“I never apologised to the gays” – Beenie Man – DAMAGE CONTROL WID A SWIFTNESS-

Beenie Man returned to the island on Monday after performing at shows in The Netherlands and in Dubai in the Middle East over the past week.

“I never apologized. Jamaican people need to be more literate about life. Five years ago, we stop sing certain songs, and start focus more on dancehall to make it what it is today. I said that they (the gays) should leave us alone, don’t have us up for what we said when were young, that happened 20 years ago, nobody is the same person they were 20 years ago,” he said

“Everybody grow up, but I guess ah August mi born, so mi have to bear the burden fi everybody else. Ah me plant the oak tree that dem use crucify Jesus Christ, and my cow dem kill and make the leather that dem use and beat Him for 13 hours, and ah my hardware dem tek the hammer that dem use and nail up him hand dem, so mi ah go bear the burden dem fi everyone then, ok then,” he said, exasperatedly.

“Look here, I sell music, I do this to send all my youths to school and my grand-daughter because I am a grandfather now. I have to provide for my family. I tell these people that we, as dancehall artistes, don’t hate people, because of what they want to say or do. We don’t practise hate, we don’t want to kill gay people, we love all members of the human race, regardless of their religion, creed, race or sexual orientation,” he said.

He also addressed the sound system selectors who have been lambasting his decision to do a videotaped statement addressing his beliefs about gays.

“I told them to leave us alone, to try to understand where we are coming from, but still yu have some selectors weh go pon the mike and ah talk a bagga tings. So when the gays dem come  to the dance and want to spend $150,000, you selector bwoy, don’t tek dem money, run dem outta the dance. Dem caan use dem little birdbrain pon me, man ah lion,” he said.

“Nuff people inna dancehall who de pon tour now is because of what I said. How much food woulda eat by dancehall artistes out inna the world if I never did this? I am an international artiste with fans all over the world, mi big across the globe, I have to survive inna the real world and take care of my family.”

He also addressed fellow artiste Bounty Killer who on Monday made a statement via Twitter that he “never bawled or talked about it” when the gays banned a few of  his shows in Europe.  Killer also said that “some p—y get fraida b- bwoy through money”.

“Bounty Killer need fi tweet say ah 8 people lef inna the venue  outta 8000 fi see him perform after him ah insist say him waan close the show over Amsterdam Reggae Festival, ah dat him fi tweet, after mi perform, the show done and everybody lef…nobody never waan see him.”

Beenie Man will be shooting a video for his latest single, Dweet Again, on the Mercury riddim for the label, Chase Millz Records later this month. The single is #20 on the HYPE TV Top 20 charts.