::: The scheduled appearance in Oakland of a reggae singer whose songs have included calls killing gay men and lesbians has been cancelled, Bay Area Reporter reports. The singer, called Capleton, had been scheduled to perform at the Ragga Muffins Festival at Oakland’s Fox Theater on Saturday, February 20, according to BAR, but an organizer of the concert said in a letter to the paper that Capleton had been “removed from the Festival(s) and will not be performing in Oakland next Saturday. He was also removed from our Long Beach and San Diego events, and my understanding is that now none of his California performances will be happening.” BAR notes that the Stop Murder Music campaign says that Capleton’s lyrics have included lines that translate to “All queers and sodomites should be killed” and “All queers who come around here/This mama earth says none can survive.” Ragga Muffins Festival co-producer Moss Jacobs told BAR, “We didn’t set out to have a show with an artist who is singing these lyrics.” Formerly signed to the influential hip-hop label, Def Jam Records, Capleton had minor hits in the US in the early 1990’s and has retained what Jamaica Gleaner calls “a healthy following in the US east and west coasts.”
Last modified: 20 Feb 10 04:04
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