how does everyone feel about this ?

[rambleon]

how does everyone feel about this ?

MOBO DROP NOMINEES

ELEPHANT MAN and VYBZ KARTEL have had their MOBO nominations withdrawn amid arguments over ‘homophobic’ lyrics.

Organisers for the Music Of Black Origin awards demanded the pair apologise for their alleged anti-gay lyrics in their earlier work, following complaints from gay rights campaigners.

A spokesperson for MOBO said: “The last thing MOBO want to do is encourage prejudice.�

Representatives for the singers said that the artists had “moved on�, but no written apology had been received by the MOBO Academy.

"Mobo have not yet received written apologies as previously promised,� said a spokesperson. “We have therefore alerted the MOBO Academy to this situation and a decision has been taken to withdraw the nominations for Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel."

OutRage! – a gay rights group – said that they were pleased about the dropping of the acts from the Best Reggae category.

OutRage! spokesperson Brett Lock told BBC news: "We applaud the decision of the MOBOs to drop these artists.�

The BBC were asked previously by OutRage! not to screen the ceremony unless MOBO organisers withdrew the controversial nominations.

A spokesperson for the BBC said: “The BBC will not broadcast any homophobic lyrics."

The MOBO award winners will be announced on September 30, with highlights aired on BBC 1 on October 6.

Published: 09-09-2004-15-15

[crazycloud]

hey i’m all for freedom of speech.. i know a lot about dancehall too.. i enjoy tyhe music from both those artists.. it is a hot topic these days with gay rights groups to attack jamaican artists.. i think it’s a load of shit . they should just not listen to the music… dancehall as well as rap music talks a lot of shit about everybody.. since when does eveyone have to run there art by some gay rights group before it becomes acceptable art.. i dont know.. i am tired of hearing all the hubballub about all the shit.. but i know one thing contraversy sells records so i dont think they’re very pissed about the decision …

[Aatos]

Reggae/dancehall lyrics are often very racisistic.. "bad white man, takin our ganja, jah jah, blaaha blaah"..etc

[Robert]

I’ve seen a documentary regarding this issue. And though I in no way support "gay bashing," I think it’s important to see this in context. And the people in jamaica learn in church and school that being gay is wrong, and against the will of God. So it’s what they’re brought up with. I don’t mean that this makes it allright, but it can be a part of the puzzle to understanding why a lot of the lyrics have content like this.

[rambleon]

i guess this whole issue really got me thinking b/c in my mind if the music was good enough to deserve a nomination in the 1st place, then why take it away at a later date merely b/c you don’t agree w/the lyrics ? … that just doesn’t make sense to me …

i don’t agree w/anti-gay sentiments at all, but i think if that’s what the artist concerned feels compelled to write, then who are we to judge them unworthy of a mobo (or any other award for that matter) ?

[Robert]

yeah, that’s a good argument, I mean, they ought to know what the lyrics were about when they nominated them. And then to withdraw the nominations at a later date just doesn’t make any sense.

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