The Jamaica Star :: Entertainment :: Artistes against Zebra's return

By Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

While some persons are planning to celebrate the release of deejay Garfield 'Zebra' Vassell next week, two artistes are not so pleased and are insisting that he should not be released or allowed to get back in music.

Deejays Tiger and Wayne Lonesome are strongly against Zebra's return. The three acts are known to have similar sounding styles and at least two of them have had differences in the past.

Stop Support Raper

Lonesome known for songs such as Tribute to Tiger and Zebra Yuh Too Red, feels so strongly about the release that he has recorded a song, Stop Support Raper. In the song the deejay encourages sound system selectors and disc jocks not to play any of Zebra's songs

A line states; "...Him rape already, him rape again... wha about di victims?... raping behaviour wi nah tolerate."

When THE STAR spoke with Lonesome, he stated that he doesn't mind that Zebra is being released from prison as he has served his time, but he doesn't believe he should contemplate doing music again.

"Mi mek a song bout Zebra's release cause dem not to glorify him release cause a him victim dem. A di end of di day mi have two girl child and mi nuh waan no man no time think bout touch dem much less rape dem," Lonesome said.

Prison for rape

Zebra, was incarcerated in 2001 and was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison for rape, assault at common law, indecent assault and breaching a probation order.

The deejay is scheduled to be released on Tuesday from the Tower Street Correctional Centre in Kingston, seven years into his sentence. In honour of his release a party and concert is being planned in Ellerslie Pen, St Catherine.

'I don't see why dem release him'

In the case of Norman 'Tiger' Washington he doesn't think that the deejay should be released.

"I don't see why dem release him like dat cause if him do what he has done, it's just not fair," Tiger said.

The deejay who has songs such as Yu Dead Now and When said that he believes Zebra needs time in rehabilitation before he is able to go back out in the world. He also believes that Zebra should find a profession outside of music.

Efforts to make contact with Zebra in prison proved futile but according to an exclusive interview published on the dancehallmuzik.com website, Zebra gave his thoughts on the negativity in the business and plans to be positive. He said, "wi fi stop lead di yutes dem astray, teach dem love fi dem one anadda, an if yuh ago bun out summen yuh affi replace it wid summen else; a dem ting deh mi a talk bout."

When asked how he expects persons to react to him, according to Zebra it would be hard work, especially since it's up to the people who are the ones that build an artiste's career.

Lonesome and Zebra based their deejaying style on the popular Tiger, and like Zebra, Lonesome rose to popularity in the late 1980s, to early 90s. In the 90s Lonesome went into producing, forming his Run Tings Records which he continues to head today.

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