Wed 18 Nov 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Beenie Man Controversial Grammy Award-winning reggae performer Beenie Man has denied he was homophobic and wrote homophobic lyrics in the past then hung up on a GayNZ.com Daily News journalist just seconds into a scheduled fifteen minute phone interview arranged to discuss the subject. Beenie man, who is based in Jamaica where homosexuality is still illegal and violent homophobia is a part of the national culture, is one of the headliner acts booked to perform at the Raggamuffin event at the west Auckland Trusts Arena on February 20th. The date coincides with the Auckland Pride Festival and the concurrent glbti Proud to Play sports event which will be centred on the same venue. His lyrics have included: “"Well I'm think of a new Jamaica, me come to execute all of the gays" (Damn! 1999); “We burn chi-chi man and then we burn sodomite and everybody bawl out, say, ‘Dat right!'” (That’s Right, 2002); "Hang chi chi gal wid a long piece of rope" [Translation: “Hang lesbians with a long piece of rope.”] (Han Up Deh, 2001); "All batty man fi dead!" [All faggots must be killed!] From you fuck batty den a coppa and lead [If you fuck arse, then you get copper and lead, ie. bullets] Nuh man nuh fi have a another man in a him bed. [No man must have another man in his bed]” (Batty Man Fi Dead [Queers Must Be killed]). In 2012 he released a video claiming that he no longer feels hate towards gay people and that those lyrics were written 20 years earlier. However there is considerable scepticism about the video as he had often mentioned in prior interviews the importance of being able to perform and he has talked of how it’s important that people like him so he can share more of his music. This morning's aborted interview played out as follows: Beenie Man: “This is Beenie Man.” GayNZ.com Daily News: Thanks for giving us this opportunity to talk with you and discuss this difficult issue. Why did you feel so anti gay and lesbian people when you were younger? Where did that come from, was it your upbringing or perhaps the culture of your youth? BM: “I don't understand your question.” GayNZ.com: Sorry? BM: “I don't understand your question sir.” GayNZ.com: I was asking why you were so homophobic in your youth and why that came out in your lyrics. BM: “In my lyrics?” GayNZ.com: Yes. BM: (long pause) “Ok, I think you're talking to the wrong person, you're accusing the wrong man. I choose not to answer.” GayNZ.com: You're not going to answer that question? Hello... hello... hello... (End of call). Moments later the phone operator rang back: Operator: “He says he doesn't want to do the interview, he doesn't want to be reconnected.” GayNZ.com: Thank you for that Operator: “Ok, sorry.” A source at Raggamuffin has since confirmed to GayNZ.com Daily News that the interview had been coordinated through the performer's management who knew it was specifically arranged to discuss homophobia in the artist's lyrics. Beenie Man has had a number of appearances cancelled in the past due to outrage over his homophobic exhortations, including Auckland's 2009 Big Day Out.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 18th November 2015 - 1:30pm