I quit bleaching to go corporate – Bishop Escobar

Despite a very active campaign to 'embrace the skin you're in', bleaching in dancehall is still very popular.

But at least one selector has admitted that he quit the practice, having realised that corporate partnerships and bleaching do not go hand in hand.

Bishop Escobar told THE WEEKEND STAR that although he was once a very active member of the #TeamBleach, he threw his creams and gel aside for a crisp, natural image.

Pointing out that he has no regrets, Escobar recalled how an encounter with Romeich at a barbershop prompted a partnership, and his decision to quit bleaching.

"The Saturday was the barber party and him invite Romeich and say him must come know me. When him walk inna di party, me give him one bad intro and he was pleased. When the event done, him say me must come link him and dem time deh me bleach out and white - Queen Elizabeth skin, white from head to toe. Me go up a 1A Campbell's Boulevard (Romeich's base) and dem a say a who da vampire yah inna me yaad," he said. "We had a business meeting and him say him like how me work. I started working with Digicel through Romeich. Dem call and say dem need a host and me was just a selector, but Romeich say him a go tun me inna one host. But him say, 'Hear wah, yuh affi stop bleach'. Every pharmaceutical dash weh after that. When me go home, everything bag up and dash weh. Dis a me natural colour now and it a work fi me, corporate a run me dung."

Escobar noted that he later did Bounty Killer's birthday at Sabina Park, leading to his Guinness partnership.

"I became a Guinness brand ambassador. I was a host for Guinness Sounds of Greatness in 2016. Last year, I was the resident judge for that show and right now, I'm the 'new act for tourism'. Me work wid Pepsi, me work with Lucozade, me work wid Red Stripe, Smirnoff, so Romeich put me inna corporate when him tell me stop bleach," he said, noting that the clean image of Ding Dong and the Ravers Clavers has got them huge endorsements, including with local giant Grace.

"I honestly feel that if you're doing music, do clean music and have a clean image, because that's what corporate wants," he said.