Alkaline Shades Vybz Kartel As ‘Craft Man’ In Dark Video For ‘Cree’
The man himself, Dancehall artiste Alkaline, yesterday dropped visuals for his single, Cree, which some eagle-eyed fans have speculated throws shade at the deejay’s long time rival Vybz Kartel.
The song, released on May 23 and produced by Countree Hype Entertainment, is a classic “gun tune” about revenge and retribution and adds to Alkaline’s collection of similar iconic tracks like Badness It Name, Afterall, Object Bingo and Ricochet. Cree has a similar style to these but not in a way that removes its uniqueness.
What was most interesting about the KD Visuals produced short film is how closely it depicts the lyrics of the song. The music video starts with a “Vendetta gang” in masks on their way to a nine-night. (wake)
Miami-situated Alkaline does not appear in the video which was shot in Jamaica but his vocals kick off with “War cya bawl cree. Tell craft man seh we full a technique. Mek him feel like seh wi good but then a RIP. Show up a dem nine-night because we heart clean.”
It can be inferred that it’s the nine-night of “Craft Man,” a man the gang had killed. The gang unleashes terror on the patrons of the wake, as taking out Craft Man wasn’t the end of their retribution.
Meanwhile, some fans have pointed out that the silhouetted image of ‘Craft Man’ at the nine-night, looks extremely similar to a popular 2011 photo of Vybz Kartel before his incarceration. The photo, which was used as the cover for an edition of Kartel’s Kingston Story album, shows the self-styled Pharoah with his arms crossed like mummified Egyptian royalty.
“Dah black pic deh look like Kartel,” said one eagle-eyed commenter. “So wait, the silhouette a Kartel 🤣🤣🤣 craftsman to rass,” added another.
When Cree was released in May, there was speculation among fans that the lyrics were a subliminal message to Kartel, especially since it arrived on the heels of Nah Fi Like which more directly dissed the imprisoned artiste. The nine-night silhouette is sure to fuel more of that speculation.
The Vendetta gang continued their rampage and asserted their dominance over their enemies for the remainder of the Cree video.
The fan favorite line “nuff a dem seh dem ah dweet but dem nah dweet like we” would imply that nobody can match up to the Vendetta gang. “Gun dem nuff a weh dem here bout” is clearly shown with the fact that all the men had their own gun.
“Juvenile nah guh trick mi, step to mi wrong, how mi fi know seh him a pickney? Mi seh one inna the chamber. Trigger finger itchy” was displayed when a young boy pleaded with the gang at the nine-night but was killed.
The apparent leader of the gang took the urn of Craft Man, which customarily would not be at the nine-night. He then signaled to the gang members to retrieve three of the patrons on the ground and put them in the van.
The gang carried them to an unknown location where they were executed, after which Craft Man’s ashes were sprinkled on their bodies. We’re not sure what happened to the third victim. The video and the song imply that the war will never be over, and his enemy will never know peace.” Tawcha never stop” appears on the screen before the executions.
Several users, though, were less than impressed with the violence depicted in Cree, given the current level of crime in Jamaica.
“Whether you agree or disagree with the video, what is being depicted is happening in real life!” said one fan in response to critics.
He continued, “Some Jamaicans love to sweep things under the carpet – murderers, bad man, gun man, etc. aren’t sparing NO ONE when they are going on their ops. Let’s not act like Alkaline is the one who is bringing this to the culture, it’s been there. If you want inspiration, go watch Ocean Wave video. 🎭“
“Alkaline is a creative genius, all his videos are thought provoking. This video is a direct representation of what’s happening now in the streets of Jamaica,” declared another.
Watch the official video for Cree below.