As public outrage and condemnation increased over a verbally explicit viral music video featuring Bajan musicians Lil Rick and Peter Ram, the shocking content has also commanded the attention of a government minister who shared his disgust at what was viewed.
Barbados Home Affairs Minister, Wilfred Abrahams, has condemned the music video saying that it was “Irresponsible to the highest order,”, as the song’s pro-gangster lyrics seem to deliver death threats to gangland informants.
While the video contains savage and foul language, pictures of weapons, hearses and the word murder, it is the undeniable assertion of death on witnesses and the glorification of firearms and weapon brutality in an alleged conflict that has grasped the consideration of watchers.
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In the opening, Lil Rick sings: “Shoot straight like Messi from Argentina, with a big f**** gun singing sweet like Selena. Gunshot clap out and skin you out like Sabrina ’cause you like to inform and run chat pon social media. Ya idiot, nobody ain’t ‘fraid for you, me neither. We shot you up to pieces, lef’ your body ‘pon de freezer like meat so when them violate, just know wha’ we pulling up with…”
“I accept there is artistic expression but it must not be irresponsible, it is irresponsible to the highest order,” Abrahams told on the online distribution, Barbados TODAY, adding that he is set up to prescribe to the public authority that it sends the most grounded conceivable message to artistes and individuals of Barbados that this isn’t alright.
He said the government’s priority is to stamp out gun violence and made it clear that the “government does not condone the use of illegal firearms in any form or fashion”.
Radio talk show host and former journalist, David Ellis, who commented on the video on his show, said it was unacceptable.
“When you look at the video they have the guns showing off. While other people ’bout here fighting hard to reduce the incidence of violence in Barbados, they are promoting violence that can take the life of anybody, not just a policeman.
“If we are not careful somebody at a much higher level will get taken out, because of what is going on around here, but it is a double standard,” said Ellis, who also questioned whether any Barbadian artists who have been getting financial support from government to cope with COVID-19 challenges performed in the viral video.
He said if this was the case, he said public funding should be immediately cut.
Peter Ram has since publicly apologized to his followers, fans, sponsors, and the general public regarding the music video, saying “It was never my intention to offend anyone. So as one of Barbados’ top entertainers, I deeply apologize to all of my followers, all of my friends and all of the little kids that look up to me.”
The video was uploaded on April 6 on Lil Rick’s YouTube page and up to Tuesday afternoon had received about 59 362 views.
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