King of Di Dancehall Beenie Man has made an apology for anti-gay songs in his roster via a YouTube video posted on Rototom Sunsplash official website. Beenie Man is set to perform at the popular summer reggae festival which takes place August 16-22 in Spain.
Organisers of the Rototom Festival issued the following statement on its website:
“We have received and we are happy to publish a video message of Beenie Man in which he wishes to clear out any doubt about his position concerning homophobic lyrics appearing in some of his old songs. We would like to think that his words can put an end to all the controversies that the subject has generated.”
In the short clip Beenie expresses that he respects every human being “regardless of which race or creed, regardless of religious belief, regardless of which sexual preference you have including gay and lesbian.”
He also pleaded with the gays to not hold some songs he did years ago against him as over his career he has grown and been exposed to more situations:
“Please I am begging you do not have me up for some songs I wrote a long time ago. I love each and every one and am just begging each and everyone to do the same.”
Beenie Man is one of several artists whose shows have been cancelled due to pressure from the gay community. Despite his signing the Reggae Compassionate Act in 2007 under his real name Moses David. Other dancehall acts including Capleton and Buju Banton, allegedly signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, drafted by the organisers of Rototom to appease gay rights advocates.
BTW back in 1996 Beenie Man was a guest on the RuPaul Show promoting the movie Dancehall Queen with Chevelle Franklin.
And Check out Clovis take on the matter:
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