Entertainers are again being called out to lead the charge in the fight against crime.

With more than 40 people already murdered since the start of the year, several artistes on the line-up for the first night of the 25th staging of Rebel Salute charged entertainers to begin the fight against crime by using their best tool; music.

Big Youth told The STAR that the music can set Jamaica down the right path as it relates to crime, but says that can only be done when artistes stop promoting violence through their songs.

War ugly and love lovely

“Tell your peer

to behave dem self instead of everyday you go into the studio and a sing bout diss and dat dead, and who fah head lick off, and who get 90 shot. We nuh like wah gwaan, man. Come on, man. Make love and not war, man. War ugly and love lovely,” he said. “Music is healing so if you direct people in the right direction, the people will move in that direction because dem love the music. The youths dem weh supposed to think positive, a think negative because a di things weh a promote through the music. Music is powerful.”

He also charged today’s artistes to spend less time on the violence-laced lyrics and spend more time on developing into a holistic performer. Big Youth revealed that after observing many of today’s artistes, he has concluded that many of them, even after years of experience, have not mastered the art of performing.

“If you watch some of these guys now weh dem idolize and fantasize over, dem is not no performer,” he said. “Dem don’t have no melody and dem not singing dem song how the thing go. We (veterans) try to make it, that everytime we go on stage is a different package we give the people. Me feel good fi know say me master performing, and me need the younger youths fi master it too,” said Big Youth.