Though he left Vybz Kartel’s Portmore/Gaza Empire more than a decade ago, dancehall singjay Blak Ryno isn’t opposed to working with him in the future.
On a recent episode of Dancehall Hot Seat, the ‘Real Stinga’ was asked about the possibility of collaborating if his former principal desired to, should he be released from prison. Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, is currently appealing a 2014 murder conviction before the Privy Council.
“If ‘Teacha’ waan that, anything possible,” Ryno responded. “Why not?”
The entertainer rose to prominence in 2007 as part of the now-defunct Gaza enclave, standing out with a distinct singjay style and flair for versatile songwriting. In 2010, his exit from the group was heralded in the track Mi Lef, in which he explained some of his headstrong reasons for ‘cutting’ ties.
Despite contributing a myriad of hits to dancehall like Thug Anthem, Badmind, Dollar Coin,and Bike Back, the industry has arguably treated him like an unwanted stepchild since he left the camp. Ryno has often described his predicament as a case of blackballing, but believes his decision to move on from the clique was overblown.
“Everybody nuh keep one job fi too long; some people do, some people don’t,” he said. “That was Gaza; it was, to me, a job. If you have a label and you seh you waan sign me, you a sign me fi work fi you – it’s a job. Sometimes the worker and the boss have fallout and a one a dem thing deh, and the people dem blow it out of proportion when it’s simply that.”
Curry-stained into his brand is the notion that he was disloyal to the Worl’ Boss, though it has never been substantiated. Ryno said he’s discouraged from explaining his side as he feels people will label him a liar anyway.
“Mi a live wid a curse weh mi nuh do nothing…” he said.
“Up to now, dem people yah cya tell me weh mi do. Not even the man weh tell dem seh, ‘Yow, him sell we out’, not even you tell the people weh mi do…”
Despite the continued dark cloud over his career, Ryno said he will “always rate Kartel”, adding, “a Gaza mek me. Mi cya stop seh Gaza”. So loyal, is he, that he’s turned down opportunities to work with any nemesis of the Portmore Empire collective.
“You never see mi go do no song with no artist who we never link with before,” he said. “Mi still keep it dah way deh and it wasn’t no pride nothing. A just how mi grow, so, that is instilled in me.”
Now based in the United States, the singjay is gearing up to release new music, which he teased will bear Afrobeats flavour.
His last release was Ride, a collaboration with Chenphang that debuted three months ago.
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