Khago Wants Concert For Laden After His Release From Prison

Dancehall singjay Khago is not only calling for the music industry to give incarcerated artist Laden his flowers, but throw him a shindig upon his release from prison. 

He aired his opinions during an Instagram Live on Friday, where he addressed the culture of some new acts not acknowledging their musical inspirations. 

“Unno better give up unno respects to Laden cause a Laden flow unno a use,” the Tun Up Di Ting artist declared. “Unno a use Khago melody, Laden flow and (Vybz) Kartel persona. Unno give the persona every respect, but the man weh unno use him melody and the man weh unno a use him flow, (you don’t credit). Unno need fi send back Laden flow guh dung a St Elizabeth.”

It is in that parish that Laden was handed a four-year sentence in December 2020 for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

“When Laden come from jail, mi want all a unno young artists just know seh we a keep the biggest show dung a Junction (in St Elizabeth) fi him.”

Laden, whose real name is O’keefe Aarons, rose to fame as a Digicel Rising Star top ten finalist under the stage name ‘Jim Laden’, and is known for songs like Time to Shine, Feelings too Heavy, and Never Lonely.

Khago prides himself on modeling what he preaches, giving flowers to Mr. Vegas for his influence on his career despite their tumultuous history. 

“Just like how mi seh Mr. Vegas a my artiste dat. Fabby Dolly and Treco, a fi dem style we a use, and Kiprich, a fi dem style we a use…but Khago come put the singjay thing pon a level and modern(ise) it and the youth dem a run wid it.”

He continued, “Yuh have one next singer name Terry Ganzie and one next singer name Pinchers. ‘Vegas come use fi dem style and Khago come tek it and put it which part it suppose to go.”

It’s not all bad, as Khago hailed new-gen acts Valiant and Intence for citing him as inspiration. He took it up a notch by taking partial credit for the ushering in of new talent in the mid-2000s, which was arguably monopolised by the Gully-Gaza fandom of Mavado and Kartel. 

“All of unno young artistes weh come after me, I-Octane a unno grandfather, me a unno father and Tommy Lee (Sparta) a unno uncle. A dem three artistes yah mash up the Gully and Gaza thing and set it fi unno.”