodies were sounding good and I basically kept singing in the booth until I got it right. I kept practicing until I just started sounding better. Format: What musicians have guided you or inspired you over the years? Serani: I wouldn’t say that anybody really guided me, any guidance that I got was indirect. I’ve been listening to Tracy Chapman since I was a kid. Michael Jackson, R. Kelly people like that. Format: What really stood out for me about your music is how versatile it is. You’ve got soulful melodies, bumping dancehall tunes and even some conscious stuff. What inspires the music that you make? Serani: It’s based on my experience and also experiences that are close to me. Things that I have seen since I’ve been alive. Format: You’re one song, “Mama Still Hungry”, is about the quest to be successful. Is that a reflection of your own life experiences? Serani: Definitely. I wasn’t born wealthy. But one thing I know for sure is that my mom and my family, they wanted the best for me, and they took care of me the best way possible. Basically, I dedicate my life to making sure that I get the best for them. I definitely want to be successful so I could take care of my mom and just my family really. I mean even for myself, you know like, the world. It’s not an easy road, so if you want to be successful you’ve got to work hard. Format: How would describe your sound? Serani: I don’t limit myself. I always try to be creative. It’s definitely Jamaican sort of. I don’t know. I call it smooth and groovy [laughs] Riddim and dancehall. Format: Alright I’ll take that. You collaborated with Drake on his “Best I Ever Had” single. Tell me about that. Serani: Well basically, I heard his song and I loved it. I knew I could do a flick to it, like a dancehall version. So I just did it. We cool, Drake and I. He has a strong Jamaican background. I’m not sure if he has Jamaican family but living in Canada there are so many Jamaicans it’s almost like you’re Jamaican yourself. When I speak to Drake, he speaks to me like he’s a Jamaican. We have a good vibe, so it’s cool. “I want to be right up there with Sean Paul and Shaggy. Definitely, that’s where I want to be. But still maintain that Jamaican presence.” Format: What was it like working with other heavyweights in the industry like Sean Paul, Mavado? Serani: Sean Paul is very talented, Mavado likewise. I actually was the first producer to give Mavado a hit song. I started his career really, I was definitely one of the first people to bring him out there. Sean Paul had a successful album before I even worked with him so it was a pleasure. It was very fun working with someone so talented. He is actually someone that I actually looked up to for a long time due to the fact that I love singers and artists that carry a lot of melody. He did a lot of that. I used to listen to Sean Paul and Wayne Marshall, Jamaican artists that did a lot of songs for ladies. Carrying those nice melodies. And Mavado, when I first heard him, he had a sound like Tracy Chapman and, like I said before, I’m a huge Tracy Chapman fan. Format: Now, there’s people like Sean Paul and other reggae artists who have made it on the billboard charts and on the international scene. Then there are others who are just as happy being in the underground reggae scene. Where do you see yourself fitting in — in the reggae dancehall scene — in the years to come? Serani: I’m always going to try and maintain an international presence. And at the same time I’m still going to be doing songs for my Jamaican market. So, yeah, I’m a Jamaican trying to do it big. I want to be right up there with Sean Paul and Shaggy. Definitely, that’s where I want to be. But still maintain that Jamaican presence. Format: You have your own production company. Do you plan on still working that side of things, as doing the performing side, recording and releasing your album? Serani: Well I wanted to tell you that. I have not made a transition like you said earlier. I have just broadened my horizons. Most of the songs that I sing, I produce myself but I also have new artists that I work with. The hottest dancehall beat for the year in Jamaica – I am the one that made it. I made the beat. It’s called the ‘Goodlife’ riddim. Yea 2009. It’s the hottest beat, definitely. Format: So is there one you enjoy doing more, producing or performing? Serani: Well, I don’t think I could answer that question too well. I used to get so excited over playing the keyboard and producing, and then all of sudden in 2007 I found this new love — singing. I got more excited over that so I’m not even sure. Singing is new to me. I’m so overwhelmed by it. But at the same time, I cannot sing without production. I can’t sing without producing, cause I know how to produce. If I’m singing, I’m going feel kind of naked if I leave the production behind, because I know what I want. I can’t do one without the other. Format: You’re album is coming out soon. What can we look forward to? Serani: In making that album I tried really hard to make singles, I wanted it to be a problem finding just one single. I’ve got four or five songs that could be in the running to be a single. The album is nice. More Info: SERANI / Serani on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads