JUICY NEWS

ENTERTAINERS BEWARE

Three years after the dancehall and by extension entertainment industry was gripped by the fatal and gruesome death of popular dancer Gerald ‘Bogle’ Levy; the entertainment industry has once again been hit with the shocking news that two more members of the industry have also been killed by means of the gun. The new victims to die from the entertainment industry are the dancer David Alexander Smith also known as Ice and gospel DJ Kassim Grant, who is known in entertainment circles as Moses.

Dancer Ice was gunned down in the early hours of Boxing day, December 26 2008, along Newark Avenue, Kingston 11. The St. Andrew central police has relayed that, Ice was killed moments after exiting a bar where he had gone to purchase a pack of cigarettes. Further reports are that the vehicle in which he was traveling, a Mitsubishi Lancer, was also stolen.

In the case of Moses, he was reportedly involved in a dispute on the Mammee River in Gordon Town, Kingston, on the 26 of January 2009. During the reported altercation, he is said to have pulled a gun and fired shots, hitting one of two persons with whom he was arguing. Grant reportedly fled the scene and his body was found in the area the following morning with
gunshot wounds.

Is this violence and lack of care for human life spilling into the entertainment industry? Jamaica over a period of years has received the exclusive title of being the "murder capital of the world". Throughout this ‘reign’, however, certain members of the upper class were exempt (or so were thought). Some members of the upper class that were thought to be excluded were politicians, religious leaders and members of the entertainment fraternity. Conversely, as recent history has shown a new metamorphosed generation of murderers has taken over! They seem to have no mercy on neither lower, middle or upper class citizens. It was once thought that certain members of society could never be harmed because of their influential position. But as recent events have shown, no one is safe.

Even though the conclusion has been made that no one is safe, the question must be asked, is there a plot against entertainers in Jamaica? The space of time between Bogle’s death and Ice’s death is almost three years, but within weeks after Ice’s death, Moses was murdered. Is this a new trend or are these isolated occurrences?

These questions are pretty hard to answer. Only those incorporated in the business of murders can answer those questions. However, no matter the answer , we as Jamaicans must try our best to preserve our national culture and cultural icons, of which Bogle, Ice and Moses are apart of.