By YushDon
The Native Americans had a good point: White Man does, apparently, speak with a forked tongue! This may particularly be true of gay white men.
For instance they’re very active policing homophobia in Jamaican music while conveniently ignoring the homophobia in their own backyard.
In recent years they’ve vigorously pursued Jamaican reggae artists the likes of Buju Banton and Beenie Man but they’ve not expended the same level of energy pursuing artists like Eminem.
They did boycot the rapper’s 2000 sophomore release, “The Marshall Mathers LP,” whose title song, “Marshall Mathers,” included lines tlike: “My words are a dagger with a jagged edge/That’ll stab you in the head whether you’re a fag or lez.” But they saved their biggest ire for Buju Banton whose teenage single “Boom Bye Bye” is still used today, 20 years later, as a reason to hate him. By comparison Eminem has been vilified and was even voted by Vibe magazine as the Best Rapper Alive. Please do not adjust your sets!
Despite this, the hypocrisy surrounding gay people’s partiality is hard to ignore. Eminem is responsible for resurrecting and re-popularising the word “faggot” whereas any Jamaican using the yard-styled patois term “batty bwoy/man” is immediately labelled a homophobe.
To counter this gays explain how Eminem has apologised for his remarks and that’s the reason for his rehabilitation and acceptance back in the music fold but Buju Banton has similarly apologised, allegedly, yet his contrition was not accepted by these same people.
Even as Buju languishes in a Florida jail amid speculation that he was framed by gay groups, the issue is still simmering and the antagonism between gay groups and Jamaicans remain at boiling point. The issue can only be resolved if both parties come together on the issue. Somehow it seems easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye.
And, there never seem to be a camel the size of a pin prick when you need one!
Photo: Copyright Eminem.com
Posted on 
13 March, 2010 in 
YO Big Yard | 
Comments: 4
reggae history made jamaican reggae artist mista majah p has release the world first pro gay reggae album title tolerance available http://www.cdbaby.com also view pro gay video http://www.youtube.com/mistamajahp
It is our understanding that Buju Banton has actually apologised for the song but the people wanting the apology has not been happy; they want him to go further. Perhaps they won't be happy until he does some kind of public service announcement in praise of a gay group or something. I don't see that happening any time soon, unless Buju, somehow, undergoes a dramatic sea change while in prison…
Have you ever heard of the term "herding cats"? When it comes to getting people to act as one and not separate groups acting sporadically it's like herding cats. Especially if the group is a minority.
The fact of the matter is that Jamaica has gotten very involved with the wider world, a large amount of us have assimilated into a universal culture.
When it comes to the matter of Gay Rights, America has done quite a lot. They have pushed further than most countries have gone and as usual they intend to help their own in other countries as well. Which a country that stands so strong, this is to be expected.
I've seen many people use the "clean up your own backyard" argument before. Of course there are those that are helping to do that, but as things get better and better there are going to be others trying to help out other countries. Clean up your own backyard or other countries are doing worse is not an argument that holds weight. It's simply pointing fingers, nothing more nothing less.
What I've noticed with Buju Banton is his quick defensive attitude that many artist want to take and hype up when it comes to their music. Apologize, sing it never again, and then you can point fingers. Someone attacks your audience? Are you against a syndicate? No? Well guess what, you can't attack everyone when only one has done anything. Let one do something and then try to point fingers, but don't let down on your end. Both sides do this but Buju cannot use it as excuse to continue to use his lyrics as a tirade against others.
@Niggers, Bitches and Hoes.
It's called a time and place. Those have stuck in our culture but it's easier to pick out when someone is not racist or sexist now-a-days. However it's highly inappropriate for you to come from a country that is known worldwide to be homophobic and decide you want to travel to other countries to sing that stuff. It's just INAPPROPRIATE. Especially when they are fighting for equality. If you were a German artist coming going to America and you had a song praising Hitler for killing Jews, tell me would that have been appropriate right after world war two for you to sing it and say you mean no harm?
The song has actually been very influential. He can apologize for it and let it drop. Many Jamaican artist who are very popular know it's best not to even sing a song, or keep singing it after apologizing, about a group of people who desired not your steam.
And taking away someone's rights and saying that you won't promote them because they're just like the others who are keeping their rights away from them is just an asinine excuse.
Hmmm the word Homophobia …. Hmmm.
