Dancehall icon Vybz Kartel says he will never bleach his skin again, attributing his past decisions to struggles with self-love.
The renowned artiste opened up about his skin-bleaching history during a recent appearance on the Hot 97 radio show with American presenter Ebro Darden.
Reflecting on that chapter of his life, Kartel said, “I mean, in hindsight it definitely had to do with self-love, but on the other hand, while I was doing it, my mind wasn’t telling me that. My mind was telling me, ‘I am doing this to show my tattoos’… I got a lot of tattoos. But looking back, it was just as a Black man, sometimes we have those issues. But I would never bleach again though.”
Kartel also revealed that he has reduced his alcohol and smoking habits and is now focused on building a future with his fiancée, Sidem Öztürk.
“I analyse myself a lot of times, and I think the heavy drinking and smoking when I came out was just my crutch. You got to try to cope. I’ve been in prison for 13 years; I’m out now. The world is bigger — it’s a lot,” he said.
Looking ahead, Kartel expressed excitement about starting a family with Öztürk. “I want some Turkish children,” he added, highlighting his desire to marry her and build a life together.
