Richard Johnson, Observer staff reporter
Monday, March 30, 2009
Deejay Assassin's set was prematurely ended at Saturday night's Red Stripe Live at Sabina Park after the organisers considered his lyrics questionable.
Assassin put in memorable performance. (Photos: Joseph Wellington)
The popular young act took to the huge stage at about 11:35 pm and immediately set the relatively small crowd which had gathered on the greens of Jamaica's premier cricket ground, ablaze with his entertaining and thought- provoking lyrics. From the moment he appeared, the silver accents on his white T-shirt glistening in the flood of stage lights, he had the females in the audience on their feet. From the onset he showed why he uses his trademark slang - 'versatile', as his set proved to be a mix of fun and conscious tracks. This ranged from What Do dem guy deh, to the truthful Dont Have no money. He received a huge 'forward' for when he uttered a line which spoke to bribery among members of the police force. and the audience was just loving the performance.
It was at this point that the deejay, born Jeffrey Campbell, remarked, "I know dem only give me 10 minutes but me haffi give yuh this one." He began singing the next track when one of the evening's MCs, Jerry D approached him on the stage and in a friendly gesture hugged the deejay and escorted him off. This did not sit well with sections of the audience who felt that the deejay had infact lifted the life of the event and therefore should have been allowed to complete the set. This soon passed they prepared for another act in the evening's stellar line-up.
However, this took another turn when Jerry D returned to the stage and apologised for statements made by Assassin which was deemed inappropriate.
According to reports one line in one of the tunes makes reference to 'fish' - a local reference to homosexuals - that seemed to offend organisers who were making a return to participating in live music, having withdrawn support just over a year ago in protest against lyrical content of the music.
Mykal Rose set off fireworks in Sabina Park.
According to Red Stripe's Maxine Whittingham-Osbourne, the decision was taken to remove Assassin from the stage as Red Stripe "considered the material questionable". She went on to explain that they seems to have been some miscommunication between the artiste and Red Stripe which allowed the 'questionable' tracks to be rehearsed and approved for performance.
Whittingham- Osbourne, however, said she was not in a position to state if this incident will affect Assassin's chances of performing on future Red Stripe events.
Meanwhile, it was a calm Assassin who spoke to the Observer on his way out of the venue. He noted that the action of the organisers, though unfortunate, is based on a misinterpretation of his lyrics. He jokingly noted that it seems that they will have to "change the name of that thing we eat over Hellshire".
Despite this singular incident, it was a great evening for a great cause - Project Artiste. This programme organised by Red Stripe seeks to offer 44 inner-city youths the opportunity to pursue training in various aspects of entertainment, from performance to technical skills.
The evening's acts showcase the past, present and future of Jamaican music. Among the acts of the future which shone were Rising Stars alum, Natel who, as the opening act, was fresh and engaging and truly set the tone for the performances to follow. Konshens also lit up the stage, showing he's definitely one for the future. Mr Time to Shine, Laden, definitely has the material for a future artiste, once he learns how to deliver. The crop of present acts proved to be a mixed bag of musical styles. This group included Duane Stephenson, Chris Martin, Assassin and the Empress Etana. All put in memorable performances and show why they are at the stage to take their careers to the next level.
The acts from the past showed why they have had that longevity, and were not going to be outshone by the young ones. Chalice was on point, especially Wayne Armond's rendition of the popular ballad, Still Love You. Leroy Sibbles had the audience rocking with his five-song set. which included the popular Fatty Fatty, Equal Rights and Book of Rules. Toots gave his usual energy to the performance and when he launched into his anthem 54-46, complemented by member of Dance Theatre Xamayca, the set was sealed.
However, it was former Black Uhuru frontman, Mykal Rose who set off fireworks in Sabina, literally and figuratively. His set which comprised of his hits Solidarity, Shine Eye Gyal and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, featured an excellent drum solo by master drummer, Desi Jones. However, the best was left for a the close of the set as his latest hit, Shoot Out, had Sabina on its feet and applauding the fireworks display on stage. The evening closed with veteran crooner, Ernie Smith, who's popular tune Life is just for living was first written as a jingle for Red Stripe.
Kudos to the organisers for the tight production as the show did not drag, effective lighting, a comfortable venue and a great cause added
to the overall enjoyment of the evening.
You be the judge, Listen below
Pree Dis - Assassin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Boardhouse Records - March 30, 2009
FROM ASSASSIN, IN HIS OWN WORDS:
On Saturday March 28, 2009, my performance at the Red Stripe Live concert was ended prematurely and abruptly, as I was stripped of my microphone and escorted off stage. I have spent many years of hard work and sacrifice building my reputation and brand as an artist, with a great level of integrity and professionalism. Indeed, the decision to include me in the line-up of this particular event is testament to that. I therefore have a responsibility to my fans and the general public to explain exactly what took place.
Upon being booked for the event, the songs I would be performing in my set were submitted in their entirety (without edits) weeks in advance, as requested by the organizers of the event. I rehearsed the songs in their entirety, on two separate occasions, in the presence of representatives from Red Stripe. There was no written or verbal communication from Red Stripe indicating any disapproval of the planned set, nor any discomfort with any specific lyrics or song. During my final rehearsal, I was merely asked to bear in mind the nature of the show, and upon arrival at the venue I was given a generic briefing by the promoters. At this point, there was still no indication from the promoters of any issue or objection to the planned performance.
During my performance, I did not deviate in any way from the rehearsed set. I was therefore shocked when approximately eight minutes into the ten minutes I was allotted, I was forced to discontinue. I was subsequently accused of breaching company policy by using what the promoter labeled offensive and discriminatory lyrical content, specifically, the use of the word "fish" in the song titled "Pree This."
The promoter then demanded that I apologize to the audience, a demand to which I did not comply. I am very disappointed by the unprofessional manner in which the matter was handled. I am even more concerned about the potential damage that may be done to my reputation that I have worked so hard to achieve and maintain.
My management has since been contacted by Red Stripe's Maxine Whittingham-Osbourne, who admitted it was miscommunication among Red Stripe representatives rather than any wrong doing on my part that resulted in this whole incident. She also stated that after reviewing the lyrics of the song, agreed I did not break any of Red Stripe's company codes. She apologized for failing to communicate with me prior to my performance that any lyrics were deemed questionable.
I still feel the need to take this opportunity to assure those who support my music that I am in no way at fault for Saturday night's unfortunate incident. I will continue to exercise discretion in my work, and I remain committed to the high level of integrity that has come to be expected of me.
