“Yes, Miss Jen.” Jamaican Cops ‘Take Note’ Of Malie’s ‘Bank’
After advantageously incorporating Skeng’s Gvnman Shift into their social media anti-crime initiative in March, the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Corporate Communications Unit have now turned to Trap artist Malie Don’s Bank, to issue what seemed like a veiled threat, to braggadocious miscreants currently under the security forces’ radar.
“Yes, Miss Jen. We’ve seen the videos, too. We’re on it,” the JCF noted on a Crime Stop post, referencing Malie Don’s latest song, which has been trending particularly for the line “Yes, Miss Jen, I’m still a thief/Still here committing criminal activities,” and which has amassed just over 1.2 million views on YouTube since it was uploaded there, just over a month ago.
In addition, the Constabulary, in captioning the post, noted that the organisation is quite aware of the persons who are engaging in criminal activities in the full view of others, while bragging about it in their musical recordings.
“Criminals commit crimes in the open, in plain sight of people, then sing about it. You see them, you know them. Report them by calling Crime Stop at 311 or the NIB TipLine at 811,” the post urged.
The response to the now-infamous Miss Jen, was almost as robust as in March this year, when the constabulary, as part of its seeming “de-stigitmatization of informers” effort, had drawn for Skeng’s Gvnman Shift to entice Jamaicans to assist in weeding out hoodlums from within their midst.
It was a field day for those who seemingly knew of the Bank lyrics and the accompanying video, which depicts Malie playing the role of a “chappa”, responding to a question, using a huge cell phone dating back to the 1990s that: “Yes Miss Jen, am still a thief/Still here committing criminal activities/Crook pon eh line, clothes pin have to leave”.
“Miss jen finally informed 😂,” one amused man wrote.
Others, after finding out the genesis of “Miss Jen” were not amused, pointing out that the content of the songs were glamorizing criminal behaviour, and that artists such as Malie, whose given name is Kimalie Hylton, should not even be given the time of day.
“Long time dem a sing bout the actual crimes dem do …..stop supporting these artistes no matter if the song sound good,” one man said.
“This is a very interesting observation. Read between the lines . And if we are being honest, the JCF is making an observation that the man in the street knows to be true. But many fans in Jamaica continue to be in denial cause certain music, sweet them and they don’t want to face the fact that the music that sweet them is connected to a lot of blood letting inna real life,” one commenter said.
Another woman added: “When plantain want dead it shoot! When criminals want to go prison them video themselves!”
According to Malie Donn’s biography, the artist, hails from Waterford, in Portmore, St Catherine and is a Bridgeport High School old boy. After becoming affiliated with Attomatic Records, he later became a part of Montego Bay’s 6ix music group.
The song Bank, came four months after Malie Don released Crook in which he refers to himself as a crook, big thief who “bangs the line”, and in fact while spending “hours pon di line a suh di lead sheet bun up” and Bang Bang, which is another ode to the scamming lifestyle.
In March Jamaica’s Joint Anti-Gang Task Force, had turned to the power of music and popular culture, including slangs and songs, to not only nullify the anti-informer culture but to make being an informant trendy, in their bid to capture gunmen and other hoodlums who are terrorizing the island.
The Task Force, which is a collaborative effort of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), was established back then to primarily target guns, gunmen and other scoundrels, and to disrupt criminal activities across the island, via the deployment of specially trained members of the Constabulary and the military.
In deploying Skeng’s Gunman Shift in an Instagram post, at the time, the police had noted that: “Gunmen ‘patrol’ communities, ‘lock endz’ and terrorize residents during day and night time and urged Jamaicans who “know about these gunmen shifts” to disclose the locations of the ‘endz’, ‘system yaad’, ‘shoes’, ‘stick’ ‘tall up’ and the ‘K’.
“The JAGTF is resolute and unwavering in its mandate to rid communities of guns, gunmen and gangs. Tell us what you know. Help us to create a safer Jamaica,” the post had noted.
Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson, had also said that the social media campaign had reaped much success, as numerous persons who were featured in the Wanted Wednesdays Campaign, had been captured and 17 of Jamaica’s 88 most wanted men were captured or had become scared and turned themselves in.