Any one hear the NPR piece Friday about Beanie Man? Boycot anyone?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

The piece points out Beanie Man's new song Dude which says "I am dreaming of a new Jamaica. Come to execute all the gays". This will remind dancehall heads of Buju Banton's Boom Bye Bye where he syas that a gay man needs to die on principle.

Anyone familiar with Dancehall knows that it is RABIDLY anti-gay. I love the genre except for it's mysoginy, glorification of violence and its anti-homosexual content. People may remember that No Doubt did a song with Bounty Killer (who has a famous feud with Beanie Man.) In the video for the song there is a flash of a naked man. Beanie Man ridiculed Bounty Killer for this scene and Killer actually LEFT the tour with No Doubt over it to save face at home. This type of "saving face" is exemplified in this article by Beanie Man's manager publicly stating that there is no need for Beanie Man nor his label to apologize for his content. Jamaica needs to wake up and join the rest of the world here. This will not stand! The concept that a nation could promote gay-bashing to a level of near national pride is disgusting.

I call on people NOT TO BUY THIS ALBUM.

E-mail Virgin records and call on them to do something about this, be it to pull the records, drop Beanie Man or to apologize, at the very least. http://www.virginrecords.com/home/feedback.html

Here's the story: http://www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfId=3837073

here's Amnesty International's report on the death of Brian Williamso, a gay rights advocate in Jamaica: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR380102004?open&of=ENG-JAM

[gottaB]

1. Yes, I heard that

The "authenticity" argument really ticked me off. Has somebody made a list of Jamacain artists who aren't assholes?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

4. there are many Jamaican artists who aren't assholes. there is a prevailing

anti-gay stance, though.

Don't fight one wrong with another.

[gottaB]

7. yes, I know there are many who aren't assholes

I generally prefer Rasta music and don't percieve a problem with gaybashing or other kinds of hatespeech in Rasta lyrics.

I don't believe that all Dancehall lyricists are gaybashers, but I don't know the genre well at all. Perhaps you can name some artists who don't stoop to gaybashing?

On the analogy with hiphop lyrics, I think that it's pretty clear that there has been a prevailing attitude of misogyny. I don't blame the artform. I call the people who preach hate "assholes," and don't regard being an asshole as essential to the genre or its authenticity. To counter that claim, I can list artists who aren't assholes and speak against the messages of the assholes. I don't regard that as wrong.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

9. I can think of Luciano off the top of my head

I'll compile a list for you

[LittleApple81]

2. There must be a lot of social problems in Jamaica.Gays must be a scapegoat

group... you always find a group to hate when you feel that your own problems are intractable.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

5. You could say that the history of Jamaica is one big social problem

From Colombus to Slavery to the Gun Court to right now

[ret5hd]

3. my question is...

how can someone named "Bounty Killer" be shamed by someone named "Beanie Man"? man, that guy would have had his butt whopped daily where i grew up.

[markses]

6. When I was in Jamaica in 2001, there was a big song

called "Chichiman" that really set it off in the clubs. Now, I've listened to plenty of dancehall music in my life, so I kinda got the point, but it was so outrageous that I had to ask somebody. A chichiman, you see, is a homosexual, and the song advocates burning them alive in their cars and in their bars. But it had a funky beat, and you could dance to it.

To my utter shock, when I came back to NYC, I heard the song on the popular Hot 97 radio station (a hip hop station). My fucking jaw dropped. Here are the lyrics ("bun dem" = "burn them"):

Intro: Bassie: My Crew (My Crew) my dogs (my dogs) Set rules (Set rules) set laws (set laws) We represent for di lords of yards A gal alone a feel up my balls

Chorus: From dem a par inna chi chi man car Blaze di fire mek we bun dem!!!! (Bun dem!!!!) From dem a drink inna chi chi man bar Blaze di fire mek we dun dem!!!! (Dun dem!!!!)

Verse 1: Craigy: So mi go so, do yuh see weh I see??? Niggas when your doin that Nuff a dem a freak dem a carry all dem dutty act Thug nigga wanna bees nuff a dem a lick it back It dem bring it to we, hold on nuff a cop a shot Cop a shot rise up every calico go rat tat tat Rat tat tat every chi chi man dem haffi get flat Get flat, mi and my niggas ago mek a pack Chi chi man fi dead and dat's a fact

Chorus: From dem a par inna chi chi man car Blaze di fire mek we bun dem!!!! (Bun dem!!!!) From dem a drink inna chi chi man bar Blaze di fire mek we dun dem!!!! (Dun dem!!!!)

Verse 2: Flexx: So mi go so la la la la la la la la la la la Nah go mek nuh chi chi man walk right a so >From a bwoy a deep we ago dun dem right now Leff him whole family dem a blow wow Alexx: I see it from far mi and dem nah go par A nuff a dem bwoy mi a smoke man cigar Mi and dem coulda never inna wrong bar Dem bwoy deh flex too bizarre

Chorus: >From dem a par inna chi chi man car Blaze di fire mek we bun dem!!!! (Bun dem!!!!) >From dem a drink inna chi chi man bar Blaze di fire mek we dun dem!!!! (Dun dem!!!!) Repeat intro twice Repeat Verse 1 till song end

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

10. I am very familiar with Chi Chi Man. I rememver I heard it on a mainstream

station and my girlfriend was like "this is a great song" and kind of danced a little. I said "honey, do you hear whatthey're saying" she couldn't understand it so I translated. She turned it off immediately.

[markses]

12. If the lyrics weren't so utterly despicable, it would be a great song

That's the effing problem, seems to me.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

13. same with Biggie IMO - and alot of Hip Hop for hat matter

Its a big problem. if the masses were given an alternative then the argument that this is what the public demands will be exposed for the lie that it is

[John_H]

8. Yes, I've been obsessing about Beanie Man ever since...

at least for half a second a day, when I'm not focusing on getting America's own non-singer homophobes out of power in the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

11. was that supposed to shame me or something?

Because I'm focusing on something other than what you are?

"obsessing"
:shrug:

[Mel]

14. ignore that

I love ya ChavezSpeakstheTruth :) I did not know about the Chichi man song that stinks! I also did not realize there was so much homophobia in Jamaica until I read about it here, duh on me!
I also think I can count on you not to belittle me for not knowing ;)
I appreciate your posts Know this I may not post to all of them as I have nothing to add to the conversation but I do read and learn.

Oh, No! I'm obsessing over the obsessing :evilgrin: about the focusing.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

15. Im focusing on you obsessing over the obsessing about the focusing

:)

Thanks!
:hi:

[dolo amber]

16. This SO sucks

I adore dancehall. :(

I would say there needs to be a HUGE stink made, but unfortunately homophobia is such a huge part of the culture, I seriously doubt a few letters would make a difference. (See the No Doubt/Bounty Killer story as an example...:()

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

17. I think Virgin records realizes it will make money no matter what WE do

:grr: