BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JUST when he thought the worst was behind him, popular Jamaican reggae star Jah Cure was recently banned from the Music of Black Origin Awards (Mobo) to be held next month in Glasgow in Scotland.
According to a popular Jamaican website, the singer’s nomination in the Best Reggae Act category was withdrawn after organisers found out that he was a convicted rapist.
They further noted that the Mobo organisers said they made the decision after finding out about the severity of the crime ahead of the ceremony.
The ‘Prison Walls’ singer was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in April 1999 but was released from jail on parole on 28 July 2007, after serving eight years of his sentence. Three days later, his fourth album, ‘True Reflections...A New Beginning’ was released.
Jah Cure has since then strongly maintained his innocence and was highly requested to perform by a number of countries after his release. He also tied the knot recently with 2009 Miss Jamaica World contestant Kamila McDonald
This is not the first time a Jamaican artiste has been dropped from the awards. In 2004 Vybz Kartel and Elephant Man were both removed from their category, after they both refused to apologise for homophobic lyrics.
The Mobo awards is in its 16th staging and recognizes music of black origin.
