Dancehall artiste JayBlem believes he will ultimately be exonerated when he heads back to a US court on December 5 to answer to charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly), and possession of paraphernalia.
The 19-year-old was among six men arrested by Bay County Sheriff’s deputies and US Marshals Task Force last week in Panama City, Florida.
The emerging entertainer, whose real name is Jaheim Cox, believes that bad luck played a major role in his arrest.
"It was just a case of wrong place, wrong time, mi never do nothing wrong, the truth ah go come out in the end. God a God,” he said.
On Sunday, JayBlem released a single titled ‘God A Lead’, which has racked up almost 40,000 views so far since its release. The song, recorded a few hours after he was granted bail on drug charges, addresses his feelings of betrayal as social media users spread rumours about the nature of his arrest and even appeared to celebrate his downfall.
"When me deh inna lockup it kinda shake me up to know say your own people will throw you under the bus, and them not really with you when things look bleaky. This just a teach me fi keep mi circle small and keep people weh loyal round me," he said.
He is the son of veteran artiste Danny English.
“Right now, mi ah gwaan listen to mi father, him a show mi fi watch certain pree and me more careful ah road, so God a lead out right now,” he said.
JayBlem, a former star athlete for Kingston College, emerged on the music scene in 2018, but had his major breakthrough last year with his single, ‘Account’. He has continued to churn out hits like ‘Twerk Fi Mi Dolly’, ‘Martian’ and ‘Rocket’.
Reports are that the US Marshal Service tracked down wanted man Anelka Green from New York to a residence in Panama City, Florida. When the search was finished, six men inside Green’s condominium, including Cox, were arrested after officials allegedly found several hundred grams of marijuana, MDMA pills, and more than US$23,000 in cash.
The other men arrested were Shamar Wedderburn, 22, Renato Campbell, 22, Shamarie Livingston, 22, and Kevar Taylor, 19.