Foota defends Day Rave incident

Shereita Grizzle, STAR Writer

Popular selector Foota Hype has hit back at social media users who criticised him for a video which surfaced on the Internet recently.

The selector was one of the disc jocks at last Thursday's staging of Hotta Rice Day Rave in Greenwich Farm, St Andrew, and his action towards a young lady during his set is being condemned as disrespectful.

This, after he described her as being skinny and gave her several grocery items, which he said she needed to put on weight.

Love comment

Foota responded to the comments through his social media pages on Tuesday. In a tweet, the DJ said: "All when mi do good them still a cuss mi. Dah girl mawga to an extreme and mi buy her some groceries inna di dance fi help her put on likkle weight. And fi all who love comment and chat and never deh a Day Rave Thursday, di girl get her groceries and her money too and this no new to dancehall, a years from Passa Passa and Dutty Fridays time. Dancehall mean drama, excitement and a bag a tings so God go wid who no like it. Some a unu just chat too much and go si di mount a skeleton weh inna fi unu closet."

During his Day Rave set Foota invited the young lady to the selector's quarters where he enquired about her age, among other things. During the interrogation, the selector could be heard cursing expletives and commenting on the young lady's physical appearance. The female patron, who disclosed that she was 17, was clearly offended by Hype's words, as she folded her hands and knitted her brows.

Not pleased

"Yuh eva watch TV and hear dem say to help dis child send donations to 167753421? How yuh mawga so?," the DJ asked as he analysed the young woman's appearance and listed food items she needed, before proceeding to order some groceries from a nearby shop. Among the items ordered were Supligen, crackers, condensed milk and tin mackerels.

Patrons were clearly amused and supported the DJ's actions, many urging the young girl to take the items and the money he offered. Although clearly not pleased with the situation, she listened to the crowd and walked away with the food items and $1,000. Despite support from the Day Rave crowd, social media users have put Foota Hype on blast for his actions, saying he went overboard in embarrassing the young girl.

"This is so disrespectful," one user said.

Another added: "This is very wrong, some people don't know what limit is. Just to look a hype, This is disgraceful."

Others bashed the young girl, stating that she caused it on herself for being in a space only adults should be.

shereita.grizzle@gleanerjm.com