Yankey Boy: ‘Change Vybz Kartel date so I could eat’

SOCA ARTISTE Kevon “Yankey Boy” Heath is calling on the organisers of the One Caribbean Music Festival to change the event’s date so he could eat.

The artiste began a hunger strike on Wednesday to protest Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Azim Palmer’s performance at the 2025 concert on Carnival Friday – February 28.

He is only consuming water at the moment, he said in a phone interview on Thursday.

Although he has no problem with Vybz Kartel, grew up on dancehall and would even go to the concert himself, Heath said the hunger strike was for younger artistes who might have a chance at capturing a possible soca monarch on that day.

He said his soca campaign began around September 4 for Brooklyn’s Labour Day weekend.

“I went out on the Parkway and I noticed every time I saw the Trini trucks pass by, where the international media was, they were playing dancehall music. I recorded at least 11 times and have it on my social media for people to see.

“Every time the Jamaican trucks passed by, they played their music. Haitian truck, only their music, Grenadian, Vincy, American, they play only their music.

“Why the TT truck playing other people music? Why they don’t play a Calypso Rose, a David Rudder? It could be any artiste. All I was hearing was only dancehall on the road and I realise females in costume putting up gun finger to all these gun songs and thing they playing.”

Something similar happened during Miami’s Carnival held in October and now it came back to TT with Vybz Kartel being a major act during a Carnival concert, Heath said.

“I don’t have a problem with Vybz Kartel in TT. I like Vybz Kartel and his music and everything. But my problem is put it on an Ash Wednesday because now the rumour in the air is Soca Monarch is coming back and it is going to affect the young and upcoming.”

Heath said no one was going to see the young artistes and would most likely want to attend the concert with Vybz Kartel.

It could have been any other day, he said. Heath believes Carnival Friday should be for soca’s upcoming generation and for those interested in showcasing themselves.

He argued that with cruise ships visiting TT, many visitors may opt to go to that event instead and TT could instead lose foreign exchange instead of gaining.

“It is a bigger picture, I making a stance for. I don’t have a problem with Kartel in the country but go Ash Wednesday.”

He said it was only because fans complained that the promoters were now saying it is 80 per cent soca and 20 per cent dancehall.

Heath said he wants to see it through and intends to go as far as he can.

“I have a message for the promoter. Hurry up and change the date so I could start back to eat please,” he said.

Heath has a slogan for his campaign which is Carnival is only supposed to be soca, calypso, chutney, steelpan and tassa.

Vybz Kartel was released from prison on July 31. He was originally sentenced to serve a life sentence for the 2011 murder of the Clive “Lizard” Williams.