Cham
Dancehall artists have come out lashing, in a more sustained and visible way to respond to the most recent statement by Prime Minister Andrew Holness about dancehall lyrics and their link to high rates of crime and violence in Jamaica. Mavado, Masicka, Baby Cham, and Mr. Vegas among others have made public statements in recent days. My thought when I first saw reports about the Prime Minister’s statement made in Parliament was – ‘again!?’. Here’s some of what Hon. Andrew Holness said: “In our music and our culture, in as much as you are free to reflect what is happening in the society, you also have a duty to place it in context…” He went on to say “…Dat yuh tek up the AK-47 and tun it inna a man head … That is not right. And though you have the protection of the constitution to sing about it, you also have a duty to the children who are listening to you…” These statements have been interpreted as targeting dancehall, scapegoating, and a trifle hypocr