- Shaggy discuss plans for a new healthcare facility.
- Initially, a new facility was planned, but this idea was scrapped because the funds raised was earmarked for a different purpose.
- The plan then shifted to refurbishing and expanding an existing facility.
- His final plan is to use the funds to expand the facility from 5 to 7 minutes, with added features such as a pharmacy and waiting facility.
- Shaggy also discuss his personal history of charitable giving and encourages others to donate.
Two time Grammy winning artist Shaggy had a joint press talk on Monday with the Jamaica Observer and World Music Views where he answered questions regarding speculations in the media on why his foundation is yet to hand over the J$100 million raised 5 years ago with his Shaggy & Friends Concert.
“First of all we had a plan to build a brand new facility, then we notice we couldn’t build the brand new facility because we didn’t have enough land, we would have to get land from JDF(Jamaica Defense Force). We realize to get the land would take way more hurdles so them so make we go ahead and build a ward , so i say let’s go ahead, then we were told under the charity’s act we cannot do that because it was ear marked for that, so I not going to brea the law,” he said.
The money raised at the “Shaggy Make A Difference” concert was to build an intensive care unit at the Bustamante Children’s Hospital.
“I have to follow what the Charity’s act says, then Dr. James came up with the idea snd say why don’t we refurbish the existing one (ICU), and expand it, then we sat with an architect who says you know its a five bed facility, I think we can get a 7 which is what we have been doing for the last couple of months until now.”
His clarifications came following a reported concerns by the Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton who has called “for an investigation into the matter’.
“I’m a little disappointed it has taken five years and the children and infrastructure of Bustamante Hospital have not benefited from a worthy cause,” said Tufton.
“I have a lot of admiration for Shaggy, his team and the thousands of others that have contributed to that cause. The reality of it is the benefits have not yet flowed to the children,” he continued.
Shaggy says the final plan is the refurbish the existing ICU facility and make it a 7 bed facility with better offices and storage rooms retrofitted with a pharmacy.
The multi-platinum selling superstar also spoke on the recent directive by the Broadcasting Commission to ban music of a certain kind from the Jamaican radio and television airwaves. The DJ chastised the entity saying their ban is hypocritical but it will hardly affect the music industry because young people listen to music via the internet.
He says the Commission doesn’t have the reach to stop the music from reaching people’s ears.
“I don’t think it affect music at all, because the majority of the music is consumed through the internet and on YouTube and if you can’t ban YouTube then you not gonna move nuttn at all, it’s not going work,” he said.
“I think its a bit hypocritical, unless you plan to do it across the board with Hip Hop music and television and all a that cause its the same content across the board, you not banning Netflix, you not banning YouTube, but you banning our artist from doing that is freedom of speech. You can’t say freedom of speech but only when it suit you,” he continued
Shaggy, 54, said the radio stations are only further eliminating the youth demographic from listening to radio and television by complying with such a ban and their actions will have a direct impact on their incoming advertising dollar that would have been geared towards the young people.
“If you look at the people who are consuming that type of music, which is ‘choppa music’, they are really young people, you just cur revenue out of a lot of these media houses which is already a strained entity as it is.”
The statement issued Wednesday October 11, under the heading “BROADCAST COMMISSION ISSUES DIRECTIVE ON SONGS PROMOTING ILLEGAL ACTIVITY” outlined that television and radio stations operating in the island should halt “any audio or video recording, live song, or speech which promotes and/or glorifies scamming. illegal use or abuse of drugs (e.g. ‘Molly’), illegal or harmful use of guns or other offensive weapons, “jungle justice” or any other form of illegal or criminal activity.”
According to the Commission’s website the entity is mandated by the Broadcasting and Radio Re-diffusion Act (BRRA) to monitor and regulate free-to-air television, broadcast radio and subscriber television (Cable) services to ensure their operation at appropriate levels in relation to technical, programming, and service standards.
In the last four years much of the music that has saturated Jamaica’s airwaves first got recognition via YouTube and other streaming platforms and then radio disc jocks include edited versions of those songs in their playlists.
