Information Minister Robert Morgan and Jamaica’s Broadcasting Commission have shot down rumors that the government is planning to ban the song “Mad Out” by Valiant.
The song was released in July and has taken over the party scenes, but its lyrics and video have been criticized by mental health advocates who claim that he is downplaying mental health issues in Jamaica.
During this week, a rumor surfaced claiming that the song “Mad Out” was going to be banned by the government. It’s unclear the reason for the ban, but it’s well-known that expletives are not allowed to be “broadcasted,” which the law defines as messages on any medium such as radio, television, and other public spaces covered by the law.
“F***ing idiot, Stupid f**king boy, Dunce f**king fool, mhm, Mad you a mad out,” Valiant starts the song.
The song goes on to mention things that would otherwise shock the conscience of the ordinary person.
It’s not the first song by Valiant that has caused controversy as the artiste’s breakout came, “Dunce Cheque” was heavily criticized for reportedly making being “dunce” to be something socially acceptable.
The song also saw many children buying and wearing backpacks to school with the word “dunce” branded over it. Many schools have banned the backpacks, and others have criticized Valiant’s music and its purported influence.
In the meantime, Information Minister Robert Morgan responded to claims that the song would be banned. “Fake news,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
https://x.com/NestaJA/status/1707484407416697129
The Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica also denied plans to ban the song.
“This is fake. The Broadcasting Commission is the regulator for radio, television, and cable in Jamaica. As at this time of posting, the BCJ has not received any complaint from anyone in the public about this song nor was the song being investigated by the BCJ,” the BCJ wrote.
Valiant has been getting criticism from dancehall fans since releasing the Zimi Records song and accompanying music video in July of this year. The video has since garnered 7.2 million view on YouTube. The dancehall deejay has mostly ignored the criticisms so far except to suggest that some folks misunderstood the concept of the song and video.
