The Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica released an advisory on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 banning the playing of lewd music which endorses illicit drugs and scamming on traditional media platforms —s mainly the radio.

While this news is welcoming, it is excessively late as the horse has already gone through the gate. It is somewhat similar to the demolition exercise at Clifton in Bernard Lodge, where the relevant authorities dragged their feet in addressing the hotly debated squatting situation in the St Catherine community and Jamaica at large. As seen in the media, several of these structures were advanced in the building stage. One wonders how these citizens managed to erect these buildings uninterrupted. Then, again, according to recent developments, it is alleged that criminals drove fear into government authorities, preventing them from taking the necessary actions.

For many years there have been numerous calls for immoral songs to be banned; however, many people, including artistes themselves, argued that they were not responsible for parenting other people’s children. Unsurprisingly, dancehall artiste Tanya Stephenson reacted in a letter to the editor in the Jamaica Observer on October 12 stating that, “Every single time there is a great pressure to curb crime or antisocial behaviour, some of these very same unchanging heads meet again and roll out the same archaic ban as a ‘measure’. ” However, these artistes should concede that they contribute to the situation at hand, albeit not entirely.

We will recall the infamous incarcerated Vybz Kartel who spoke passionately about his lyrics not influencing young people negatively. But we have seen repeatedly where some of these artistes and their songs have immensely impacted young people through dressing, speaking, and their general attitude.

Remember the era where there was a rift between Gully (Mavado) and Gaza (Vybz Cartel). The feud was perpetuated in schools, where classrooms, in some instances, were divided into Gully and Gaza and students rivalled each other in this very vein. It is known that many people repeatedly listen to the lyrics of the artistes they respect and practise what they say. Whether we know it or not, there are impressionable minds, especially our young people who will be influenced by these lyrics.

It was as recently as June that Guyana’s minister of home affairs banned Jamaican dancehall artiste Skeng from performing at public events in his country. This followed a shooting incident at the Baderation event in May, where Skeng was performing. Minister Brindley Robeson Benn said: “If they want, they can go into a private club and behave as badly as they want. But we will not sign off on any such artiste or any artiste who has a record of promoting vulgar and lawless behaviour, including the firing of gunshots in public places. We reject it completely.” This would not be the first incident in which Jamaican artistes have been banned from performing in other countries due to the content of their lyrics, yet they strive in Jamaica.

The position taken by the Broadcasting Commission is not new. However, they should have been more rigid in enforcing such a policy when the musical arena started getting out of control. Had that been the case, children would not have been this exposed and supportive of such degrading music. If we say that only parents are responsible for raising and cultivating their children, then this ban will not have any effect; however, if we were to say that the society as a whole should participate in raising and guiding children, then we can see how it is that this ban will be of effect. What about the adage “It takes a village to raise a child”?

Should we be moving to developing laws to curb the promotion of illegal activities in the content of songs? It stands to reason that if the actions being glorified in these songs are illegal then the content would contradict the very law of the country. If we allow these lyrics to permeate the airwaves, we send mixed messages to our people. What will be the consequence for those who continue to play these songs on the airwaves? How do we hold these artistes responsible for what they produce? It seems counterproductive to try to stem the issue of lewd lyrics after they have been produced. If we had clear guidelines in place then it would guide the artistes as they produce their lyrics. We certainly would not want to interfere with creativity; however, the content of the songs need to be censored. But what then of freedom of expression? How do we get citizens to act responsibly for the collective good of the society?

The move by the Broadcasting Commission to ban vulgar music shows that Jamaica is taking the right step toward a safer society for everyone; however, the question that is on everyone’s mind is: Will this change anything? With the world experiencing its Fourth Industrial Revolution, where the internet and technology play an important role in our everyday life, even if lewd music is banned on radio and television, to what extent will this prevent schoolchildren from accessing this content? Will the social media platforms be censored as well? What about the movies that they watch? Do they not promote certain lifestyles as well?

There is, therefore, a call for Jamaicans to consider the psychological and behavioural impact of secondary agents of socialisation on children and young adults. Some people may argue that there are other factors responsible for the proliferation of crime and violence in our society and, quite recently, the resurgence of school violence, the uptick in scamming, and the exponential consumption of illicit drugs, such as molly. Undeniably, there are numerous factors that contribute to these unlawful acts in society, but the impact of lyrics glorifying these activities must not be denied as a factor.

We all have a choice as to what we listen to and decide what we will allow to influence us; however, let us remember that we are also creating a culture for our children. Many Jamaicans speak of the former era when some things were forbidden and would not be tolerated. What we do today affects the Jamaica that is created tomorrow. Quite frankly our youth are at a stage in their development when many are struggling with their identity and they look to others as role models, including dancehall artistes. Whether the artistes admit it or not, they have a fan base who follows them, listens to, and sometimes acts out what they say. This is the reality we have before us; therefore, we need a new approach to stemming the issue so that we can save future Jamaica — if there is any potential left.