Tanya Stephens is one of Jamaica’s greatest-ever female songwriters and I am her greatest fan.

However, I staunchly disagree with the stance that she has maintained. Based on our limited interactions, she is no dunce and I sincerely hope we can agree to disagree.

Tanya Stephens and several other entertainment personalities are up in arms against a recent edict imposed by the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica against ’tunes’ which portray negative messages –‘Chopping’ the line, Molly and gun songs, among others.

With this, Tanya has a grouse.

Art is life, they say, and it is expression. Proponents of the Jamaican art form are the children of no regulatory body. How dare this miscreant, Cordell Green, and his underlings dare to attempt to censor their artistic expression?

In an interview more than a decade ago, the undisputed ‘World Boss’ of dancehall, Vybz Kartel said: “The people are sheep. Anything I say they will follow and even when I say this they will still follow me.”

The people still follow him with deep devotion despite his legal travails. Anything coming out of Kartel’s mouth now is law in the streets. Yet still, Tanya Stephens and a section of the entertainment industry refuse to admit that certain messages which emanate out of Jamaica’s popular music idiom have a negative effect on how our children relate to the world.

I was but an unbroken child in the late 1970s. But the hit songs of the day spoke of peace and love, rebellion for a cause and holding a female tight. Yes, there were murders, scuffles and criminality, but there was no artiste who sang about killing an old lady or the glories of the power of a firearm.

My generation of males do not believe in wanton killing, we respect our enemy’s mother, we will rise up for a just cause, women are a great treasure and we use a gun mostly in defence of life and property. We were schooled in a certain way.

The music of the day taught us this subliminally.

What are our artistes singing about today and who is their audience?

A child who is told every day that they are ugly or worthless will eventually grow to believe it and live it. Are we to tell our children that murder and scamming are their only options if they do not achieve academic excellence?

Most of the music coming out of Jamaica today sends all the wrong messages and a negative signal. Dancehall is limping along and reggae is punch drunk.

Tanya Stephens, through her vastly popular social media presence and entertainment value, has never once recused herself from defending ‘artistic expression’ even before the Broadcasting Commission’s ban on negative messages in the music.

But no, Miss Stephens, we cannot allow the youths to keep churning out these violent lyrics and poisoning the minds of our children. Please encourage them to pen good songs. Please encourage them to read and learn about themselves and know they have a duty to the next generation.

Stop supporting these lazy excuses for artistes. After all, you are far from lazy. Your works expose your brilliance.

It is amazing how someone with such succinctly crafted creations such as Tanya Stephens can support such sub-standard work. Life is full of surprises.

Stephens and those of similar ilk have a valid point, however.

Art is life. How can we expect the artistes to create works that do not relate to their journey?

However, many have trod the journey before. Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley, Dennis Brown and Peter Tosh to name a few, were all born in poverty. They were all surrounded by crime and violence but chose a different path to glory.

The easiest thing to do is the wrong thing. Hardest is to do right.

Tanya Stephens has done right, there are none of her popular creations that could ever be banned from free-to-air radio. What is not right is her support of those who have made no attempt to uphold her high standard.

No more substandard musical creations, Jamaica, we are too great for that.

Karyl Walker is a veteran journalist who served as the Jamaica Observer’s Crime/Court and Online News Editor. He now resides in Florida, USA.