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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Misinterpreting Marley's 'Who the cap fit' .......... Man To Man is So Unjust as Anti Gay


Blakka Ellis 


Hear wha mi a say today. Call me a nerd, or whatever, but I have a fascination with literary analysis and lyrical interpretation. Yes, exploring the meanings, themes and ideas in poems, songs and stories was probably the single most enjoyable aspect of my life as a student. Mi kinda weird, doh? Yeah, man, and that also was the most fulfilling part of my work in a former life as a teacher of high school Literature.

So when one of my nephews sought to engage me in a conversation some years ago, about the meaning of the lyrics in some of Bob Marley's songs, I was pleased as punch and ready to reason.

The pleasure soon evaporated though, when the youngster reluctantly accepted that although my arguments and explanations made sense, he still held on firmly to the view that Marley actually spoke out against homosexuality in his music. And the example he cited was 'man to man is so unjust, you don't know who to trust' - the opening lyrics from the song Who The Cap Fit.

Well, I felt that such a gross misinterpretation of Marley's lyrics was probably forgivable in the case of my nephew because he, admittedly, had never, ever yet 'read off a whole book' yet, and didn't pay much attention in school.

It was much harder to forgive an educated man, MP Dr. Dayton Campbell, who used the same flawed interpretation when he quoted Marley in a twitter rail against American singer Frank Ocean after his performance on the Grammy Awards show last year. According to news sources at the time, the MP tweeted "Frank Ocean man fi have ooman pon dem mind. How di hell man end up on your mind massah?? 

Bob done tell you say man to man is so unjust!!!"

Of course, the tweet lit up a mini firestorm about the politician's perceived anti-gay stance, and appropriateness of his comments etc. with biting remarks and fighting words coming from both attacking and defending poles. But that area is not my focus. My issue is with the literary analysis and what I see as misinterpretation of Marley's words. And guess what, I'm now discovering that Dr Campbell and my nephew are not alone in their 'misconscrewed' view. Well, students, teacha say a never dat Bob mean by 'man to man is so unjust'. No hyah!

OK, I can stretch my brain enough to maybe imagine how the idea of 'man to man is so unjust' could vaguely possibly be about sex and sexuality. Here's how. Like, for instance in the case of say, some lonely heterosexual women now, who could understandably be justified in feeling that it's unfair or 'unjust' for men to be going with other men, when they are there willing, able, available and horny, but unable to get men to go with them. But that's a hell of a stretch. I don't think Mr Marley was singing from that standpoint.

Anyone who attempts a serious interpretation of the song [one that takes into account the other verses and chorus] would agree with me that those initial lines are referring to the unfair and [bad mind] ways in which human beings deal with each other. And although the word used is 'man', the song is clearly [as in the case of plenty biblical references] using man to refer to all human beings.

Di song a talk about people generally, woman, man and 'others', and how dem wicked and deceptive. Marley was reminding unnu say 'your worst enemy, could be your best friend and your best friend your worst enemy', so watch some a dem, how dem 'eat and drink with you, then behind dem su-su pon yu'.

Is that kind of unjust way, how man deal wid man, Bob Marley did a pree! So stop twist and mix up the words of the Gong. 

What? 

Who me a talk? 

Who di cap fit!

Dancehall Act Stylysh says Lesbians Linked her on Instagram after Secret Lovers' Song Controversy ....... Video Shoot to Commence



Dancehall artiste Stylysh will be shooting a video for her 'Secret Lovers' single, featuring Ishawna, sometime this week to next according to sources close to her camp.

"The buzz around the song has been incredible so far. The whole lesbian rumours were a bit crazy and, after the STAR published a story, a lot of lesbians began to link me up on Instagram and started saying some really crazy things to me, but mi just laugh it off because ah just entertainment, and people got the wrong idea. But, at the end of the day, everybody ah live dem life, and what dem do behind closed doors is their business. I love all my fans," she said. 

It seems the hype surrounding the lesbian bit has worked in making the song popular in certain circles at least as some artistes do anything for sales and hype these days, was it a purposeful risk by her management and Ishawana? seeing that lesbianism is not so frowned upon as male homosexuality.

Secret Lovers is a take-off of the 1985 hit single by R&B group Atlantic Starr."The video is going to have a few surprises. The fans are going to love the twist at the end," Stylysh said.

The video will be directed by Marshall Artz studios.

She has been on a promotional tour over the past few weeks, doing interviews on MD TV, CVM's Da Wrap, HYPE TV, RE TV and Swagg TV.

"This major promotional push has paid off because of the response I have been getting from fans in the streets. My Instagram page and Twitter pages have more followers, and I am getting more spins on radio for Gypsy and Secret Lovers," she said.

She recently recorded a new single called It Nuh Easy (Jailhouse Drama). She will be releasing If Mi Man A Gimme Bun for Seanizzle Records later this week. Other upcoming projects include songs for Chase Mills Records, Building Block Records and UIM Records.

photo from urbanislandz 
Pamputae's infamous lesbian kiss

As I said in my previous post on this I only hope this is ethical and not a pretend not to be a lesbian to gain hype for the song then the truth comes out, we have seen other female dancehall acts land themselves in not water such as Pampatae's "lesbian kiss" and her career seems to have stalled since with very little output or appearances on shows.

Stylysh

Ishawna dolled up from eliteja

We can safely say then that Jamaican entertainment has crossed some lines somewhat and is now serving same gender loving women subjects more but is it on a honest end is my query, yes the sex industry via strip clubs are or have been there already in terms of live or simulated lesbian sex on stage (even by non lesbian dancers or performers) as Jamaican men lap it all up pegged on a fantasy to be with more than one woman.

Also see: 
We're not lesbians - Stylysh clarifies song with Ishawna .......... And So What if They Were?

Peace and tolerance

H