IN JAMAICA: US rapper rues lack of suppport for Kartel Bad Vybz!.... AMERICAN rapper Spliff Star, who, along with Busta Rhymes, flew into the island this week to support jailed deejay Vybz Kartel, expressed disappointment that local artistes are not coming to court in support of Kartel.

Incarcerated deejay Vybz Kartel leaving
 the Home Circuit Court in downtown
 Kingston yesterday.
(PHOTO: BRYAN CUMMINGS)

Saturday, March 08, 2014    

AMERICAN rapper Spliff Star, who, along with Busta Rhymes, flew into the island this week to support jailed deejay Vybz Kartel, expressed disappointment that local artistes are not coming to court in support of their beleaguered colleague.

Spliff Star, who is of Trinidadian descent and appeared on Busta Rhymes' album The Coming, shared his observation with the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

"Other artistes in Jamaica should come and support him. I can't believe it. All Jamaican artistes should have stood up right here. Every artiste should have been right here," said Spliff Star, 38, whose given name is William Lewis.

"I don't like that. Ask yourself, if you were in that position wouldn't you want the support?" said Star, who, with Rhymes, was in the Number Two courtroom of the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston for a second day.

Star and Rhymes left the courthouse with Vybz Kartel's grandmother, Valda Palmer, sister Naydia Palmer and a cousin Chrisann McPherson. They were enveloped by a throng of supporters and media personnel on

King Street.

American rapper Busta Rhymes (centre)
leaves the Home Circuit Court in downtown
Kingston with Chrisann McPherson, cousin
of Vbyz Kartel, and Valda Palmer,
Kartel’s grandmother.
(PHOTOS: BRYAN CUMMINGS)

Rhymes hugged and chatted with Kartel's relatives while supporters of the embattled DJ rallied around them. Rhymes (given name Trevor Smith Jr) has Jamaican roots and has previously collaborated with Kartel.

While unwilling to speak about the case, he was in the island to show his support. "Me jus' waan support the family of Kartel and support everything dat is right," he said in Jamaican dialect Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer; Shawn Campbell, popularly known as Shawn Storm; Shane Williams; Andre St John; and Kahira Jones have been on trial since November 18 over allegations that they beat Clive 'Lizard' Williams to death at the entertainer's Havendale, St Andrew home, on August 16, 2011 over the disappearance of two illegal guns.

Meanwhile, presiding judge Justice Lennox Campbell in his second day of summation told jurors yesterday that this would be their last weekend on the trial. He indicated he would turn the case over for deliberation next week. more