I-Octane’s name is once again mentioned in the ongoing Klansman criminal trial.
A witness in the Klansman-One Don Gang Trial on Tuesday said dancehall artiste I-Octane was secretly recorded agreeing to assist a wanted gangster in leaving the island. The witness seemed to have disclosed a sophisticated plan by the artist, who is heard in an audio recording saying he would arrange for the gangster to travel outside of Jamaica as a part of his entourage.
I-Octane is known to travel with an entourage which includes mainly men when touring. According to the witness, there was a phone conversation in which one of the gang members on trial, Fabian’ Crocs’ Johnson, was secretly recorded by the ex-gangster turned state witness.
The recording reportedly had the gang member suggesting that I-Octane was charging a fee to allow him to be part of his entourage.
“link all di bwoy Octane pon di ting, him ah tell mi bout 250. Come in like a joke ting,” Johnson said in the recording.
When asked why I-Octane wanted $250,000 or was giving him money, the gang member said, “No pan my ting man, pan book ting yuh zeet.”
The witness explained to the court that before the recorded conversation, he had been part of discussions where Johnson sought the artist’s help in leaving the island.
“A easy ting dat, him can get a visa mek him come on tour but him responsible for himself,” the witness said I-Octane said.
Last November, two separate witnesses implicated I-Octane to the Klansman gang. The chief investigator who testified in the case said that the same Fabian Johnson, otherwise called ‘Crocs,’ had told police upon arrest that he was close to I-Octane and worked for the artist.
An earlier witness had claimed that I-Octane was friendly with the notorious leader of the gang, Andre ‘Blackman’ Bryan and other members of the notorious gang who would go to the studio with him when he was recording music and even when his daughter was around.
Octane had later denied the reports saying that he is not involved in criminal activities.
“People me never know seh voicing music for an established recording company is a crime… mi bus from mi a 16/17- over 15 years or more and mi voice for so many GHETTO LABELS…. Buss nuff ghetto yutes who a produce music from di ghetto and never involve or mention in any criminal activities, so why now?”
The singer also denied that he was escorted by criminals to the recording studio while raising doubts about the witness’ testimony in court.
“No one escort me to studio,” I-Octane said. “People in the music can tell you I have my own recording studio so when anybody wants to do any form of recording dem meet me at the studio. Next thing, why would I be doing crime and have my little daughter at a crime scene?”
He also claimed that while he has met many youths who were into “badness,” he was never involved with criminal activities.
I-Octane explained that opted to help the gangsters by letting them record music in the studio rather than turn them in to the police.
