In 2010, Vybz Kartel released “Clarks” — a tribute to the British desert boot that became one of dancehall’s most unlikely crossover hits. Produced by Dre Skull on the Di Genius riddim and featuring Gaza Slim and a young Popcaan, the single turned a wardrobe staple into a national obsession, the BBC reported at the height of the craze.
The song
“Clarks” name-checks specific styles — Wallabee, Desert Trek, Bank Robber — over a minimalist beat, and Kartel’s lyrics treat the footwear with the reverence other artists reserve for cars or jewellery. Retailers in Kingston reported sell-outs; Clarks International acknowledged the spike in Jamaican sales, the BBC noted. The track sat alongside the February 2010 release of Pon Di Gaza 2.0, the second volume in Kartel’s Gaza franchise, per Discogs.
Why it matters
“Clarks” is the template for Kartel’s cultural influence at its most playful and precise: a song that is simultaneously a product endorsement, a class commentary and an undeniable riddim. It remains among the most cited examples of dancehall’s power to reshape consumer behaviour — and proof that the Teacha could make anything cool.
Listen and dig deeper
- Play Pon Di Gaza 2.0 in the Listen library, and browse Vybz Kartel, Popcaan and Gaza Slim.
- Previously: Up 2 Di Time and early breakthrough (2003). Next: The Gaza movement takes shape (2010).
Sources: BBC — “Jamaica’s Clarks shoe obsession” (Oct 2010); Discogs — Pon Di Gaza 2.0; AllMusic — Vybz Kartel biography.
Editor’s note: This entry is part of the JamaicansMusic online museum — a career timeline assembled from the archive. It is dated to the era it documents; every claim is drawn from the linked sources.