Vybz Kartel Vows Never to Bleach Again, Cites Eurocentric Pressures

Kingston, Jamaica, dancehall icon Vybz Kartel has officially said goodbye to skin bleaching.

After spending 13 years in prison, the music star walked free in July 2024 and is now proudly embracing his natural skin tone.

During an interview on Hot 97 on April 9, Vybz Kartel admitted that he once used skin lightening products and even launched his own brand. However, he said things have since changed.

He told the crew that he is now fully committed to living a melanated lifestyle.

Kartel explained that when he was bleaching his skin, he believed it was just to make his tattoos more visible.

But looking back, he thinks it had more to do with a struggle for self-love.

The superstar also opened up about how Eurocentric beauty standards have affected Black people.

He noted that many have been made to believe that lighter skin is more desirable, a mindset he links to the lingering effects of slavery.

Despite his past choices, Kartel made it clear he would never bleach his skin again.