Britain's Music of Black Origin (MOBO) awards withdrew the nominations of two Jamaican dancehall-genre singers Sept. 7 because their lyrics encourage killing homosexuals.
Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel failed to respond to a MOBO invitation to apologize for their lyrics and prove they've stopped writing and performing such music.
They had been nominated for Best Reggae Act. The awards will be presented Sept. 30.
'The MOBOs have taken a lead and we hope other promoters, sponsors and record companies will follow their positive example,' said Brett Lock of the London gay direct-action group OutRage!, which is spearheading an aggressive campaign against several Jamaican dancehall artists.
'The singers' refusal to apologize is indicative of their unrepentant violent homophobia,' Lock said. 'Incitement to murder should never be rewarded.'
OutRage! also has targeted Beenie Man, Buju Banton, T.O.K., Bounty Killer, Capleton and Sizzla.
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Elephant Man's lyrics include 'Battyman fi dead' ('Queers must be killed') and 'Dance wi a dance and a bun out a freaky man/Step pon him like a old cloth/A dance wi a dance and a crush out a bingi man' ('Join our dance and let's burn out the queer man/Step on him like an old cloth/Join our dance and let's crush queer men').
Kartel's lyrics include 'Kartel buss one inna batty bwoy spine' ('Kartel puts one [a bullet] in a queer's spine'), 'Bow cat, sodomite, batty man fi gat assassination' ('Oral sexer, lesbian and queer must be assassinated'), and 'Faggot fi get copper to di heart' ('Faggot must get copper [bullet] to the heart').
The translations from Jamaican patwa to standard English were done by OutRage!.
— Rex Wockner
