Jamaica’s Prime Minister Describes Current Developments in Dancehall as “Embarrassing”

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has once more expressed his considerations about a few of the dancehall music being produced on the island, saying the content material has introduced Jamaica in a really restricted means.

Talking at a gathering of the Jamaica Labour Celebration (JLP) in St Catherine on Sunday, Prime Minister Holness mentioned he was involved and fearful about current developments in dancehall.

“When one other nation says that “I don’t need your artiste in my nation”, it’s a humiliation. And we see it trickling down into the fights within the colleges. We’re involved, very, very involved, and fearful about it. What has occurred to us as Jamaicans is that we’re being outlined by some very restricted issues,” Holness mentioned.

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His feedback come just a few days after it was introduced that fashionable dancehall artist Skeng is now banned from acting at public occasions in Guyana. The ban stems from a capturing incident on the artiste’s live performance within the nation not too long ago.

Prime Minister Holness additionally expressed concern in regards to the content material being produced by different dancehall artistes, which he mentioned shouldn’t outline the nation or its folks.

“Whap Whap and Chop Chop and Guarantee and all a dem… all of these issues have their place, however they will’t outline us, we should always not enable that to outline us,” Holness mentioned.

The Prime Minister was referring to Skillibeng’s hit single ‘Whap Whap’, which depicts homicide and violence, and Brysco’s ‘Code’, which comprises sexually specific lyrics. Each songs are on the record of dancehall songs at the moment trending and receiving heavy airplay on native radio stations.

This isn’t the primary time that Prime Minister Andrew Holness has expressed concern in regards to the high quality of music being produced on the island, particularly, dancehall.

In 2021, Holness mentioned he was of the view that a few of the native music contributes to the excessive stage of crime.

“In our music and our tradition, in as a lot as you’re free to replicate what is going on within the society, you even have an obligation to put it in context,” Holness mentioned in April final yr.

“Dat yuh tek up the AK-47 and tun it inna a person head … That isn’t proper. And although you will have the safety of the structure to sing about it, you even have an obligation to the youngsters who’re listening to you.”

His feedback, nonetheless, drew the ire of a number of dancehall artistes, who criticized the prime minister for utilizing native music as a scapegoat.