‘Weh Di Money Deh?’: Beenie Man takes hurricane relief criticism to studio
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Dancehall veteran Beenie Man is taking his criticism of the Government’s Hurricane Melissa relief efforts to the recording studio, teasing a new song titled We Di Money Deh, which questions the distribution of assistance to Jamaicans still struggling to rebuild their lives following the devastating storm.
The entertainer shared snippets of the unreleased track on Instagram, showing himself in the studio while listening to the song which echoes concerns about accountability, transparency and the pace of hurricane recovery efforts.
“Music has always been a voice for the people,” Beenie Man wrote in the caption accompanying the videos.
“Taking you inside the studio as we bring We Di Money Deh to life, a song inspired by the concerns of Jamaicans still waiting for help as they rebuild their lives from the hurricane,” he added, announcing that the track would be released soon.
In the snippets, the dancehall icon repeatedly questions the whereabouts of relief funds while highlighting the plight of Jamaicans still in need of basic necessities.
“Weh di money deh? Tell mi weh it reach,” he sings, before declaring, “Everybody want a roof when the rain come down.”
The song also appears to take aim at political divisions, referencing the colours associated with Jamaica’s two major political parties, in the lyrics: “Green and orange, everybody bleed, help must follow we.”
The forthcoming release comes amid a public exchange between the Grammy-winning entertainer and Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness over the Government’s handling of hurricane recovery funds.
During Wednesday’s reopening of the Black River Hospital in St Elizabeth, Holness appeared to respond to Beenie Man over his recent criticism, suggesting that the artiste should have been invited to witness the Government’s recovery efforts firsthand.
The prime minister disclosed that more than $300 million of the Government’s $3.8 billion post-hurricane allocation to the health sector had been spent rebuilding the hospital.
“[With] all the dignitaries… who are here, I thought to myself the Minister [of Health Dr Christopher Tufton] neglected to invite Beenie Man, because then he would see first-hand how the Government has been spending on the recovery,” Holness said.
READ: WATCH: Holness hits back at Beenie Man after Hurricane Melissa relief comments
His remarks followed an interview Beenie Man gave to British broadcaster ITV News, during which the entertainer questioned how millions of dollars in donations intended for hurricane victims were being distributed.
“This is nothing new that the Government get the money, the Government distribute the money the wrong way. The people who supposed to get the money haven’t been getting any,” Beenie Man claimed.
“These things, it’s a regular thing that happens. The money comes in and you nuh see where it go,” he added.
READ: ‘You don’t see where the money go’: Beenie Man criticises Gov’t hurricane relief spending
A release date for the track has not yet been announced.