Def Jam Records artist Stonebwoy, says he unequivocally opposes to the possibility of any of his children identifying as gay or lesbian. In an interview with Starr FM, the G.Y.A.L singer said, “Life is the ultimate, procreation is a must, in any right order if you are ascending you have to through that route.”
With more clarity the Ghanaian singer said, “I am straightness, I am straight, I can put my hands on that. My wife is, so my daughter gotta be, my son gotta be got to be, they are growing up in that, so they are going to learn that.”
He underscored that his sexual identity was inherited and he intends to pass that down stating, “My mother was straight, my father was straight, and I am straight.”
Ghana has been engaged in legislative discussions since August 2021, proposing severe penalties for LGBTQ rights. Stonebwoy’s stance aligns with a bill supported by some MPs, known as the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.
This bill aims to impose jail terms of up to 10 years for individuals promoting LGBTQ rights. It’s important to highlight that the bill, backed by conventional and religious authorities, seeks to prosecute any content questioning standard binary gender identities or deemed pro-LGBTQ.
While StoneBwoy does not sing homophobic lyrics, his stance bears resemblance to Jamaican dancehall stars of the 1999s who lost lucrative deals and North American TV time on MTV due to their stance against the LGBTQ lifestyle.
Beenie Man was yanked from a MTV Music Video Awards concert in 2004 due to pressure from the gay rights groups in the US according to Billboard. The ‘Who Am I’ singer also had European shows cancelled at the time and issued an apology saying, “Certain lyrics and recordings I have made in the past may have caused distress and outrage among people whose identities and lifestyles are different from my own. … I offer my sincerest apologies to those who might have been offended, threatened or hurt by my songs.”
In 2007, Buju Banton‘s 1990s hit “Boom Bye Bye,” became a target point for gay rights groups who sought to hold Banton accountable for the song which promotes violence against gays. Buju reluctantly signed the “reggae compassionate act” established by the gay rights advocacy group Stop Murder Music. This came after a three-year effort to hold Gargamel accountable, as announced by the group today, according to The Guardian.
By signing the act at the time Banton committed to refrain from making homophobic statements, releasing new anti-gay songs, or allowing the re-release of previous offensive tracks. The act emphasizes the dancehall music community’s rejection of hatred, prejudice, racism, violence, sexism, and homophobia.
The campaign, led by Outrage! was focused on ending “murder music,” has resulted in the cancellation of concerts and sponsorship deals, costing artists over £2.5m according to The Guardian.
Likewise, Shabba Ranks was dethroned from the height of his International career after a 1992 appearance on the U.K.’s Channel 4’s music show, The Word. During the show, the “Mr. Loverman” deejay was questioned about Buju Banton’s controversial song “Boom Bye Bye.”
Siting the Bible, Shabba asserted that the “word of God” supported the “crucifixion of homosexuals.” His comments were promptly condemned by the show’s presenter, Mark Lamarr, who retorted, “That’s absolute nonsense, and you’re well aware of it.”
Shabba was dropped from a tour with Bobby Brown and and NBC appearance. He later apologized but was still dropped form his Sony Record deal after selling Gold with two dancehall albums “X-Tra Naked” and “Raw As Ever,” generating over $20 million for Sony Music Group.
Buju Banton, post-prison, removed ‘Boom Bye Bye’ from streaming platforms, vowing inclusivity. He acknowledged the pain caused and committed to a more welcoming approach, quoting Dennis Brown: “Love and hate can never be friends.”
“I recognize that the song has caused much pain to listeners, as well as to my fans, my family and myself. After all the adversity we’ve been through I am determined to put this song in the past and continue moving forward as an artist and as a man. I affirm once and for all that everyone has the right to live as they so choose. In the words of the great Dennis Brown, ‘Love and hate can never be friends.’ I welcome everyone to my shows in a spirit of peace and love. Please come join me in that same spirit.” Buju said.
However, up to two years ago Sizzla shared a photo on Instagram, defacing a headline urging Spice not to perform at a Pride event in Toronto. Known for anti-gay remarks on stage and performing songs like “Don’t Apologize,” Sizzla criticized Spice’s involvement, stating, “None a dem nastiness bout yah unuh gweh. You’ll not corrupt our children anymore.”
Spice performed at the June 2022 show despite backlash and Pamputae was the headline act this year.
Footahype, a dancehall selector, expressed disappointment, lamenting the apparent shift in moral values within the industry saying on Instagram, “In all my 20+ years as an established product of Jamaica and dancehall and reggae music this is the first time I feel completely defeated ashamed embarrassed weak betrayed in my subconscious mind I was confident that two ppl i would never live to see do this was @spiceofficial and @grunggaadzilla this now drives a serious fear in my consciousness that all hope is lost this submission to the devil has become the new thing for dancehall artiste the new norm for our culture based on what I see going is that moral values are no longer important the only thing that matters is MONEY the preservation of our music , culture and righteous values don’t count . Honestly on the name of the almighty I was banking on hope that no matter what @spiceofficial would never give in to something like I guess I was dead wrong . This is a big L for the ancestors of Jamaica and the music given to us by the almighty money has officially poisoned and crippled our industry, we’ll maybe this is a band show if not it would be sad that @spiceoffial wouldn’t consider the wellbeing and career of her dj after this , shame a kill mi God know.”
Following these events defiant young reggae-dancehall artists Lila Ike who is signed to RCA and set to drop he debut album next year and former Universal Music artist Jada Kingdom revealed their interest in women.
Activists who have since reduced their aggressive advocacy that targeted the 90s artists still carry out their efforts in other subtle ways, as they find alliance in the dancehall community.
Like Ghana, in Jamaica, homosexuality is still illegal.