That practice can no longer happen for songs that fall in the category stated as the Commission further stated that all edited versions of songs that had the promotion of illegal activities should not be played on the airwaves.
“Any edited song which directly or indirectly promotes scamming, illegal drugs, illegal or harmful use of guns or other offensive weapons, jungle justice, or any form of illegal or criminal activity. This includes live editing and original editing (e.g. edits by producer/label) as well as the use of near-sounding words as substitutes for effective lyrics, expletives, or profanities.”
Dancehall artist Skeng has the two most streamed songs in Jamaica as more and more young people are moving away from radio and television as their main mode of consumption.
Radio Disc Jock Bloodline Franco of Fame FM told World Music Views that his organization had already take steps to ban the songs containing drug use and violence.
“The RJR Gleaner group has already take a stand in house, so for any DJ in the RJR Gleaner group we were not able to play these songs regardless, but I think there will be some dissonance between what the younger demographic wants and what can be played on air. So we have to see if the radio listener will be appreciative of the difference in catalogue in what you hear in the parties vs in the radio,” he said.
“Or will they use new media and new platforms that technology provide for their fill of music vs listening to traditional broadcast radio. The onus is now on radio DJ and radio producers to add more value than just talk with more radio personalities other than just playing song A and Song B. This will force radio to have to do more to engage the listeners. We can no longer relay on ready made hits,” he continued.
Franco’s statements about the way young people are consuming music also apply to how young people get information in general. A recent BBC report stated that traditional broadcasters are struggling to keep up with the Meta owned social media site Instagram which has become the most popular news source for young British teenagers. This according to research commissioned by the UK’s media regulator, with BBC TV channels sliding from first to fifth place in the past year.
An Ofcom report on news consumption in the UK published on Thursday July 21, found that roughly 25 percent of 12- to 15-year-olds watched BBC One and Two, compared with 45 per cent five years ago. Meanwhile, 29 per cent of young teenagers surveyed this year cited Instagram as a source of news.
Young people are increasingly using social media for more than just entertainment but as a news source.
Even though TV networks were considered the most trusted source and news on social media the least reliable, younger people were more likely to access news via digital platforms. Some 46 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds surveyed said they turned to Instagram, compared with 36 per cent who watched bulletins on BBC One.
The Ofcom report found that the music driven TikTok was the second most popular platform for young teenagers seeking news. It reached 28 per cent of 12-to 15-year-olds, up from 11 per cent two years ago, and enjoyed the largest increase in use among all Britons over the age of 16.
“Teenagers today are increasingly unlikely to pick up a newspaper or tune into TV news, instead preferring to keep up to date by scrolling through their social feeds,” said Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research.
“And while youngsters find news on social media to be less reliable, they rate these services more highly for serving up a range of opinions on the day’s topical stories,” he added.
Away from broadcasting, the report showed that newspapers, whether in print or online, were particularly vulnerable to changing news habits. In 2022, only 38 per cent of British adults read a newspaper, down from 51 per cent in 2018.
Meanwhile in America, research conducted last year found that 48% of U.S. adults say they get news from social media “often” or “sometimes,” a 5 percentage point decline compared with 2020, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted July 26-Aug. 8, 2021.
That in mind, Franco said artists like Skillibeng, Squash and Intence and other artist who do hardcore dancehall are really in favor now, so young listeners know their songs. Radio disc jocks capitalized on their popularity when they go on the radio. Still he says the ban may not apply to older songs from Bob Marley and Gregory Isaacs which are noted to reference the use of marijuana.
“I do believe Bob Marley songs like Kaya that mention marijuana or Gregory Isaac’s “Night Nurse” will still be played because it’s not as explicit as the newer songs.”
Franco also said the prejudice lies in the how vs the what, “It is the way artists express their songs vs what they are expressing,” he concluded.
Producer Stephen Di Genius also responded sarcastically to news of the halt from the Broadcast Commission, “Yay!! Crime and violence gonna magically stop now . Jamaica the most sample place on earth.”
Watch Shaggy’s full interview here.
