Member of Parliament in ‘Hot Water’ For Use Of Vybz Kartel Song
Central Westmoreland Member of Parliament Dwayne Vaz reportedly used inflammatory lyrics while introducing a Vybz Kartel gangster song on the party stage at Mount Salem in Montego Bay, St James.
In response to news that a PNP office – that of deputy mayor of Montego Bay, Michael Troupe – had been damaged by fire earlier in the day, Vaz at first said he would not cast any aspersion at the source of the fire, as it was not yet determined.
But, urged on by the crowd that “a dem do it’, Vaz, in a moment of euphoria, pumped up the introduction of the controversial song, Wah Dem Feel Like, which was done at the height of Kartel’s bitter and lyrical conflict with the Alliance camp. The song called for the rolling out of “the bikes and cars” for gangsters to go defend their turf.
Vaz, though, after declaring that “a ongle baby strength dem have, a gal strength dem have,” veered dangerously off course in changing the lyrics of the song from: “Grants Pen, roll out the bike and car dem”, to: “MoBay, roll out dig gu…”. His abrupt halt after the ‘gu’ utterance appeared to have been a clear reference to ‘guns’ to defend the turf.
Following widespread criticism, the following was later stated in a release from the People’s National Party:
Central Westmoreland Member of Parliament Dwayne Vaz wants to make it abundantly clear that when he spoke from the PNP platform at a mass meeting in Mount Salem, Montego Bay on Thursday evening, he was in no way suggesting any form of violent reaction in relation to the fire at a PNP office in Montego Bay.
In a statement issued last night (December 11, 2015), the MP said: “My miming of a song has been completely misconstrued and those who may have heard me doing this during the playing of lyrics of the song Wah Dem Feel Like by the incarcerated Vybes Kartel, have misunderstood the context.
“While I definitely do not condone the actions that led to the confinement of the referenced artiste, his artistry did find fondness in my musical collection and I have asked for his music to be played on occasions.”
“My repeating the words of the song was only in reference to loading our supporters into vehicles to go to mass meetings as we normally do and so I want to make it abundantly clear that there was no intent on my part with regards to anything to do with violence or encouraging violence, or for any form of retaliation.”
Vaz further said, “This is not me. I did not say or mean to say anything about weaponry in a negative or violence prone way. I also made it clear in my presentation that I was in no way blaming anyone for the fire and so any coincidental or misunderstood conjoined comment about weapons was definitely not done encouraging any of my supporters or anyone supporting the People’s National Party toward any type of violence.”
“That is not what I am about and not what this Party is about and I was simply referencing a song that happens to unfortunately contain lyrics that appear to speak to gang behaviour and for this I apologize to everyone.”
Sources: Irie FM, Loop Jamaica