“I would never support violence!” That’s the bold declaration made by veteran entertainer Rickey Lil Rick Reid after the public uproar about his latest release No RH.
In an exclusive interview with Bajan Vibes, the performer assured that this was not the intended gist. Instead, he insisted that the song is about “removing negativity from your life and distancing yourself from people who do not have your best interest at heart”.
The veteran DJ and entertainer said he believed the misunderstanding came from a place of ignorance and a lack of knowledge about street life.
“The song was originally to be released on the 1st of January as a New Year’s resolution, which has nothing to do with any violence or escalating any violence. The confusion has come because some are not familiar with the jargon that is used by the youth of the country,” he stressed.
Lil Rick explained that as the norm with all his other major hits, he used Bajan words and terms to address the issue of enemies who pose as friends.
“When you say that somebody get cut off, that means that you are done with them, you aren’t ‘businessing’ with them, or you aren’t in any deals with them or nothing anymore.”
Where many have attributed different meanings to his words, the father of three maintains that his message was quite simple: “Everybody knows that when you cut off somebody that means you cut them out your life. It is a normal Bajan term.”
Others have taken issue with the colourful language which is used in the raw version of the song. But the five-time Party Monarch believes like all the songs he has released throughout his more than 20-year career, he is being true to the Barbadian vernacular.
The creative writer and performer agrees that the recent upsurge in gun violence and the obvious disregard for the sanctity of life deserve crucial attention.
“There are real serious issues that need to be addressed. How are these guns getting in Barbados?” He is adamant that his song in no way endorses using violence as a solution.
However, despite the backlash on social media, the performer has been inundated with calls and messages from people who love the song. This support is not only coming from local fans but also from supporters across the diaspora. (STT)
