Fantan Mojah warns Gage, Alkaline

Claudia Gardner, Assignment Coordinator
WESTERN BUREAU:

Reggae artiste Fantan Mojah took time out, on and off stage, at Rebel Salute Night Two, to issue stern reprimands to dancehall artistes Gage and Alkaline, whom, he said are denigrating Jamaican women in their songs.

Citing the negative impact songs by the young artistes could have on young and impressionable children who were unavoidably hearing them, Fantan told the audience he had first-hand experience when his little one asked him the meaning of the slang 'dung in you throat'?

"Tell di bwoy Alkaline and di bwoy Gage say, yo see me and my bredda Sizzla Kalonji, we gwine straighten up di music. If oonu want wi fi fix dem, say 'fix dem!'" He told the audience, resulting in huge cheers.

But it was in an interview with The Star, following his performance, that the artiste vented his disapproval of the behaviour of the two youngsters, whom he said were, nonetheless, very talented.

"First and foremost, we don't have nothing against these kids. But di kids dem fi rememba sa (Tony) Rebel sing a song seh, 'careful what you say to the children', because children live what dem learn, you nuh? So you have to be careful how you putting out the song, because the children start to ask dem parents question - 'Daddy, Mommy, what is dung in yuh throat'?"

"Because a good artiste dem, enuh, and dem can sing good song. So jus' write some good song and sing to di nation, and stop defile mi pickney dem a Jamaica. Dem think a America or certain place dis? Dis a Jah mek yah! Meck we respect it nuh," the St Elizabeth-born artiste urged.

Fantan best known for the hit song, Mama Hungry, said while he was not in support of much of the lyrics of the two, he has nothing personal against them.

"As me tell you say, me nuh have nuttn 'gainst di yute dem. But if yuh have mi woman dem a shub bakkle dung dem throat an dem something deh - a hurt yuh want hurt black people? A hurt you want hurt di woman dem? No matta if a black woman, white woman, blue woman, purple woman, no matta wha kind a woman, from as long as is a woman. A mash yuh want mash up Mother Earth heavens? Have dem a shub bakkle dung dem throat?

"Careful how oonua sing to mi people dem, yute. Mi love oonu and everything, big up oonuself. But be careful how oonu sing to me people dem. Because if oonu no be careful, oonu have Fantan fi account wid! Oonu have Sizzla fi account wid! Oonu have Luciano fi account wid! Oonu have Capleton fi account wid! Di whole a di Bobo warrior dem a go put oonu in a oonu place.

He continued: "Oonu can sing say di woman dem nice, enuh, and sing say yuh want mek love to dem but, come on man, a you bedroom business oonu want bring come a road? Hey, likkle bwoy, behave oonuself!"

Fantan was not alone in voicing disapproval, as his counterpart, Queen Ifrica, was just as strident in her onstage rebuke of the two.

"Mi notice say from wha day, black ooman no have no virtue again. Black ooman a gwaan like dem no love demself again. Man can sing pon song say do wha wid dem battom, and can tell dem wha fi push dung inna dem throat, and black woman naw rebel. Black woman we haffi rebel against di system caw dem want tun wi inna prostitute and whore dung yah," Ifrica said.