A Trinidadian soca artiste known as Yankey Boy is strongly against Vybz Kartel performing at a concert at Trinidad Carnival next year. In protest, Yankey Boy has started a hunger strike for the dancehall artiste to change the date of his performance.
The soca artist, legally named Kevon Heath, shared photos of his hunger strike on Instagram. The pictures show him wearing duct tape covering his lips and a large placard draped over his body.
The front of the placard reads, “Since Vybz Kartel is set to perform Carnival Friday, Feb 28, Yankey Boy Hunger Strike Day 1.” On the back of the placard, the soca artist indicated he would not end his hunger strike unless Vybz Kartel changed the date of his performance. He suggested that the date be pushed to March 5, 2025, on Ash Wednesday.
The protest served to highlight that Trinidian carnivals should focus on the local culture and social music. According to Yankey Boy, who resides in New York, the carnival is not the time or place for dancehall music.
In a separate post, he demanded that Vybz Kartel “pick another date!!” while noting that there are 52 Fridays in a year.
He also accused Vybz Kartel and the organisers of “killing SOCA” by adding dancehall into the carnival. “You people are killing SOCA and continuously making excuses. CARNIVAL SUPPOSED TO BE ONLY SOCA, CALYPSO, CHUTNEY, STEEL PAN & TASSA,” he wrote.
He also made a video speaking about rallying his soca colleagues to protest.
Watch the video below:
Yankey Boy is no stranger to speaking out against dancehall music blending with soca. He voiced frustration on September 2, when he expressed that he was tired of masqueraders combining mas, dancehall, and hip-hop music. He also sang about the issue of only allowing the genres that originated in Trinidad and Tobago to be played at carnivals in the diaspora. The song, entitled “Only Soca,” had sparked controversy.
