Merital Family
Bio
Merital Family were members of the Portmore Empire family which was formerly run by imprisoned dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel. The group consisted of Blade Skeemaz, Keneil Merital, and Derrick ‘Corey Merital’ Edwards.
Merital left Portmore Empire in June 2011 after a disagreement with Kartel over funds.
The group shot to fame in 2010 with the “My Money (Ha Ha)” song on the Stripclub riddim and featured a hilarious Vybz Kartel cameo where he delivers a “Santa-like” laugh. The group, however, continued to record songs, voicing “Tell Me Why” for the Young Money label for Good Good Productions, and “Dancing” on the Type R label. They also recorded “On and On” on the Gangsta City Part Two Riddim.
Merital has been also viewed on the negative side of the media with instances such as the arrest of Keneil in the United States for drug trafficking. Blade later left the group to take on a solo career, and rebranded himself as Blade Skeemaz.
Death
On Thursday night May 7, 2015 in Montego Bay, St James, Jamaica, Derrick ‘Corey Merital’ Edwards (depicted in the green shirt), was shot and killed. He was known as the hook maker and for his catch phrase “sick bad, sick mad!”