BEENIE MAN SAYS SORRY
Dancehall artiste Moses ‘Beenie Man’ Davis has apologised for inflammatory statements which were made at a popular weekly event in Kingston on Tuesday.
Beenie Man, called for the ‘killing’ of Dr Dennis Howard’s career and asked for the public’s support in getting the general manager of radio services at the RJRGLEANER Communications Group fired.
But in a sharp response yesterday, the RJRGLEANER Communications Group said it was shocked and disturbed by statements made by popular artiste.
“These statements are highly disrespectful and discourteous to the entire RJRGLEANER Communications Group, which is seeking to continue to serve the public of Jamaica on multiple media platforms,” a part of the statement read.
“Mr Davis is being called upon to retract these offensive and inflammatory statements,” it continued.
THE STAR is a member of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group.
Beenie Man, through his management company, MD Entertainment, issued a public apology to Dr Howard and the RJRGLEANER Communications Group late yesterday.
“I have no personal issues with Dr Dennis Howard. Radio is losing a lot of the disc jocks who are the ones waving the banner for dancehall. The level of dancehall programming has diminished, and I just want more visibility on the airwaves,” Beenie Man said via his publicist last night.
In his broadside on Dr Howard, now being circulated in social media, the deejay criticises Howard for dancehall music not being played on one of the Group’s radio stations, HITZ 92FM, and refers to two persons leaving the station under the instigation of Dr Howard.
The group said that the persons in question both resigned from their positions with the station and were not asked to do so.
“Me want unuh help me kill dah bwoy deh name Dennis Howard — not physically, but career. Me want unuh help me get him fired from the radio station,” he said.
In light of the remarks, the RJRGLEANER Communications Group said that it is ready to assist Dr Howard with any legal support he requires, and revealed that in light of the statements made by Beenie Man, it has brought the matter to the attention of the Police High Command to assist Dr Howard in improving his security.
Beenie Man’s management team acknowledged that the utterances were “unfortunate”, but insists that “they were never meant to threaten the life or well-being of Dr Howard or anyone at said organisation.”
In the meantime, the RJRGLEANER Communications Group said that Dr Howard has been implementing a policy position of streamlining its radio stations’ programming and content which has the full support of management and the board.
It said that HITZ 92FM has been earmarked as the station that lives up to its name as the station for reggae and sports. FAME FM has been earmarked as the station for entertainment and party music, including dancehall music, and RJR 94FM will continue to carry a wide range of music, including dancehall music.