A campaign against homophobic reggae lyrics is winning corporate support and drawing attention to the dangers faced by gay Jamaicans, reports Brian Finnegan
'Murder music" is a relatively new term to the music industry, not to mention the British constabulary. It was coined by Peter Tatchell who, with the British gay rights organisation, OutRage, is behind one of the most far-reaching and culturally indicative campaigns since the fight against Clause 28 in 1988, a law banning the promotion of homosexuality as a "pretend family relationship" by British local authorities.
Tatchell's targets are Jamaican reggae artists including Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel, all of whom exemplify a viciously homophobic musical strand in their home country. They have all written and continue to perform songs in the local vernacular that call for the murder of "batty men" and "chi chi gals" - gay men and lesbians.
The most vicious of their lyrics call for gay men to be burned alive, for acid to be poured on them, for them to be shot or kicked to death, and for lesbians to be hung from trees.
"We're teaching these singers that inciting homophobic violence does not pay," says Peter Tatchell, who has his eye clearly set on disrupting the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards on September 30th.
This week, as part of an escalating response, both in Europe and the US, to the OutRage campaign, organisers of the MOBOs declared that this year's nominations would not include any of the musicians at the centre of the row.
"We have investigated various artists and looked into their lyrics and the potential effects of them," MOBO spokeswoman Vanessa Amadi said in a statement. "We do not believe in censorship, yet at the same time we do not believe in publicly promoting artists who use threatening lyrics."
Meanwhile, several Jamaican artists are currently under investigation by the Crown Prosecution Service for hate crimes and inciting violence after a dossier of lyrics was handed over.
"It's a difficult investigation," says Chief Supt Clive Driscoll, the officer leading the Metropolitan police inquiry. "We will be looking at whether there are grounds for prosecution, and if the answer is yes, then who will be liable for prosecution. That's where the complications will come in."
At the heart of these complications is EMI/Virgin Records, which released Beenie Man's new album, Back to Basics, on August 16th. In a letter to the record company's CEO, Peter Tatchell asked: "Would EMI/Virgin Records sign a neo-Nazi singer who had advocated gassing Jews or lynching black people?" He also called on the Metropolitan Police to include EMI/Virgin in their investigation for hate crimes.
The response of EMI was swift but inconclusive. Declining to comment on the label's decision to sign Beenie Man, it stressed that none of the controversial lyrics had appeared on tracks issued by Virgin. Reactions from other companies associated with Beenie Man and his fellow Jamaican artist, Buju Banton, have not been so on the fence.
Banton, whose No 1 song, Boom Bye Bye, threatened "batty boys" with a "gunshot in the head" saw several concerts in Germany cancelled last month. The sportswear company, Puma, official sponsors of his tour, has also agreed to cancel the deal if he performs any anti-gay songs on stage.
In the US, the bookings for Beenie Man's current tour - an effort to secure himself a footing in the American market - dwindle daily. So far, concerts in 15 cities have been cancelled and RJ Reynolds, the maker of Salem cigarettes and corporate sponsor of several legs of the tour, has pulled out.
In an effort at damage limitation, Virgin has issued an apology on behalf of the singer. "I offer my sincerest apologies to those who might have been offended, threatened or hurt by my songs," it said.
But the following day, Beenie Man's personal manager, Clyde McKenzie, told a Jamaican radio station that the statement was "not an apology", that it was initiated by Virgin and not by Beenie Man, and that Beenie Man reserved his right to continue criticising the "homosexual lifestyle" of which he did not approve.
These corporate clampdowns come in the light of heavy campaigning in both the US and Germany as a result of the OutRage initiative. They are indicative of an increased recognition of the power of gay groups in determining the spending habits of gay men and lesbians. Other record companies will be watching closely.
Ten years ago, when Jamaican ragga MC, Shabba Ranks, was asked on Channel 4's The Word about his attitude to homosexuality, he took out his Bible and began quoting scripture. The resulting Tatchell-led campaign ensured that Ranks's music was banned from BBC Radio 1, and his UK career sank without a trace. In Jamaica, however, he has been hailed as a hero ever since.
In June, Amnesty International urged people to write to Jamaica's prime minister, P.J. Patterson, in an attempt to help stop homophobic attacks in the country, and to ask him to repeal legislation that criminalises same-sex relationships, making them punishable by 10 years' hard labour.
Earlier this year, reports of a father inviting local children to beat his son because he suspected him of being gay sparked outrage throughout the international gay community, and Amnesty claims there is also an increase in corruption and vigilante action among Jamaica's police force. Once a person's sexuality becomes known, they often have to flee their homes to avoid being attacked. Some reports suggest that lesbians and gay men are subjected to rape, beatings, burnings and even shootings.
In mid-June, Jamaica's most vocal advocate of gay rights, Brian Williamson, was found brutally murdered in his home. The Jamaican Forum for Lesbians and Gays (J-FLAG) says he was killed because he was gay.
"The condition of his body, and his visibility as a gay man lead us to suspect this is a hate-related crime," the group says.
Meanwhile, Buju Banton is wanted by police in Jamaica for questioning in relation to the beating last month of a gay man in Kingston. Reports allege that, on June 24th, six men were driven from their home and beaten by a group of armed men, and that the alleged assailants included Banton. However, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says it is concerned that Banton may never face charges.
"There is a pattern of police indifference to attacks on gay men in Jamaica that goes far beyond what Buju Banton is alleged to have done in this case," said Rebecca Schleiser of HRW.
Peter Tatchell claims the alleged attack substantiates claims of the links between murder music and actual physical violence against gays and lesbians."Critics of the campaign [to stop murder music] have said that the homophobic content of Banton's lyrics is 'ironic' or just 'fantasy'. Now the star is wanted [for questioning\] for a very real violent incident."
Brian Finnegan is the editor of Gay Community News in Dublin