Guardian Unlimited | Arts news | Police to vet lyrics of ‘anti-gay’ reggae star on British tour
Some crap research here. “Red Alert” is not a Sizzla album but a riddim compilation.
“Judgement Yard” is not a club, but a dwelling.
Interesting, tho, that he seems to not be performing homophobic lyrics in the UK any more.
the cleaner
Judgement Yard in August Town is supposed to be a Rastafarian commune although in practice it is a club for Sizzla and Friends – although perhaps not a club in the Hoxton/Shoreditch sense 🙂
IMHO Sizzla is a bit of a hoax appealing to Rasta Fashionista’s. Given everything else that’s happening on the planet ranting about offing gay and white people isn’t exactly conscious is it?
One lurve…
2004/11/02 @ 09:13 pm
john eden
Indeed. Welcome, Mr or Ms Cleaner.
2004/11/02 @ 09:31 pm
name ( / )
some pics of sizzla nd judgement yard here for ya http://www.afflictedyard.com/sizzla2.htm
2004/11/03 @ 03:42 pm
Fred Dread ( / )
Aren’t those pictures taken by the same guy that was also threatening to “off” white people, graf artists and gay’s?
Must be ‘buy one get one free’ day!
According to the BBC all the Sizzla dates have been cancelled and he’s been sent back to Jamaica.
2004/11/03 @ 09:25 pm
lex
Benjamin Zephaniah was on the Today programme this morning and was roped into the debate. He bemoaned the way reggae has now become associated with hate rather than love. He also said he didn’t think Sizzla’s gig should have been cancelled.
2004/11/05 @ 10:29 am
Dan
I’m afriad that bloke is right. Sizzla’s “Red Alert” is actually an album http://www.unitysounds.com/albumcover/Tracklistings/sizzlaredalert.htm
I have half a mind to make some sort of anti-gay ragga mix in spite of all this crap >_>
2004/11/05 @ 03:42 pm
the cleaner
I heard the interview also.
Presumeably the association of reggae with hate, love, guns, drugs, peace, protest or whatever is down to the artists themselves. There are still plenty of reggae artists that don’t get themselves into a lather over gun-love, gay-hating, skin-politics, etc. It’s just a pity that the few that do (along with their vocal supporters) are ruining it for the rest.
Why should someone be allowed to come to the UK to rant about killing gay men, lesbians and white people?
I can’t see any justification whether it’s the freedom of speech argument or playing the race card.
Freedom of Speech exists within a set of values and norms, inciting violence upon any ethnic or minority group is unacceptable and therefore violates that Freedom.
The race argument (that different rules apply because of race) is beyond stupid IMO, it’s like letting off R.Kelly cos he’s urban!
It seems that the protestors against this nasty strand of reggae are copping some of the blame for reggaes current state of disrepute but it’s the artists innit! Otherwise it’s like plaming Greenpeace for oil slicks…
2004/11/05 @ 04:02 pm
paul “the mover” meme
The campaign is targeting artists who have deliberately foregone making homophobic statements.
The damage inflicted on the scene by cancelling these shows outweighs the value of gaining publicity for Outrage’s campaign, in my view.
2004/11/07 @ 09:55 pm
Tic Tac Toe ( / )
but…
All of the “artists” in question had been performing discriminatory material on recent shows as well as refusing to withdraw recent racial or homophobic hate statements. Being forced to sign a contract to not perform or make racial, homophobic or violence inciting comments doesn’t really count does it?
With these prats out of the way hopefully the scene will return to it’s previously respected and bouyant state.
Anyway those artists aren’t very good anyway! Unless you like the idea of worzel gummidge lookalikeys waving a tea towel, that is 🙂
Wheddy, Wheddy, Wheddy!
2004/11/08 @ 09:43 am