‘No bad Vybz,’ says Gaza Kim, as Kartel judgment looms

Dancehall diva Gaza Kim has moved on with her life and is happy to forgive – if not totally forget – a much-publicised incident which happened to her with alleged members of Vybz Kartel’s high-profile Portmore Empire/Gaza camp. As Kartel and the world listen out for his judgment today, Gaza Kim prefers to remember the good times, when Kartel used to call her ‘Burger Kim’.

“It was January 22, 2010 ... the same day I was disrespected is the same day I left,” Kim told The Gleaner, with zero trace of bitterness.

The ‘disrespect’ came in the form of a beating by Kartel’s alleged goons, which Kim enshrined in her single, God’s Plan.

“ Them tell a bag a lie pon me fi mek mi get beaten / The bugga them want to see me weaken / But mi never weak at all only mi bladder get weaken / Maybe because it was on a weekend / Friday, January 22 nd , 2010 was when mi life change,” Kim croons.

“Before all of that, I was treated with respect and love by Vybz Kartel ... until certain people start come around. To tell yuh how good we were, Vybz Kartel used to call mi ‘Burger Kim’,” the Faithful singer said.

Although Gaza Kim has not spoken to Kartel since the incident, it’s not because of lack of trying.

“Afterwards, I tried calling him a few times, because up till now I don’t really know what happened. But I didn’t get through any time at all. However, all is well ... there is no bad vybz,” Kim shared.

With Kartel being weighed in the balance and his fate to be known today, Kim is hoping for the best outcome.

“To be honest, I really don’t know what to even think about the possible results, but I really hope that Kartel gets the good results that he deserves,” said Kim. While in prison in 2012, his book, The Voice Of The Jamaican Ghetto: Incarcerated but not Silenced, co-written with business associate Michael Dawson, was published.

ARRESTED IN 2011

On September 29, 2011, Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was arrested for possession of cannabis, but was subsequently charged with the murder of businessman Barrington ‘Bossy’ Burton, conspiracy to murder, and illegal possession of a firearm. He was granted bail for the Burton murder in March 2012, but remained in prison in connection with a second murder, that of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams of Waterford, St Catherine. A July 2013 trial found Kartel not guilty of the charge of murder of Burton.

His trial for the murder of Williams started on November 18, 2013, and on March 13, 2014, Kartel, along with Shawn Campbell, Andre St John and Kahira Jones, was found guilty by an 11-member jury of the murder of 27-year-old Williams. The 65-day trial was said to have been the longest in Jamaica’s history. On April 3, 2014, Kartel and his co-convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2020, the Jamaican Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, after which they applied to and were granted a hearing by the UK-based Privy Council. The case was heard on February 14 and 15.

Gaza Kim, whose real name is Kim Hamilton, continues to claim her space in dancehall, despite that initial setback, and is currently gearing up for a mini tour of The Bahamas towards the end of the month.

“I am very excited about it. This is my first time in The Bahamas, but the thing is that I am always accepted fully when it comes to the Caribbean. Jay Bad put together this tour because I am here [in Jamaica] and not much was happening,” Kim explained.

Over on social media, she is busy promoting the series of shows, basking in the fact that “when Good Gal busy dem busy”. Although she doesn’t have a list of songs which Bahamians particularly favour, Kim is confident that she can’t go wrong when she pulls tracks such as Amen, Bills, Twice my Age, Faithful and Teenage Pregnancy.

On her more current track list is Weed Minister, an Echo One Productions track which muscled its way to number one on the iTunes Norway chart; Outside, produced by Constrictor Records; Break Free, produced by Jahmaica Entertainment; Hello Success, produced by Jahboy; Good Morning World, produced by BML Elite; and Another Day, produced by Baby Boom. The singjay also has a love song titled Vows (Saint Kingston Music) which she recorded for Devin di Dakta.

“I am doing a lot of work ... putting out songs ... but maybe right now they are not being projected out there as they should. But I am not going to stop doing music, as some people think I should. God gave me my talent and I am not going to sit on it. As Marcia Griffiths says, ‘ I shall sing as long as I live.’ So listen out for more good things from Gaza Kim,” a confident Kim declared.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com