Blak Ryno Talks on Vybz Kartel’s Release, Freedom Street Concert and Addresses Shawn Storm
Blak Ryno Talks Vybz Kartel’s Release, Freedom Street and Shawn Storm
When Vybz Kartel walked out of prison in July 2024 after spending 13 years behind bars, the reaction across Dancehall was enormous.
Artists, fans and members of the former Portmore Empire took to social media to celebrate the release of the Dancehall superstar and Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell, whose murder conviction was also overturned.
Among those watching closely was Blak Ryno.
The former Gaza Empire member had his own complicated history with both Kartel and Shawn Storm, making his reaction to their freedom a subject of interest among Dancehall fans.
In the weeks following the release, Ryno spoke publicly about his relationship with his former colleagues, the controversy surrounding his departure from Gaza and the excitement surrounding Kartel’s planned Freedom Street concert.
Blak Ryno Celebrated Kartel’s Freedom
After Kartel and Shawn Storm were released, Blak Ryno shared a photo of Kartel with a short message celebrating his return.
The post was simple, but it carried significance because of Ryno’s history with the Portmore Empire.
Ryno had been part of the Gaza camp during its rise before eventually leaving the group more than a decade earlier.
His departure became a source of speculation among fans, with some people accusing him of being disloyal to Kartel.
Ryno has repeatedly rejected that characterization.
In fact, he has continued to maintain that he has respect for Kartel despite the history between them.
Shawn Storm Questioned Ryno’s Timing
The situation became more complicated when Shawn Storm publicly questioned Ryno’s decision to speak about him and Kartel following their release.
During an interview with The Fix, Storm accused Ryno of attempting to benefit from the renewed attention surrounding their freedom.
Storm’s position was that people who had not maintained contact with him during his 13 years in prison should not suddenly appear once he was back on the outside and receiving major public attention.
His comments sparked a response from Ryno.
Ryno shared screenshots of an old Messenger conversation showing that he had reached out to Storm years earlier.
He argued that his support for Storm was not something he had suddenly invented after the release.
The disagreement quickly became a talking point among Dancehall fans.
Ryno Said He Still Rates Kartel
Despite the tension, Ryno made it clear that his relationship with Vybz Kartel was not simply a story of betrayal.
He has previously explained that his departure from Gaza was, in his view, a professional decision.
Ryno compared being part of the Gaza camp to having a job.
His argument was that artists can work together, eventually disagree and go their separate ways without the situation necessarily meaning one person betrayed another.
That explanation has remained an important part of Ryno’s position over the years.
The public, however, continued to associate his departure with the larger Gaza story.
For Ryno, the issue appeared to be something he wanted to finally move beyond.
“Don’t Mistake Fear For Loyalty”
Following Storm’s comments, Ryno posted a message that appeared to address the wider discussion about loyalty.
“Don’t mistake fear for loyalty!!!” he wrote.
The statement immediately attracted attention because of the circumstances surrounding it.
Storm had become widely regarded by fans as one of the most loyal figures in Dancehall because of his continued connection to Kartel throughout their 13-year incarceration.
Ryno’s post was interpreted by many as a response to that narrative.
However, Ryno later made it clear that he was not looking to start a new war.
When fans speculated about a possible lyrical confrontation between the two former Gaza members, Ryno dismissed the idea.
He said there was no war and that everybody was entitled to say what they wanted.
That response suggested that Ryno wanted to make his position known without turning the disagreement into another major Dancehall feud.
Shawn Storm Had His Own Perspective
Storm’s comments were also shaped by what he experienced during his years behind bars.
In an August 2024 interview, he explained that he was not offended by the fact that the famous #FreeKartel campaign focused heavily on Kartel rather than himself.
Storm said that when people called for Kartel’s freedom, they were indirectly calling for his freedom as well because the two men were closely connected in the case.
He also discussed some of the psychological effects of prison and the adjustments involved in returning to life outside.
For Storm, the return to freedom was about much more than music.
It was about rebuilding a life after 13 years.
That perspective helps explain why he placed so much importance on the people who maintained contact and showed support during his incarceration.
The Portmore Empire Reunion Question
The disagreements also raised a larger question: could the former Portmore Empire come back together?
The group had been one of the most dominant forces in Dancehall during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Its roster included Vybz Kartel, Shawn Storm, Blak Ryno, Popcaan, Jah Vinci, Lisa Hyper, Vanessa Bling, Sheba and other artists.
But the group eventually fell apart, with various former members later discussing disagreements, professional problems and the circumstances surrounding their departures.
