Andrew Holness may have aimed his words at one dancehall veteran, but his line about entertainers waving the Jamaican flag has landed on a much wider crowd.
Painters, writers and some of the biggest names in reggae are now pushing back. The argument has shifted from relief money to who gets to criticise the government at all.
It started when Beenie Man sat down with Britain’s ITV News to talk about the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. He questioned how relief funds were being distributed and asked if the help was actually reaching the people who needed it.
The government disputed his claims, saying the money was going toward recovery with proper checks and oversight in place. Then the Prime Minister took it further.
Speaking on October 28 at the reopening of Black River Hospital, Holness said, “It is a lie that was told on Jamaica by someone who benefits from Brand Jamaica.” He went on to accuse entertainers of waving the flag to draw audiences while “tearing down the country.”
Buju Banton was quick to respond, reminding the public that promoting Jamaican culture takes a lot more than flying the black, green and gold.
Spragga Benz and Tanya Stephens have also weighed in. Both raised questions about where patriotism ends and government accountability begins.
One of the sharpest responses came in an opinion piece from a Jamaican painter and author who personally funds exhibitions and promotes Jamaican art across the diaspora.
The writer called the remarks “disparaging and disrespectful” and argued that the flag belongs to “those at home and abroad, government supporters and government critics, celebrated performers and struggling painters.”
The piece also pushes back on the idea that artists simply slap the colours on a flyer and collect ticket money.
Audiences come from years of writing, rehearsing, recording and touring, the writer argues. Earning from that work creates no obligation to defend whichever party is in power.
The same piece gives the government some room, though. Holness was entitled to challenge anything inaccurate in the interview, the writer says.
The better answer would be published evidence on what was received, allocated and spent, rather than questions about an artist’s loyalty.
There’s an awkward wrinkle here too. At the September 8 launch of the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee, Holness admitted frustration over delays in housing families displaced by the storm, as The Gleaner reported the next day.
He blamed some of that on bureaucracy and the need to keep the process accountable, which are real administrative hurdles.
Critics are now asking why the Prime Minister can say he isn’t satisfied with the pace of recovery, while a dancehall artist raising concerns about that same effort gets accused of tearing Jamaica down.
The two claims aren’t the same thing. Holness was talking about slow delivery, while Beenie Man questioned where the money was going.
With more artists adding their voices, the pressure keeps building on the government to answer the questions themselves rather than the people asking them.
