Zebra to touch the road soon

02 May 2008 | by Phlex, Staff Writer

Deejay Zebra will no longer be singing the blues in prison come September this year when he is expected to emerge from the bowels of prison after a long incarceration on rape charges.

"Zebra was convicted of one count of rape and admitted to prison November 19, 2001. He became eligible for parole on March 5, 2005 and the earliest date of release September 6, 2008. However, this date is conditional as he can lose days of remission if he commits any breaches," Major Richard Reese, Commissioner of Corrections, said.

"His conduct so far has been very good and he is involve in the Rehab through Music programme," Reese added.

Zebra is now at Tower Street Adult Correctional Center.

In a 2005 interview with journalist Claude Mills, he had said: "In prisonwhen yu come out, that is your release date, because who knows, something terrible might reach me afta mi lef da interview ya. The date when I come out alive, that is my release date."

During that interview, he said he regretted some of the things he did when he was viewed as a major dancehall act.

"I was on a hype ting, around some hype modelling females, ah par with some hype yutes, so when mi catch the buss, mi just explode the hype pon dem. Children live what they learn, y'know, and at that time, that was Zebra, ah only I and I did a guide I self, no damagement, no tooking agent, so ah just so it go. Mi mek some wrong choices, is a set-up ting and ah so it work out."

Zebra is a far way from the dizzy days of stardom. He first showed up on the dancehall radar when he teamed up with Prince Jazbo to render Wha Yu Run Fah? in 1990. He followed up with Wha Yu Bow Fah?, but soon caught the attention of Tiger and a rivalry of sorts developed between the two because of the songs.

Then he served several years in prison on a rape charge, before returning to the business in 1998, only to be imprisoned two years later on an additional rape charge.

Between 1998-1999, Zebra dominated the local scene with his unique brand of humour and catchy singalong hooks. He scored a barrage of hits including Rupert, Hype Type A Love, Gal Waan Mi Picture Fi Frame and Redder Than Red. He was also a brilliant stage performer, starring stage shows with his charismatic delivery and would have topped Sting in 1999, if not for Beenie Man's performance that year.