By 2024, the release of Kartel and Storm created a unique opportunity for former members to reconnect.
Still, Storm made it clear that he did not believe a full Portmore Empire reunion was something he personally controlled.
He also questioned whether some former members deserved to immediately return to the circle after years of separation.
That made the possibility of a reunion uncertain.
Freedom Street Changed the Conversation
While the disagreements were happening, Vybz Kartel was already looking toward one of the biggest moments of his return: Freedom Street.
The New Year’s Eve concert was scheduled for December 31, 2024, at Jamaica’s National Stadium.
For Kartel, it represented his return to the stage after more than a decade away.
The lineup eventually included several artists associated with his history, including Popcaan, Shawn Storm, Lisa Hyper, Sheba, Tommy Lee Sparta and his sons Likkle Vybz and Likkle Addi.
The announcement immediately created excitement among fans who had followed the Gaza movement years earlier.
The possibility of seeing former members together again added another layer to the event.
Ryno’s History With Gaza
Blak Ryno’s own history with the Portmore Empire made his position especially interesting.
He was part of the group during its most influential period and became known to fans through the Gaza movement.
But his departure eventually resulted in years of public discussion about whether he had been disloyal to Kartel.
Ryno has consistently rejected that interpretation.
He has said that leaving the camp was a personal and professional decision and that he never considered himself an enemy of Kartel.
His continued public respect for Kartel after the 2024 release reinforced that position.
Rather than pretending the history did not exist, Ryno appeared to be acknowledging that the past was complicated while still leaving room for reconciliation.
Dancehall’s Changing Relationships
The Blak Ryno and Shawn Storm situation also reflected something larger happening in Dancehall.
Artists who were once part of the same camps can eventually find themselves on completely different sides of the industry.
Friendships change.
Labels disappear.
Business relationships end.
And years can pass before former colleagues have an opportunity to speak face-to-face again.
Kartel’s release created an unusual moment because so many of the people connected to his career suddenly had the chance to reconnect.
Some relationships remained strained.
Others appeared to be healing.
And some artists simply wanted to move forward without reopening old conflicts.
A Different Chapter for Blak Ryno
For Blak Ryno, the period following Kartel’s release was therefore about more than one argument with Shawn Storm.
It was an opportunity to address years of speculation surrounding his name.
He continued to show respect for Kartel while defending his own version of the Gaza story.
And while his comments about loyalty generated plenty of debate, Ryno repeatedly indicated that he was not interested in creating another war.
His position was essentially that people grow, circumstances change and former colleagues can eventually find a way to move forward.
That became especially relevant as Kartel’s return brought members of the old Gaza circle back into the same conversation.
The Gaza Story Was Never Just About Music
The Portmore Empire was more than a collection of artists.
For a generation of Dancehall fans, it represented a movement.
The music, personalities, rivalries and relationships surrounding Gaza became part of Jamaican popular culture.
That is why the release of Vybz Kartel and Shawn Storm generated such a massive reaction.
It was not simply two artists returning home.
It was the reopening of a chapter that had been frozen for more than a decade.
Blak Ryno found himself directly connected to that history.
His disagreement with Shawn Storm showed that not every old relationship would immediately return to normal.
But his continued respect for Kartel also showed that reconciliation remained possible.
Moving Forward
Ultimately, the Blak Ryno story is another example of how complicated Dancehall history can become when personal relationships and music careers overlap.
Ryno, Kartel and Shawn Storm were once part of the same powerful musical movement.
They eventually went in different directions.
Kartel and Storm spent 13 years behind bars before their convictions were overturned and they were released in 2024.
Ryno continued his own career while carrying the weight of the Gaza controversy.
When the old crew suddenly found itself back in the spotlight, the unresolved issues naturally resurfaced.
But so did something else: the possibility of growth.
Freedom Street became a symbol of Kartel’s return, while the conversations surrounding former Gaza members showed that the story of the Portmore Empire was still evolving.
For Blak Ryno, the message was clear.
He still rates Kartel.
He has defended his own choices.
And despite disagreements with former colleagues, he appeared more interested in moving forward than recreating the battles of the past.
After all these years, the Gaza story is still being written.
Check out the full interview below:
image sources
- Blak-Ryno-Shoutout-Vybz-Kartel-and-Addresses-Bad-Vibes-with-Shawn-Storm–951×675: Blak-Ryno
- Blak-Ryno-Talks-on-Vybz-Kartels-Release-Freedom-Street-Concert-and-Addresses-Shawn-Storm-780×470 (1): Blak-Ryno
