KINGSTON, Jamaica — Vybez Kartel, a popular Jamaican dancehall artist, has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and illegal possession of a firearm, according to a police statement released Monday.

The singer, born Adijah Palmer, stands accused of murdering a promoter who was slain in Jamaica earlier this year.

Kartel made controversial headlines after bleaching his skin from brown to almost white—on purpose. In an interview with Rolling Out Magazine, Kartel claims that bleaching of the skin is just as acceptable as tanning:

“This is my new image,” Kartel said in the interview. “You can expect the unexpected. I feel comfortable with black people lightening their skin. They want a different look. It’s tantamount to white people getting a sun tan.”
A trial date has not been set.