Jah Cure has been sentenced to eight years and four months in prison by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal. The ruling came after a long legal process following the stabbing incident on Dam Square in our beloved Amsterdam back in 2021.
The now 47-year-old artist, born Siccature Alcock, was found guilty of attempted murder after attacking promoter Nicardo ‘Papa’ Blake during a disagreement about show payments.
In March 2022, Jah Cure was first sentenced to six years for attempted manslaughter. The prosecutors appealed, saying the attack was planned. Now, the Appeal Court agreed and increased the sentence, saying Jah Cure waited for Blake and stabbed him in a busy public area (probably the busiest in Amsterdam). The promoter survived but was seriously injured and needed several surgeries.
This new sentence means the singer will remain behind bars for years to come, keeping him out of the public eye for most of this decade. The possible earliest release will be around mid-2027 (under normal Dutch conditional release rules). But…, if authorities deny an early release due to conduct or risk, he could serve closer to the full term of 100 months (8 Years and 4 Months) from October 2021, than his release will be around February 2030.
Jah Cure in His Own Words
In early 2023, Jah Cure spoke with World A Reggae from the “PI Ter Apel.” prison while preparing for the release of his latest VP Records released album Undeniable.
He then told us he was in good health and still focused on making music: “Music keeps me busy. I’m always writing, day and night.”
He also apologised to his fans: “I apologise to all my fans all over the world for the situation that I put myself in.”
At that time, he was working with producer K-One from Sweden and said he wanted to share positive music with the world. Now, reading those words again, it’s clear how much his situation has changed.
Mixed Reactions
The reaction from the reggae community has been split. Some fans online keep saying “Free up Jah Cure,” while others feel disappointed, writing “Him neva learn from last time.”
There haven’t been official statements from big artists, but European promoters and radio stations are quietly reviewing how they work with artists after this case. Some stations and Deejays even stopped playing his songs. We expected to hear more reactions from fellow artists about his sentence, but maybe because of Hurricane Melissa and all that’s happening in Jamaica right now, most are staying quiet for now.
Bigger Than One Artist
This story goes beyond Jah Cure himself. It also shows how fragile things can get between Jamaican artists and promoters. Money issues, bad communication, and quick tempers can easily lead to bigger problems, and this case is unfortunately a hard reminder of that.
It also raises the question: can we still separate the music from the person? Many fans still love the songs, but others find it hard to listen the same way after what happened.
What’s Next
In a short message from prison, Jah Cure wrote on his Instagram: “See you in one year and few months.” But with this new ruling, it looks like that hope was far from reality.
The promoter survived, the verdict stands, and the culture keeps moving. Cure once told World A Reggae that his next album would tell “his side of the story.” Whether that album ever comes out, and how fans will receive it, remains to be seen.
Final Thoughts
Jah Cure’s story has always been full of ups and downs. From an upcoming star to prison, to stardom, and now back again. It’s a tough moment for him and for reggae as a whole.
But like always, the music will go on, and hopefully, the lessons stay this time. We have been told by our reliable source that Cure is learning Dutch, so maybe one day we can expect a full album in Dutch from the singer.
by Danny Creatah
