Former Gaza Empire member Sheba believes that justice has finally been served following the release of Vybz Kartel and his co-accused in the Court of Appeal on Wednesday.
The entertainer who is known for collaborations such as ‘Like Christmas’ and ‘You and Him Deh’ with the Gaza Empire founder said that she expected to be disappointed, yet again, but was pleasantly surprised by the news.
“I just woke about an hour ago, so I missed everything. Everything is just coming down on me. I don’t even know which feeling to express. Mi done cry, mi done jump, mi done scream, mi done roll… I’m really excited and ecstatic. I’m going through a [whirlwind] of emotions right now. It was a totally different verdict from weh me did expect,” she said.
The judgement was handed down by a three-judge panel, including Justices Marva McDonald-Bishop, Paulette Williams, and David Fraser against retrying the accused men of the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.
At the time of the interview, Sheba said she had spoken to several other members of the Gaza camp who were equally overjoyed about the verdict.
“We’ve been doing cartwheels, well, the ones I talk to… the ones that I do keep in contact with, it was just mad celebration. I’m truly happy, like deep down in my heart,” she said.
Meanwhile, Isaiah Laing, principal of Supreme Promotions, organisers of Sting, said that he will be more than happy to welcome Vybz Kartel back to the stage at this year’s staging.
“It’s still early days. Let’s see what he’s up to. I’d love for him to be there, because that’s his stomping ground. Let’s see what happens. Sting built Kartel and Kartel built Sting,” he said, agreeing that justice has finally prevailed.
He added: “Wherever he goes for the first time, or the second, or the third time, there will be a bumper-to-bumper crowd.”
Isaiah Laing
In the same breath, Laing believes that the next step for the entertainer should be focusing on his health as he continues to battle Graves’ disease. The condition affects the immune system and causes hyperthyroidism, which is the overproduction of hormones from the thyroid.
“I know he has a very good lawyer, and I know they must have a very good doctor, so the first thing he needs to do is to look about that health,” he said.
Clyde Mckenzie
At the same time, Jamaican music scholar Clyde McKenzie is of the view that the “Worl’ Boss” has some assimilating to do as he readjusts to freedom and the dancehall genre that has evolved.
“He was instrumental in forming this new era of the music, some would say. The question now is how will he be able to reintroduce himself, although he has had some presence, but how will he manage to insert himself into this new market. It will be left to see how well he is going to adapt to this situation.
“Somebody who has had the kind of career he has had, sometimes you might not need to come with anything new, for now. You might be able to live on your legacy… However, whether you like him or not, he is undeniably a very talented man, and therefore you can’t write him off in anything. You just have to watch to see what will happen,” he said.
