ONLY A VERBAL CLASH? Sizzla's camp denies physical conflict with Jah Cure

Reggae artiste Jah Cure has released an official statement about the altercation between himself and fellow artiste, Sizzla, at a recent show in Clarendon.

The release which was emailed to the media yesterday did not clearly state what took place or what caused the incident. Instead, Jah Cure is quoted as saying; “Many may have heard of a recent incident at Cocoa Tea’s Dancehall Jam Jam. In light of this, I want to state that I am a positive person whose only aim is to uplift people and live in a positive way.”

He further goes on to specifically point to Sizzla as one of the persons who has assisted him in his career. “I want to thank Sizzla Kalonji as he was one of the first to believe in my music,” he said about the singer with whom he recorded the single, Divide And Rule.

On Monday night, during the annually held event, the two artistes became involved in a dispute backstage in which blows were allegedly thrown. Reports are that they had been involved in a conversation before things became ugly.

Not reported

The two parties were separated by personnel standing close to them. The matter was not reported to the police and the show was not interrupted. Efforts by THE STAR to contact both parties after the incident were unsuccessful and the persons close to the artistes were tight-lipped about the situation.

According to Jah Cure’s publicist, Robert Morgan, the release is a statement of fact which emphasises what Jah Cure stands for, stating “he is on a path to bring music to another level”.

In Jah Cure’s statement it is also clear that he did not want to focus on the incident and that he was making every effort to point out he was now on a positive ‘mission’. The once incarcerated singer states, “2007 was a challenging year, for me. However, throughout the year, I was able to stay focused on the music, while maintaining a positive attitude. I am here to uplift the people as I myself was once down. I want to use my music to comfort the hurt and bring joy to the sad.”

He ends his release by stating that, “Life is about challenges and hurdles, but what makes a man a better person is the way he deals with these challenges and hurdles. I will try to make sure that my music remains positive and that my actions reflect my message.”

Sizzla was not available for any comment. However, his publicist emphasised that the confrontation had not been physical and the incident was merely a verbal altercation between friends.