Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Vybz Kartel's road manager, Jeffrey Hype.

On the heels of the lyrical battle between hotshots Vybz Kartel and Mavado, at last Saturday's Champions in Action, Kartel's road manager Jeffrey Hype has come out to clear his name.

Mavado and Kartel have begun using producer Cordell 'Scatta' Burrell's Self Defence rhythm as the battleground for their renewed conflict. The two songs contain heavy lyrics with Mavado's Dem A Fg questioning Kartel's sexuality and Kartel's counteraction Wha Dat Fah, dissing Mavado and members of his family.

Lyrical confrontation

At the recently held Champions in Action, Mavado took the lyrical confrontation further by stating that Jeffrey Hype has a tattoo of Vybz Kartel on his neck. In the song, Mavado states "a dats why Jeffrey Hype tattoo yuh name pon him neck wid cherry".

The song continues: "Gangsta a gangsta when yuh see gangsta, yuh know gangsta. When yuh see freak yuh know freak, when yuh see bwoy weh tattoo up and full a tattoo pon neck, dem a freak".

However, when contacted, Jeffrey Hype, who has been road manager for Kartel and the Portmore Empire for the last two and a half years, stated that he does not have a tattoo of Kartel's name on his neck.

Mi woman name, 'Donna', tattoo on mi neck wid a big heart, Donna far different from Kartel," Hype said.

Jeffrey Hype does, however, have a tattoo of Vybz Kartel's face on his arm. Hype got the tattoo a little over a year ago out of respect for the man he claims discovered him and brought him to fame.

Carry bad feelings

"Kartel a my general, my dads ... my god, different from di Almighty ... Mi come from nowhere and di man tun mi inna di biggest ting ... Dere is nuting on Earth dat he (Kartel) can do an hurt mi fi mi fi give him bad face. Dats why Mavado a carry bad feelings," he said.

According to Hype, he and Mavado have known each other for years, as Hype grew up in Havendale and Mavado lived a short distance away, in Cassava Piece.

He said, "Mavado know me from long time. Him nuh like when man come pick me up and brush me off and tun my name into di biggest ting in Jamaica. Him (Mavado) neva know mi coulda be a star like him. Di worl' know me and love me. Him a call my name to get a hype."

However, according Hype, despite the contents of the song, he has no hard feelings for Mavado. "From my name him call and mek him money, I don't have a problem. Money mi seh. It don't trouble me," Hype told the STAR.

He further stated that since the song was released, he has got even more popular as persons are asking to see his tattoos.

The name 'Donna', not Kartel, is tattooed on Jeffrey Hype's neck. - Junior Dowie Photos

Artiste Vybz Kartel's face is tattooed on the arm of his road manager, Jeffrey Hype.