"At present, Jamaica is ranked among the top three countries in the world with the highest murder rate annually. Violence is high in Jamaica, especially in poor urban neighbourhoods, where many forms of violence--interpersonal, domestic, gang, political, drug--are ever present in daily life." ~ Vision 2030. In a report from The Gleaner on January 10, 22 the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) reported 37 murders in the first week of 2022 across the island representing a 32.1 % year on year increase. Jamaica, in 2018 had a rate of 43.85 murders per 100k (https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/JAM/jamaica/...) followed by Venezuela (36.69) and Mexico (29.07) as the top three countries with the highest murder rates in the similar country ranking.

A fundamental place in addressing this problem is putting an end to lyrics that justify and encourage murder of people who "diss" or "violate" and explicitly go into gruesome details about the time, place and choice of weapon involved in these murders. This is not entertainment!! This is not wholesome!! Lets ask for more from the creative minds behind our music industry. Lets give our children a better Jamaica than the one that exist.

The following are quotes from songs by popular dancehall artists:

Mavado - Warn Dem

"Kill dat inna Church when di pastor ah pray
Murder yuh likkle bredda pon di funeral day
Cut di newborn throat cause yuh know mi nuh-
Yuh body float like boat when di seed tek away"

Vybz Kartel - Broad Daylight

"Me murder people inna broad daylight

Six pants me walk with cah the AK light

A wha' do some bwoy weh win a play, play fight

We a hot head weh strap up like a airplane flight"

Vybz Kartel - Dem Bwoy Ah Baby

"It nuh tek mi nuttin fi murder dem dem bwoy deh ah baby
Bwoy dem ah pree mi nah guh wait til dem ready
Whole ah mi rifle dem grease up like ah pot full ah gravy
Nuh likkle .380 mi nah guh buss"

Alkaline - Wul De Claffy Dem

(expletive) mi momda should of just abort mi and done

now a bag of (expletive) a go down

mi nah have nothing a live fo

so a no nothink fi mi tek weh couple life with me under ground

demedecus mumes taleno sacdeo tucasmo deabalos ideoush

Big up every (expletive) bad pickney

And big up ever (expletive) man weh fire gun

Masicka - Eaton

Yuh cyah diss badman Genahsyde

Beg which (expletive) fren from bwoy yuh mussi idiot

Gun shot any (expletive) a just we that

Steal knock inna yuh (expletive) face the nozzle real hot

Yuh correct name a Eaton squeeze one yuh knee pap

Yuh big (expletive) mada know yuh born fi eat cat

Three slap the freak drop, bloody like a meat shop

Career done crash now a time fi heart beat stop

When man a beat strap dem have dem head underneath frock

Boom! bwoy kongo a wreak mi nuh broke mi wi broke a neck