Jamaican dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel scored his first number one for the year 2008 with the single, Money Fi Spend on the Big Ship label. The single, propelled by excellent street play and brisk sales, knocked Harry Toddler off the top of the Jamaica Music Countdown charts two weeks ago and continues its strong run.

Kartela.jpgLast year, Kartel scored two number ones last year with Wine Pon You and Beyonce Wine. In the meantime, his other singles such as Trailer Load A Money hit the top ten of the RE TV charts and is poised to become a monster hit this Summer, while Nah Go Nowhere is number 8 on the Jamaica Music Countdown chart.

He has attended workshops put on by the US Embassy geared towards reaching out to disenfranchised youths and he has donated computers to high schools in need of equipment.

The deejay has been turning his attention to projects such as the promotion of his Vybz Rum liquor, as well as playing a role to help decrease the level of violence in the society. He recently personally bankrolled a series of radio commercials which were in effect public service announcements decrying violence on ZIP FM.

He has done this for the past four weeks, paying for the commercials out of his own pocket.

"We have to make an effort to reach the disenfranchised youths in Jamaica, to make them understand that crime and violence is not the answer, life is more than just guns and badness...there are many opportunities out there and other ways for them to exist and express themselves," he said.

Other stakeholders are responding. Jaevion Nelson of the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network, will be using the PSA as part of a workshop at Youth Opportunities Unlimited on healthy lifestyles this Saturday.

" I heard it on the radio two Sundays ago - and thought it is a great effort that must be lauded, supported and sustained," he said.

Vybz Kartel is also maturing as a businessman, scoring his first major endorsement deal with a beverage company. He remains enthusiastic about the prospects for the liquor's success.

"This represents a great opportunity for me and for the dancehall community to show Corporate Jamaica that the industry can be taken seriously as a viable economic force because of the influence and power that dancehall wields as an art form in Jamaica. We will be going all out to make Vybz Rum a big success," he said.

The product, called Vybz Rum, will be Kartel's first licensing agreement, and his first major endorsement with a beverage company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.The liquor is distributed by Betco. Premier Limited.