My new tshirt finally arrived, emblazened with the Banton.Org logo and over one hundred images from many of my youtube riddim mixes.
This t-shirt symbolises my actual retirement from officially promoting reggae music a few years ago and why I retired. Because I got tired of feeling used by people making money who mak eyou feel like they are standing on your head making sure they get a food and even laughing at you with other people as they not only dont give you a food, they even go out of their way to make sure you don’t.
I remember a discussion with people who I had a lot of respect for and they told me something I didn’t know, didn’t want to believe and in part, because of what I do know, only now partly believe.
“every little square represents a riddim mix I have made taking hundreds of hours and put on youtube earning money for everyone who has a stake in the copyright and advertising, over 10m views. humbled i got that exposure that all the effort was worth it to see so many positive messages from people the world over, even one person showed logged in from the south pole listening to my beres cd mix. Sadly I was ousted because I spoke about how everyone gets a piece of the pie but me and I built it all, of course, except the music itself. And then I am mindful that most people would have listened to something else anyway. but it just goes to show how the entire music industry has slaves who are given dregs and expected to be happy while others get rich. I didnt expect anything to change but it was only right to point out the hypocrisy of some people who love the music, being exploited. Eventually, the love to promote died so I retired.”
Thankfully, the people I looked upto the most, and while I had to respect how busy these people are, had nothing but love for people like me.
Sadly, some people indeed turned out to be not who they portray themselves as. And with respect to the industry and “needs must” I can only respect the “throw me corn” value and call no names because like Moses said “don’t hate the player….”
The corporates are the worst. But not for long, I think. The world is changing.
But to those who showed me love along that 30 year journey, those who were real, from my heart to yours, love, peace, honour, respect and thank you.
Banton.
“yuh tink da likkle dutty police bwoy could buy me ? yuh mussi fuckin mad!”
“Yuh tink da big mout badman badda dan de nexx baddaman ? yuh mussi fuckin mad!”
“yuh think me come inna reggae music fi teef and tek weh tings ? yuh mussi fuckin mad!”
“pickney a dead, rice na swell, chicken back yuh fuck. yuh mussi fuckin mad!”
no badda judge me, me dehya because me fall in love with reggae music
and if you wanna call me liad, beg yuh, shout it.
YOU WI BE WRONG AT THE TOP OF YUH RASS VOICE.
