Entertainers Accuse Broadcasting Commission Of Double Standard

While dancehall artistes have been, for the most part, adhering to the Broadcasting Commission’s ‘no-beep’ rule, there is growing discontent about a double standard when it comes to the way foreign music is treated.

The general belief shared by the artistes is that hip-hop music is not regulated by the Broadcasting Commission as strictly as is the case with dancehall.

The duo known as Twin of Twins, is one of the groups that is discontent.

“We think it’s double standard and that is why our music is not growing. We are fighting our own things and it’s not only bleeps. If we keep a dance in the middle of the sea they send coast guards to turn it off,” Curly Locks of the duo said.

“We agree that there is an upside to the rule, because it helps artistes to be more creative in terms of using different words instead of using curse words. But the same thing for dancehall should be for hip hop, if dancehall is not aired with bleeps, it should be the same case with hip hop. The hard-core nature was the value of dancehall music and we have lost that because it has watered down,” Curly Locks said.

Twin of Twins also said the Broadcasting Commission should be paying more attention to the Internet, citing that children are more prone to explicit content through that medium. Youth Ambassador for entertainment, Graham Rowe, also commented.

“I don’t think that they (The Broadcasting Commission) consciously say it’s hip hop leave it alone. But because they are so focused on local music they don’t even realise that foreign songs are being played with bleeps, because they are really not focused on hip hop or other foreign content,” Rowe explained.

Sub Konchus recording artiste Delus shared a similar view to Twin of Twins, he believes a rule should be evenly enforced.

“I just feel like it’s double standard, they are not enforcing it for hip hop but they are enforcing it for dancehall,” the deejay said.

Meanwhile the Broadcasting Commission maintains that its ‘no bleep’ policy is a standard for all musical genres. According to public relations officer Nicole R. Morrison the rule applies equally to all types of music regardless of origin.