Ras Iyah V has joined a growing list of Rastafarian elders expressing concern that many of Reggae artists, who have gotten rich from using the religion to push their music, have not been “giving back” to the Rastafari community.
“They don’t give back,” Ras Iyah V told DancehallMag. “For example, we have a lot of challenges in terms of building infrastructure that can help make Rastafari progress and development much easier. But these individuals, they don’t give back. Can you imagine me keeping Rastafari event, and I am being charged five million by one Reggae artist? Wherein at the same time, you have reggae artists that will perform for the system free?”
“The same system that is oppressing I and I as Rastafari and oppressing our people, there are Reggae musicians, Rastafari musicians, or Reggae musicians with locks on their head, that will perform for the government freely, but at the same time, will charge a Rasta man a bag of money – or a Rasta woman, that is doing an event in the interest and benefit of highlighting Rastafari and highlighting the plight and the struggle of Rastafari,” he added.
Ras Iyah V, in furthering his point, made reference to his 2019 Rastafari Rootzfest event, where one Rastafarian artist requested a US$50,000 ($7.8 million) booking fee for a performance.
“They got US$25,000, which at the time would be three million and something… but they were really asking for US$50,000 US, which would have been equivalent to 6.5 million at the time 2019,” he explained.
Ras Iyah V’s comments about most Rastafarian artists failing to support Rastafari projects is similar to statements made by Sizzla, who, back in 2021, contended that many artists, were keeping all the money they made from the Rastafari culture to themselves with no concern for their brethren and the Rastafari facilities.
“Nuff a wi weh a Rastaman weh rich and have money and have locks pon wi head, wi quick fi guh inna di clubs and di stage show but wi don’t quick fi join di Rastaman dem at di Nyahbinghi. Di Icient Rasta man dem a lone a chant. And you weh rich outta di musi and di culture, wi naw buy no bathroom bowl, wi not fortifying the fences; wi not fixing di roads to the holy temple,” Sizzla had said.
The Black Woman and Child artist had also said that the Rasta artists had not even been helping the Haile Selassie High School in Kingston, which was another sign of their hypocrisy.
“Di place inna bad state – di school weh name Haile Selassie – an di whole a wi a praise King Selassie I and have no sorta attention to di schools, but wi a meck whole heap a money outta dub plate and whole heap a money outta Reggae… wi a big hypocrite to di nation,” he said.
“Yuh look pon di Christian churches, paint up an look pretty. Yuh look pon di Muslim dem; their mosques are beautiful. What about di Rastaman tabernacle? It don’t require a lot to fix these places. Fire!” he had added.
A month ago, I Never Knew TV carried an interview with Nyahbinghi elder Priest Fagan, founder of the Ras Tafari School of Vision in the Mountains of St. Andrew, who said he was disappointed in Jamaican Reggae artists who claim Rastafari, but have failed to use their wealth to help the movement and the youths of Jamaica.
Priest Fagan, who is a former Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier, lamented the fact that these rich Reggae artists had not united and pool their resources to assist the community.
“I said if even six, seven, three, four of these prominent entertainers that are Rastafari and that are Afrocentrically inclined could they not organize a a space… What I discover is every man is a prince or a king by himself… why have they not come together and set up something that is bonafide and tangible to help the youth them? That is my problem with it,” Fagan had said.
In August 2021, following a police woman’s alleged head-shaving of 18-year-old, Nzinga King, veteran music selector, Foota Hype had ripped into Rasta artists, accusing them of hijacking the Rastafarian religion to make money, but desert other Rastas, whenever they are being violated, due to what he said was their deafening silence on the matter.
“Where are all the artistes who make millions offa Rastafari movement and Rastafari beliefs and preaching Rastafarianism o the people. You end up becoming millionaires. Where are you? This is a raping of your every belief, a war on our religious belief. If yuh naw guh fight fi dis wha oonu a sing fah den?” Foota had charged.