Now I'm a person who is for freedom of choice & freedom of expression as long as it doesn't infringed upon the rights of others. The music industry is the most hypocritical artistic power of expression that exists on this planet esp. the industry in America. Look at the words "Bitches, Hoes, Niggas" in songs that they support by rappers & others alike & people don't fight to boycott these artistic work or boycott the artist(s) rather they support these men's way of demeaning our women & brown skin people or should I say they support brown skin people demeaning their own kind. Then their is hard rock music – that talks about suicide, killing people etc – I don't see the radical boycott going on or the set up happening well the set up maybe yes, maybe no. Still, they don't want to produced & force us to listen to conscious music – which Buju has put out since that song that is humteen years old.
This debate is not about Buju's guilt or innocence in his current situation rather it is a reflection on the Gay Rights Movement similar to PETA's animal rights movement & Pro-Life Rights movement.
Now hear me – I am a supporter of Prop 8, I'm 150% behind it but I am not a supporter of radicalism. The issues surrounding Gay Rights have gone from being something to fight for in terms of human rights as w/ the current Uganda situation & now it's gone to the path of Radicalism. Yes I said it, I strongly believe that the LGBT community has turned their cause into a Radical Movement, just like Christian Missionaries have done in the past & present w/ their religious causes- they have gone on the DEFENSE. They have enough political power as well as monetary power to take down their opponents who fight against them. And to that end I am on the fence again as I am about PETA & Pro-Life people even though I am not a Pro-Life supporter at no cost and as far as the Christians go – I hate the institution of Religion in & of itself. Anyway, these movements eventually become hypocritical as other celebrities "American & others" who are either gay by definition or observation though not explicitly walk around w/ an air of hypocrisy not wanting to identify themselves out of the closet for fear of lack in support for their work yet they are not chastise by the media or the public. Examples – Queen Latifah, the late great Luther Vandross comes to mind.
Everyone knows that Eminem is a mentally sick person & no matter who is friends are – he'll never change – just listen to his current lyrics, the people he picks on FEMALE POP STARS – weaklings at best b/c they are not rappers, just listen to him, watch is career plateau & u will know that his support comes from the fact that he is a very talented rapper – if he wasn't – Elton would probably not support even when asked & w/ the backlash he received in the past. Yes Buju is a super-talent as well but he comes from a small island which is a 3rd world country not a 1st world Caribbean Island w/ power like Barbados etc – Barbados power is not debatable as well as other Caribbean island that I could list but this is not a part of the discussion.
Humans are so flawed that they can't see pass their need to be pleased & just agree to disagree & let us all live together in harmony no matter what our personal choices or preferences are. There are more impt issues that are happening in the world than a damn 17yr old song that carries no weight back then as it doesn't now. Seriously people need to get over themselves & stop focusing on DISTRACTORS "Buju being imprisoned for drugs as an example" & look to see what our current human crises are in this world. Why now? That's a big ice – smell like fish to me. Tarnishing the record of a good soldier of his own cause MAYBE – His cause I guess. Buju has other msgs out there that people are not focusing on through his music – get w/ it people.
When the Gay Rights movement as well as the other movements stop being an EXTREMISTS group then I will give them all my full support again – not that one person who steps back from it all matters – I doubt my opinion does – MAYBE. Acting like an animal out to get your prey or your predator is not the way to go when fighting for your rights. These groups are no better than their oppressors. Sorry but this is my 3rd eye OBSERVATION & I really don't care too much about what you think, ugh I just wanted to say that for no reason :-) – I don't support crappy behavior not even from family. GAY RIGHTS, PETA, PRO-LIFE, RELIGIOUS RADICALS like Christian Missionaries as well as Al Qaeda etc they too need to clean up their act. People are being oppressed every day esp. Women – sorry if I don't consider Buju's song that relevant to what is happening in the LGBT community.
I LEAVE U ALL W/ THIS Thought … WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HOMOPHOBIC? Does it mean that you hate or have an aversion to LGBT people like some do towards people who carry the disease HIV/AIDS. This I believe results from your feelings or Does it mean that you dislike the SO CALLED immoralistic ideas of Homosexuality??? I think the latter b/c there are so many closeted LGBT people as well as S&Mer's that you can't identify them by a look or a touch or a conversation just like you can't identify a person w/ HIV/AIDS when you are in contact w/ them unless they reveal their secrets or act to the extreme of the gender they are trying to portray thus giving their identities away to the public. Some of you may not get the analogies but oh well, too bad – go cry confuse to someone else. Come on people, it's Just harmless comment "I'm not trying to insult you". I have homophobic relatives but it doesn't mean that they won't come in contact w/ those who are homosexual to get a job done – which breaks down to the fact that Buju should not be an issue for the LGBT community – they need to find something else more relevant to fight against & stop being so HYPOCRITICAL.
Thanks Michael