Banton

Gay rights activists have called the recording artists academy to use Sunday night’s Grammy Awards telecast to denounce music that promotes or celebrates violence against any group of people and the artists who perform such music.

In a full-age ad in Friday’s Grammy-edition of Variety, more than 20 progressive organizations, lead by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, posted an open letter to the Recording Academy’s President Neil Portnow in response to anti-gay reggae singer Buju Banton’s nomination for a Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category.

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Click this image to read a larger version of the Variety ad.

Throughout his career Banton has performed music that glorifies the violent murder of LGBT people, and as recently as three months ago he refused to stop performing such music, according to a statement by GLAAD. Last October he was quoted in news reports saying, “This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs, ‘There is no end to the war between me and fa**ots.’”

The Recording Academy has said that the Grammy Awards honor musical achievement “regardless of politics” and that artists from many different political and cultural perspectives have been nominated over the years.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents say Banton, real name Mark Anthony Myrie, has been in custody since Thursday and will soon be transferred to Tampa, where the U.S. Attorney is charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilos of cocaine.

While legions of dancehall reggae enthusiasts view Banton as one of the most prolific voices of Jamaica’s poor masses, critics say he’s a gay basher whose lyrics incite violence by calling for attacking and torturing homosexuals.

His song Boom Bye Bye, a dancehall hit released in the 1990s, advocates shooting gays in the head and setting them on fire.

Such lyrics have made Banton the target of angry gay activists, who this this fall forced the cancellation of a string of concerts by the artist during a U.S. tour that included a Halloween night concert in Miami.

The L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center recently issued this statement, referring to Banton’s Grammy award nomination for the album Rasta Got Soul, “It’s an affront to LGBT people, and to all fair-minded people around the world.”

Throughout his career, Banton has performed music that promotes a culture of violence against lesbian and gay people; he sings in “Boom, Bye Bye” that “faggots get up and run” when he comes, that “they have to die,” and that he will shoot them in the head or “burn them up bad.”

Banton is completely unrepentant, refuses to stop performing the song, and recently said, “There is no end to the war between me and faggots.”

“It’s an affront to LGBT people, and to all fair-minded people around the world, that Buju Banton was nominated,” says Center Chief Public Affairs Officer Jim Key. “We certainly hope the members of the Recording Academy will not bestow the prestigious honor of a Grammy on someone whose music promotes murder.”

- L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.