‘It Doesn’t Have to Be About Guns’: Artiste Kelo Vidic Pivots from ‘Trinibad’ to Conscious Dancehall to Inspire Social Change

By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — For recording artiste Kelo Vidic (pron. Kello-Veedic), born Kelon Hazel, music has evolved far beyond an outlet for creative expression or stage presence—it has become a platform for evaluating the social responsibility of musical messaging and the real-world impact lyrics exert on impressionable youth.

Profiling the emerging Caribbean act in a special feature for HGP Nightly News, reporter Antonio Dey charted Hazel’s conscious artistic evolution: an introspective journey that prompted him to deliberately walk away from the aggressive, violent tropes of the street sub-genre known as “Bagobad” / “Trinibad” in favor of uplifting, conscious dancehall.

Hazel explained that observing escalating youth crime, violent turf wars, and social fragmentation across Trinidad and Tobago forced him to reconsider his sonic legacy. Determined to create an uplifting cultural environment, Vidic is now using his musical catalog to prioritize personal resilience, social consciousness, and spiritual fortitude, while exploring creative collaborations across Guyana’s expanding entertainment industry.

The Early Stage: From Trinidad Sound Systems to ‘Badness’

Hazel’s musical trajectory was forged across borders, shaped by sound system deejaying and school days in Trinidad:

• Trinidad Foundations: Relocating to Trinidad to live with his mother, Hazel immersed himself in the island’s music scene, attending school while deejaying and building stage experience.
• The ‘Trinibad’ Lure: Like many young lyricists in the Southern Caribbean, Hazel initially entered the recording booth gravitating toward the aggressive, gun-toting themes popular in the regional street circuit.
• The Ethical Reckoning: As real-world violence continued to claim young lives across communities in Trinidad, Hazel recognized that commercial popularity could not justify promoting a destructive lifestyle.

“So it was always a part of my journey, just loved music… My mom was living there, and when I flew in Trinidad I was still deejaying… went to school in Trinidad.”

“When I first started, I started with badness and I said that is not a good image for myself. And my manager at the time was Jada Kay, and she was like, you know we can do things different—it does not have to be about a gun or smoking a weed.”

Conscious Dancehall: Purpose-Driven Storytelling

Encouraged by former manager Jada Kay and backed by his current executive management teams at Southsyde Records and AJ Records, Hazel transitioned toward conscious dancehall—crafting melodies that challenge listeners to overcome adversity without compromising authentic street appeal:

• “Painful Memories”: Opening his broadcast feature with his single Painful Memories, the track captures the emotional toll of street life and betrayal while urging listeners to stay resilient:“Gotta keep moving, gotta believe in yourself… Dem nah ayuh friend, them ah yuh enemy…”
• “Transitions”: Emphasizing spiritual grounding over retaliation, his track Transitions anchors itself in timeless conscious roots:“Who Jah bless, no man curse… get in return…”
• Support Network: Hazel credited his cousins, family circle, and production team with keeping him grounded as he rejected fast commercial trends in pursuit of artistic longevity.

“My cousin and them would listen to it, so gotta big them up… It is a good feeling to know that you have a support, and even my team—always gotta big them up for that.”

Building Bridges with Guyanese Artistes

Closing his broadcast profile, Antonio Dey observed that Kelo Vidic’s transition demonstrates that Caribbean dancehall can retain its rhythmic edge, cultural relevance, and authentic cadence without relying on themes of murder, gun violence, or illicit substances.

Now setting his sights on regional expansion, Hazel indicated that he is actively pursuing studio collaborations with established and emerging Guyanese dancehall and reggae artistes, aiming to build a cross-border movement of purposeful music that elevates Caribbean youth culture.