Mavado, Masicka Blast Jamaica’s PM Andrew Holness After He Blamed Dancehall Music For Crime
Dancehall stars Mavado and Masicka launched savage broadsides against Prime Minister Andrew Holness only a few days after the Head of Government used a sitting of the House of Representatives to criticize the “violent” content in some Dancehall music.
“Why is this man blaming crime on music,” Mavado wrote in an Instagram post yesterday which tagged Holness. “Every prime minister that the ppl vote in when dem get them Bloodclatt seat to work Dem fail and come point fingers. well we pointing right back at you, what about all the grants dat you and your parliamentarians get to take care of crime billions..”
The Everything Nice singer continued, “that has nothing to do with entertainment no one voted for us to lead that’s your job! what u need to do is clean up your corrupted Goverment and stop intimidate the people! Tyad a you.”
Two days ago, Prime Minister Andrew Holness used the bully pulpit of Parliament to deliver a stinging rebuke of aspects of the country’s popular culture which he claimed is a significant contributor to the high levels of violence in the country.
While acknowledging the artist’s freedom to reflect what is happening in the society, Holness appealed to their duty “to place it in context”.
“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,” Holness said.
Holness said that entertainers hid behind the excuse that they are street reporters, merely reflecting the harsh realities of the society they exist in when they were in fact, glorifying violence.
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Dancehall artist Masicka, who voiced a Just A Minute dubplate for Holness during the 2020 election campaign, also ridiculed the PM’s remarks and mocked his assumed moniker of “Bro Gad”.
“Bro gad. Boy Jamaicaa sorry fi uno. Once gunman song stop the crime stop fi true,” he said. “Educate uno self ghetto utes make some money. Protect uno self ghetto and family. Educate ddem too. Illiteracy a the reason we just follow everything. Never vote, never will,” he wrote.
Several entertainers agreed with Mavado and Masicka’s assessment of the PM’s not-too-subtle dig at the Dancehall industry.
Dovey Magnum laughed: “No more dub plate fe dem 😂😂😂😂 that’s y mi charged out them bloodklaaaat!!! Most expensive dub I ever did!” 😂
Shizzle Sherlock said: “@andrewholnessjm think a chattingz 🤬🤬🤬”
Several others signalled their support with fire emojis and clapping hands.
Dancer Tall Up reasoned: “tyad a him fi real man really a come try put blame on music ….so a music n party mek yah lock dung the country so the same music wah put ja pon the map whether it did violent or not go suck u muma anju u is not my prime minister !!! one prime minister mi know bout a GOD f-ck u ! can cuss out u rass i never vote none a tall caz mi know either way mi wuda affi a cuss one a unu.”
According to statistics provided by the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the island has recorded 328 murders during the period January 1 to March 20, representing a 6.8 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year. The St. James police division has led the way with 40 murders, a 135 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year, while the Kingston Western police division has recorded a 90 per cent increase with 21 murders.
There have been 291 shootings, an increase of 2.5 per cent. In 2005, Jamaica had 1,674 murders for a murder rate of 58 per 100,000 people, the highest murder rate in the world that year. In 2009, the island eclipsed that dubious total with 1,680 murders.
There has been an upswing in violent highly publicized crimes perpetrated against women in recent weeks.
Gender Minister Olivia Grange read out the names of some women and children who have been victims of violence as the nation cringed in horror after the body of 20-year-old Khanice Jackson was found in Portmore. Robert Fowler, a 50-year-old mechanic, was charged with her murder after confessing to the heinous crime.
“It is on a sombre note and with pain in my heart that I stand to give voice to the now suppressed voices of our sisters who have been brutally killed in the epidemic of domestic violence in our country,” Grange said.
“Killed because some man felt he had the right to decide whom she should love or that she should continue in an abusive relationship, regardless. Killed because she did not have the physical strength to fight back, as, intimidated and threatened, she kept silence till the moment of her death,” Grange said.