Gully and Gaza made peace. Did Jamaica?

THE EDITOR, Madam:
For years, Gully and Gaza represented one of the most influential rivalries in Jamaican dancehall. Today, the two artistes have recorded music together.
Vybz Kartel and Mavado appear on the 2026 track Hype Life from Kartel’s album God and Time, and their musical reunion has been widely received as a symbol of reconciliation.
It deserves recognition and invites a difficult question: if the artistes have moved beyond one of most famous musical rivalries, has the country confronted what that rivalry revealed about us?
Blaming two entertainers for broader social problems would be unfair. The rivalry gave those divisions a new soundtrack, language and identity.
Dancehall has given voice to marginalised communities, and its contribution cannot be measured solely by controversy.
Kartel’s public bleaching became central to Jamaica’s national discussion about complexion. In a recent interview, he expressed regret, describing bleaching as part of a colonial mindset. That change in outlook is significant, but it does not erase the wider influence the trend had on young people.
Yet, the deeper issue is cultural. What message is sent to dark-skinned children when lighter complexions continue to receive greater praise or perceived opportunity?
Whether expressed through complexion, musical allegiance or online identity, the underlying search for acceptance and belonging remains powerful.
Kartel and Mavado’s reunion is worth celebrating. Learning from the period that made their rivalry so powerful is even more important. Making peace is only the beginning. Real reconciliation requires confronting the attitudes that allowed the rivalry and the culture surrounding it to divide us.

RENEE WATKI