Vybz Kartel’s music was placed on the BBC’s “rested list” during his years in prison, according to BBC 1Xtra disc jockey, Seani B.
Now, with his release, listeners on BBC radio can once again hear Kartel, whom Seani described as “the great man” in action, which is a significant moment for Dancehall, according to the former Limited Edition Sound System selector.
“For the entire time Kartel was imprisoned, I was unable to feature his music on my show. Once you go behind those prison walls, the BBC put you on what’s called the ‘rested list,’” Seani B revealed in an article published by The Voice.
A broadcasting company’s “rested list” generally refers to songs temporarily removed from rotation to maintain variety and avoid overexposure.
Although the BBC does not have a specific policy that automatically places incarcerated artists on a rested list, decisions about whether to continue airing an artist’s music are typically made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as the nature of the crime and public sentiment. In some cases, legal controversies may lead to a temporary pause in airtime.
In the article, Seani B explained how Kartel’s absence from the airwaves impacted his own radio selections.
“Even though there was never a shortage of Vybz songs in my club sets, on the radio I had to learn to navigate the space without playing music from one of Dancehall’s most revered artists,” he noted.
“I would like to think because I am such a great selector that his presence was not missed, but it did give me the opportunity to dig deeper and not rely on what everyone else was playing,” he added.
Kartel’s return to the airwaves signals not just the end of his time on the BBC’s rested list, but also the start of what many expect to be a new era for the Dancehall star.
His absence and red-listing, Seani B said, posed a huge challenge, which led him to focus on nurturing young and emerging Jamaican Dancehall artists over the last 10 years.
“I think this helped me nurture many young and upcoming talents like Masicka, Govanna, Shenseea and many others during the last decade simply because I had to grow from the ground up rather than picking the ripe fruits from the tree,” he noted.
Seani B also pointed out that since Kartel’s release, there has been a surge in attention surrounding the Any Weather artist.
“Eighty percent of content from Jamaican vloggers has been all about him and his forthcoming New Year’s Eve comeback show in Jamaica. Once he goes LIVE it’s all about Kartel,” he said.
He also affirmed the widely-known fact that Kartel’s influence remained strong even during his incarceration, noting that he had witnessed the Calabar High School old boy’s ascension to cult status.
“Whilst incarcerated, I witnessed Kartel obtain cult status even among young fans who had never seen him perform or know of him as a free man. His string of releases that we now know were recorded behind bars kept him more than relevant,” he stated.
