Having looked carefully at the significant amount of information presented, and considering the views and opinions of the many individuals and institutions as well as available options, the government of Saint Lucia through the Ministry of Labor, Information and Broadcasting has decided not to grant a work permit to Mr. Adidja Azim Palmer, otherwise known as Vybz Kartel, for performances at the Hot-FM promoted Supreme Weekend show.”
Following much debate over the advertised local appearance in 2021 of the Dancehall superstar, this was the official pronouncement by the Stephenson King government. In addition to the issue of the singer’s lyrics, several critics had expressed concern that the rivalry between fans of Vybz Kartel and Mavado could prove problematic here, as it had elsewhere.
I was part of a group invited by the prime minister’s secretary to discuss the Kartel ban. At the time, it was felt that the fall-out from the Gaza/Gully war that was blamed for several homicides in Jamaica was also impacting Saint Lucia. Ghetto youths, as well as notorious local gang members, had reportedly pledged allegiance to one side over another. Bold graffiti demarcated their turf. It was also a period when Saint Lucia was experiencing a sharp increase in gun-related incidents, a situation that had inspired the infamous 2010-11 police initiative, Operation Restore Confidence. There is still much about ORC waiting to be resolved. But that, as they say, is for another show!
I was interviewed by more than one Jamaican media outlet about the Kartel ban. I also wrote several related articles for the STAR newspaper. While I was obviously a free speech advocate (not to mention a lover of several music genres including Dancehall and Hip Hop), I respected the rights of individuals. I warned against giving airplay to songs banned in Jamaica and elsewhere. Moreover, I recommended the formation of a review committee that would work in harmony with established mass-crowd guidelines, as well as with the police, before work permits are granted foreign performers. This was not a novel idea. In several other countries, there are laws against public events likely to inspire violence, hate speech and so on.
(It is worth mentioning that several international artistes have been denied work permits in other countries, not just Dancehall performers, among them Sinead O’Connor, Snoop Dog, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry. Entry has also been denied performers with criminal records.) Alas, Saint Lucia remains open to all and sundry, whether armed with missile projectors or bazookas.
Fast forward to 2022. In Saint Lucia the number of firearms-related crimes has in relatively recent times gone through the roof. Skeng and Skillibeng are among the leading Dancehall promoters of gun-related songs, barely veiled misogyny, and deviant sex. The duo has produced what is generally considered the perfect “bad boy-ghetto-life” soundtrack, and Saint Lucian youth, like most urban youth elsewhere, have embraced it.
Skeng and Skillibeng are persona non grata in several territories including Guyana. The performers have also drawn the ire of Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness. Back in June, Holness blamed the school violence in his country on songs that glorify crime, scamming and lewd conduct.
“We are concerned, very, very concerned,” the prime minister said. “What has happened is we Jamaicans are being defined by whap-whap and chop-chop . . . all of those things have their place but they can’t be allowed to define us. We should never allow that to define us.”
“Whap-Whap” is a hit single by Skillibeng. It glorifies gun violence. “Chop-chop” (scamming) is related to ill-gotten goods. With the increasing popularity here of Skillibeng (reportedly the duo commands US$50,000 per show), came the promotion over several weeks of an October 15 event starring Onyx—headlined by Skillibeng here in Saint Lucia. The show was heavily promoted on main-stream as well as social media. And while there were some whispered concerns about the appearance of Skillibeng, it seemed the authorities were unperturbed.
It was not until the morning after the event that the internet blew up. Evidently, many were outraged by the videotaped image of a burly individual onstage, automatic firearm in hand as he shadowed Skillibeng’s performance before thousands of hysterical fans. Among the scores of questions: Was the gun-toting muscleman part of the performer’s act? Was he a part of the security detail? Is there now in place an open-carry policy? Who sanctioned the holding of the event?
During a recent press briefing, reporters sought clarification from the deputy prime minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire, who is also the island’s tourism and culture minister. He said: “Promoters should not be allowed to book artistes that promote violence. We need to ask some serious questions. As far as I knew, the police took a position that they were not approving the show because the individual in question is someone who has been involved in singing and promoting music that glorifies crime and gun violence. I know because I was in discussion with the police.”
As for the on-stage gunman, Hilaire said: “We need to know who is that somebody and under what circumstances approval was given.”
Dr. Ernest Hilaire went on to promise an investigation by the Prime Minister who is also the National Security Minister and also indicated that measures would be put in place so that such artistes are banned from performing here in the future.
The question remains: will this ever come to pass, given that over a decade ago we were where we are now?
In the meantime, while at first being defensive in their reaction to the storm of social media criticism, the organizers of Onyx later apologized for, among other things, the optics and the message conveyed by the on-stage security.
