#BTEditorial – When influencers have the greater influence

If there was any doubt, the events that unfolded these past few days have made it clear that certain “influencers” in Barbados wield immense power to sway public opinion.

No wonder then that the Government would have engaged the services of some of these entertainers now at the centre of the public debate about the Trojan Riddim.

From what transpired on social media, the call-in programmes and every nook and cranny in Bim, having a vast fan base, a huge amount of popularity, along with lots of love and admiration from the masses, must be directed or else all hell may break loose.

Since the contents of the Trojan Riddim video were brought to the public’s attention on Monday by Brasstacks moderator David Ellis, the country has been thrown into a firestorm and a bitter divide.

From quarters as high as the Anglican Bishop Michael Maxwell there has been condemnation of the song. While others have chosen to justify the actions of their favourite artistes and there are some who see no harm, no foul.

The debate raged on even after Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams and Minister with responsibility for Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office, John King, both condemned the song and urged the artistes to do better.

But the voices of the clergyman and two Government ministers were not enough to cause right-thinking entertainers to appeal to their respective followings.

By Wednesday evening, an official video from our Prime Minister Mia Mottley had made the rounds. The PM was clear in her denouncement of the crude and offensive song. She also did not mince her words.

The PM said: “I am horrified at the video and I am personally disappointed in the artistes who have not recognised that there is an obligation on their part to be able to accept that to whom much is given much is expected.  This Government that I am a part of cannot and will not be supporting anybody who fails to apologise to the people of this country for this behaviour.”

We believed that after the PM spoke the firestorm and raging emotions would quell. After all, this is the same PM whose words and reasoning often find favour with the masses. This is the same PM who speaks and the majority of Bajans tend to fall in line.

So it took us by surprise that even after the PM spoke, the firestorm raged on. This was not a political issue. This was a clear-cut moral issue. This was a simple case of right and wrong, where clearly the entertainers were wrong. And like any good and moral leader the PM spoke up and said what she expected. She called for apologies and for the video to be taken down.

But at the time of writing, only three of the 10 entertainers have apologised: Peter Ram, Mole and Leadpipe. The most popular and influential of the entertainers Lil Rick issued a statement explaining why he did what he did and thanking his fans for their support. No mention was made of the words “sorry”, “regret” or “remorse”. He maintained that he was true to himself.

His statement said in part: “Anyone who has followed my career would know that I originated from dancehall roots so the genre is not one, which is foreign to me . . .  How I express myself may not always sit well with some but it often tells a story of the realities of everyday life for some segments of our society.”

As you read this, the video is still up on Lil RickHD YouTube channel having garnered some 123 000 views. Clearly, Lil Rick has chosen not to heed the PM’s call.

This is the same Lil Rick who thousands follow on Instagram every Friday night for the Hypa Dawg Party. On Sundays, his Sunday School show is live on Facebook and YouTube catering to a different demographic. Weekly, the Facebook show attracts between 10,000 and 17,000 views while YouTube records 10,000 to 15,000 views.

Lil Rick’s reach and popularity in Barbados is unmatched and he knows it.

No wonder then many were ranting on social media posting pictures of the deadly breach of US’ Capitol Hill encouraging others to storm Ilaro Court and demand justice for the artistes.

No wonder then that social media was abuzz with many saying they would breach the COVID-19 protocols to go to a concert in support of the artistes.

No wonder that Digicel had a change of heart after dropping Leadpipe as ambassador following threats by many of no longer doing business with the telecoms company.

No wonder then that many radio DJs were reportedly playing an inordinate number of Lil Rick, Leadpipe and Mole’s music on air Wednesday as if there was a silent, unified protest.

No wonder then that a video has been circulating with an entertainer dissing Peter Ram and saying he lost respect for him because he opted to apologise.

Given all this and the fact that the video is still on YouTube, it is safe to say the “influencers” deployed by the Government are more influential than the Prime Minister and by extension the Government itself.

This is a serious cause for alarm. And while it is true, as some have said, that the Barbados Labour Party courted some of these artistes and used them effectively to help win the last General Election, 2018 pales in comparison to what happened over the past few days.

This begs the question: When the dust is settled, when Bajans have forgotten about this firestorm and moved on to another, when the bell is rung for the next General Election, will our Government still be engaging the services of these said “influencers” whose influence has the potential to be catastrophic should they disagree with said Government?  We hope that those who must decide will take the PM’s advice and incline their hearts to commonsense.