Reggae singer Luciano now has a cloud of doubt and possible jail time
hanging over his head, and despite the negativity, artistes and managers across
the region should use the situation to learn a key lesson about the dark side of
entourages.
In the cable network HBO series Entourage, a sometimes brash,
quirky, yet likeable group of men hang around the main character Vincent Chase.
Through their glaring imperfections, they bring heartache, drama, and often
laughter into the life of Vincent who remains loyal to them despite the roller
coaster ride.
In reality however, the entourage scenario for artistes is a more mixed bag.
Entourages give artistes inspiration, reassurance, calm them down during tense
moments, and provide ready inspiration for songs. But there can be a deadly side
to this, and Luciano says he has seen this dark side.
The 44 year old, whose given name is Jepther Mclymont, was charged by
Jamaican Police in early April with harboring a fugitive. This followed a
dramatic shootout at Luciano’s house and studio, where one gunman held police at
bay for hours, shooting and injuring three of them before eventually being
killed. The police say the man was a criminal wanted by them, and Luciano, who
was not there when it happened, was harboring a known fugitive.
Shortly after receiving bail, at a press conference Luciano denied knowing of
the man’s past, or any connection to criminality. In a statement, the singer
said like most artistes anywhere, he has to deal with a number of persons on a
daily basis, some invited, others uninvited, who all gather by his house which
doubles as a recording studio. “I have always had an open door policy to people,
whether I know them or not. Based on my recent experience, the danger of this
open door policy has not escaped my attention,” noted the singer, who returns to
court later this year.
Artist managers and artistes in the region should note that sometimes artistes
are walking magnets for both good and evil elements. As such they should remain
alert to the characters hounding the artist and avert danger where possible.
It’s not recommended that the artist be sheltered or cut off from his fan base,
but caution is needed at all times.
Another artist with a firsthand taste of the dark side of entourages is Jamaican
deejay Aidonia. He was freed from the Gun Court of Jamaica earlier this
month, from charges of shooting with intent, and illegal possession of firearm.
The charges came from an incident in Kingston last year. The police had alleged
that the deejay along with several other men pulled guns and shot a man who
managed to escape with only minor injuries.
Aidonia had maintained that he was innocent and his comments to the local
media after being freed indirectly blames the company he was keeping at the
time. Among other things, he declared, "Mi definitely expected a not-guilty
verdict, so now we free up again, we can focus on more positivity. No more
unnecessary entourage and di bag a idle thing. Yuh nuh see mi get rid a dem?”
As Aidonia walks free and Luciano walks into court to defend his
name, the lesson for Caribbean artistes is clear. Artistes and their managers
should remain alert, as not everyone hanging around has good intentions for the
artist’s well-being. Whether deliberate or otherwise, their actions sometimes
have dreadful consequences for the potential of the artist.
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