By Sade Gardner – STAR Writer–

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When hardcore dancehall artiste SKP found out he had eczema, he looked to doctors to remedy the condition. But after being told by a nurse that he looks cute and “it fits him”, he had a light-bulb moment.

The entertainer decided to bleach the half of his face where his eczema most appears, then bleach the opposite side of his hair to complete his look.

He has been sporting this image since January, and said he hopes the look will help to propel his career beyond Jamaica.

“Me just a try be different from every other person me see out there, something weh a go tek me to the international market and grab them,” he told THE STAR. “A long time me have it in mind and never do it, but me decide fi work on the image ’cause a my time now. The idea come to me like a gift, and me just start use cream and light out one side of mi face, and see seh it a work.”

The Bog Walk, St Catherine native said that his decision was initially met with criticism by his peers, with some people even comparing him to a sandwich biscuit and the son of politician Pearnel Charles.

Stunts are not new in the dancehall community, as proven by acts like Alkaline, Kassanova and Spice, but not all are successful.

“I am a million per cent confident that this is going to work in my favor,” the 28-year-old said.

“People call me a madman at first, but now I’m getting the attention. Everybody on the streets and in dem vehicles stop and look, sometimes dem waan tek picture wid me.”

The entertainer’s given name is Renard Campbell, and he had his fair share of monikers before landing on SKP, an acronym for Slave Know Pain. This, he said, was inspired by the national heroes, as he wants to “fight for the Black race”.

FOR SHOCK VALUE

Quite the paradox, based on his skin bleaching, but SKP insists that it is all for shock value, and he has other plans up his sleeve.

“When me get me big break, me a go maintain the image ’cause a it bring me out there. Sometimes the ideas come to me in abundance. Right now, me have seven different ideas for some other image,” he said.

His current repertoire includes Cool Like Sunday, Ghetto Life and Splash Weh that was produced by Prince I-Rae. He hopes to release a song in Spanish in order to target the Latin market. He even shared his long-term aspirations, including his desire to become an actor.

“I just want to be an artiste that can help out situations that need to be sorted out. Me waan help people all over, even the ones weh no like me,” SKP said.