Slight criticism came down on Vybz Kartel after he mentioned washing his face with cake soap– a detergent soap that contains bleach– in his “Straight Jeans and Fitted” song a few months back. Now Kartel has fired back with a followup track, remixing the verse, and like he does so well, confronting the conflict with… skin care remedies?? In “Cake Soap” he argues for cake soap’s soothing qualities (among other things):
“Hear me now, gyal from every area,
me a waan fi clear it up, how deh gyal love me so,
inna my, inna my, inna my skin,
deh girl dem a say dey have dem ice cream,
straight jeans and fitted in white t’s,
she say teacha ya skin feel nice eeeh”
Tell me if I’m wrong on that translation. And yes, “eeeh” is a word.
On another note, I like this riddim. It has an epic ‘charging bull’ quality to it.
Vybz Kartel, “Cake Soap” (Blue Bamma Riddim)
Get it here.
Tags: blue bamma, Vybz Kartel
this song is prime example of Kartel’s good writing skills, even if the subject matter is reprehensible. He is essentially endorsing skin bleaching for men. And this isn’t even the first time he’s done it… He had a song a few years ago encouraging women to buy bleaching cream…
It’s catchy, but it’s also kinda vile.
Did u purposely use a picture from back in the day so not to show this so called “cake soap” evidence hahaha
Or… to highlight it. U decide. Lol.
he actually says “scheme” not skin in your translation, as in “housing scheme”…
Translation a little off but that’s besides the point. Man ah promote bleaching…bottom line.
Him sey,
Hear mi nuh, gyal from every area, me dem want fi tear it up, how di gyal dem love mi suh. Inna my, inna my, inna my “scheme” (ie housing scheme), di gyal dem ah sey mi ah dem ice cream.
“she seh ‘Teacha’ jus keep yuh skin nice eeeh”
Vybz is known as Addi di Teacha
gaza me say
Wanted to point out that since I posted this track back in October when it was released in Kingston, hits for this post have soared since his bleaching became an international conversation in December. I’m talking from 25 hits a day to 500.
Kartel’s method of enticing publicity by any means necessary, even intriguing those who find his values and practices appalling, works. He manages to keep his name on the tips of peoples tongue while building a fan base BECAUSE he is controversial.