Following the announced signing of a Publishing deal, between Skeng and Geejam Music, Jon Baker is hitting back at “Guyana’s Home Secretary” in a post on Instagram.
“It reminds me of when I signed early hip-hop artists in the late 80s early 90s and the raw and honest approach to their life experiences and self expression. It feels like history is repeating itself with politicians and opportunists pointing fingers and criticising these young creators work when ultimately, they are just a product of their environment.”
Mhm. I exited. Immediately 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/NUo46Y2HOv
— throat goat 🙂↕️ (@brxtanyy) May 28, 2022
Subsequently, the Home Affairs Minister of Guyana, Robeson Benn, announced a ban on Skeng and other Dancehall artists from performing publicly in the Eastern Caribbean country.
“If they want, they can go into a private club and behave as badly as they want. But we will not sign off on any such artist or any artist who has a record of promoting vulgar and lawless behaviour including the firing of gunshots in public places. We reject it completely,” Benn said.
Speaking at the opening of the Community Relations Department of the Guyana Police Force, he said both his Ministry and the Guyana Police Force will not approve of any future public performances featuring Skeng or any artist, whose lyrical content promotes the type of behavior seen at the ‘Baderation’ show held in May.
He went further to chastise business persons in the entertainment industry and said he is doing everything in his power to censor songs from the airwaves that are deemed inappropriate for the public consumption.
Previously World Music Views reported that model Tyson Beckford, whose parents are Jamaican, also spoke out against the measures announced by Guyana’s Home Affairs Minister. He commented on Instagram that Skeng, “don’t need Guyanese market $$ to survive! Dem can kiss off. Skeng will be successful regardless of dem people.”
Meanwhile, President of the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation, Wayne Chen upon hearing news of the Skeng ban recalls a “Dominican Minister” telling him, “she was protecting her young people from negative influences and wasn’t too concerned about right of free movement of musicians under CSME treaty agreement,” as that country banned Vybz Kartel in 2010.
Guyana bans Jamaican dancehall artist Skeng from public performances. Ban extends to other artists with songs glorifying guns and violence. https://t.co/NpLGV1Fd7b
— Wayne Chen (@wcchen) June 11, 2022