Ever since the use of sound for pleasure, musicians have braved politics, power, privilege and poverty to create and hone their craft, and if they are lucky enough, are heard. But the path of an entertainer is bittersweet, as personalities are also magnets for controversy, whenever it's convenient for those who are not fans.

Mr_Vegas_Grenada.jpgThe most recent controversy on the Caribbean forefront is the political strife that has trapped dancehall star Mr. Vegas in a rift between parties in Grenada.

Vegas, a veteran of the business and a scintillating entertainer who has enjoyed Billboard and crossover success over the years, was invited by the government of Grenada to perform on May 27 in Carriacou, an isle off the coast of mainland Grenada. It was an invitation Vegas gladly accepted, as he has been journeying to the shores of Grenada throughout his career, bringing dancehall beats to his spice island fans.

Hired by the ruling party of Grenada (the New National Party or NNP), Vegas was contracted to perform, with a contractual clause that prohibited any "derogative dancing" during his act. In an effort to abide by his contract, he decided to perform without his dance crew, who are truly stars in their own right within the dancehall industry. While on stage, Vegas was cautioned by a government official to keep his performance "toned down" and to not perform "Hot Wuk," a hit track from his latest album, Hot It Up, and one that has been enjoying immense radio and video play worldwide ever since its release late last year. That was what politics called for that night, and as their employee for the night, Vegas played their game. He did, however, run through his catalog of hits, including the very popular "She's A Ho," which had the audience screaming and singing along, word for word.

Now with elections in Grenada on the near horizon, the opposition party is using Vegas' lyrics, word for word, in their campaign against the government, saying the NNP condoned lyrics that called women prostitutes and encouraged drug use. As a result, the NNP, which hired Vegas, is denouncing his performance in their country. Vegas was hired for a job - to entertain, and that he did. Numerous stars have faced similar battles, even pop icon Madonna, all fighting for freedom of speech and artistic expression. Vegas was not in Grenada to prove a point; he was there to entertain. In fact, he complied with all the specifics dished out by the government officials who hired him.

Public outcries in the aftermath of Vegas' appearance fail to mention the songs that are being ridiculed, such as "She's A Ho," have been receiving airplay across the Caribbean, including Grenada, ever since its composition some 10 years ago. Furthermore, public statements made about the event have never mentioned the dangerous conditions that Vegas braved to get to the venue, as he was transported at midnight on a single-engine powerboat at 200 miles-per-hour speeds to Carriacou.

Too often, censorship by political and religious powers interferes with artistic expression, and is more of a norm in our small island nations than in larger countries worldwide. The micromanagement of local sounds can inhibit musicians when they are already battling geographical, cultural and economic limitations to break barriers and bring Caribbean music to the international masses.

Politicians that hire a dancehall star who made his name penning tunes such as "Heads High" and "Hot Gal Today" should expect to incur some amount of wrath from opponents of explicit lyrics.

Mr. Vegas is a staple in dancehall music - a genre that has carved a niche for itself by spewing gritty, hardcore and most often sexually explicit lyrics fused over bass-driven beats that literally make you want to gyrate in a dancehall. To invite Vegas to Grenada and involve him in a local political warfare is unfair. He is but an obvious pawn in the ploys of the political parties in their campaigns against each other.

However, since it is not their native music, an attack on dancehall and its stars has no impact on the government of Grenada. Perhaps they are missing the larger picture. Censorship at home and waging controversies with Caribbean musicians who are fighting to put our island nations on the global forefront can be detrimental to their craft, especially when they are victims of circumstances such as the situation at hand. As cultural icons, our entertainers are sometimes the only way people far and wide can taste Caribbean culture, or know what a Caribbean person looks like or sounds like.

Mr. Vegas' explicit lyrical expression is the definition of dancehall music. He should be celebrated for his sounds, not attacked for them. Those who find his music offensive should simply flip the dial, or better yet, not hire him for a show they knew harbored the potential for political controversy. Furthermore, they endured a similar predicament a month ago when Beenie Man incurred the same wrath after performing in Grenada. The choice of lyrics is not to be blamed; the promoters, who in this case were the government, have the ultimate choice of choosing and hiring the entertainer. The political debate and slander against an artist for his craft can continue forever, but simply put, there's no room for politics in music, unless of course, the music IS about politics. How's that for something to sing about?