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09.17.04 05:18 PM
does the source advocate gay bashing?
it would seem so, since their dancehall nominated artists are all currently under fire for lyrics that promote violence against lesbians and gay men. unfortunately it would seem that i'm an advocate since i rock the riddims of many of these artists - which of course would be so contradictory in my case. however, i understand that jamaican culture is a very different culture than either american or british, yet killing people whose orientation you feel is an abomination is simply ludicrous.
anyway, here's the story:
"(New York City) Five singers who advocate the murder of gays and lesbians have been nominated for the prestigious Source Hip-Hop Music Awards 2004, to be held in Miami on October 10.
Elephant Man, Sizzla, Vybz Kartel, T.O.K., Beenie Man have been nominated in the category ‘Dancehall-reggae artist of the Year’.
All have released records variously inciting the shooting, burning, drowning and hanging of lesbians and gay men.
The nominations were announced at a time when the singers are under scrutiny by gays for their music.
Last week, The organizers of the MOBOs, Britain's urban music awards canceling the nominations of reggae superstars Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel, after they refused to apologize for their lyrics inciting the murder of lesbian and gay people. The MOBOs had been under intense pressure from British LGBT rights group Outrage. (story)
Promoting hate is illegal in Britain.
But, for gay rights groups in this country it is more difficult to attack the singers, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation says." more
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and the meme spreads...
It seems that fans in the US overlook the anti-gay lyrics. I know I do. And Kalefah Sanneh recently called one popular anti-gay reggae song "brilliant."
Is this bad? I don't even want to examine me/we that closely.
posted by Hashim | September 17, 2004 5:49 PM #
You might want to have a listen to the BBC documentary "Gay In JA", which gives some background on this issue (at http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/tx/documentaries/gayinja.shtml .) It's pretty depressing stuff - and I think knowing the background makes it a lot harder to overlook jamaican lyrical slackness in the same way that I might from, say, an American artist. At least in America or the UK there would be some expectation of the law protecting people from those who would want to execute (for want of a better term) on the sentiments expressed in these lyrics.
posted by Mark Allerton | September 17, 2004 9:29 PM #
these types of stances hurt shabba ranks career and almost buju banton's - yet he kind of laid down the dancehall in turn for a more roots reggae - spiritual - pan africanist approach.
there is, i believe more issues being raised about dancehall music now b/c of the jamaican gay advocate who was found dead back in june http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/jamaica/janews014.htm
and beacuse of the protests in UK and what happened with the MOBO awards http://outrage.nabumedia.com/briefing.asp?ID=43&detail=clippings
posted by lynne | September 18, 2004 1:00 AM #
Another nail in the coffin of The Source's credibility.
posted by Cal Ulmann | September 20, 2004 10:48 AM #
Can you really blame the Source?
They were looking for the hottest joints. Not the joints that have the most gay bashing in it.
I mean really, half these groups are about 15 year late talking about this stuff. Dancehall as well as hip-hop has always had things referring to being gay as negative.
That's why I was flabbergasted when Eminem was being protested for saying "faggot", I mean, emcees from Common to Slick Rick to the Beastie Boys have been saying these things for like 20 years now...
By the way, I hate the Source...
Hip-Hop and Dancehall are some of the most anti-gay cultures in the world and I don't think it's going to change anytime soon. So these groups may have a lot of work ahead of them
posted by Q | September 20, 2004 12:22 PM #
What's wrong with being "Anti?" Y'all not down with being Anti-Nazi, or Anti-polygamy. Of course you're not. "Anti" is only wrong when you say it's wrong, in defense of a lifestyle that still is causing people to drop like flies.
New England Journal of Medicine, late 1990's, stated that average life expectancy of a gay male in the USA is/was 39 yrs old. Average homosexual male had 75 partners in ONE YEAR!
As Wisdom said "All those that hate me LOVE DEATH, and He that sins against Me wrongs His own soul."
Don't be blind, lest you find, you-self undermined by the father of lies.
posted by brian | October 15, 2005 1:52 AM #