As if Buju Banton didn't have enough on his plate already, the reggae star currently facing major jail time after being charged with possession of cocaine is now coming under fire (once again) from gay rights activists unhappy with his nomination for a Grammy. As ABC News reports, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center recently posted a full-page ad in Variety to protest the nomination of an artist who they feel has "promoted the murder of gay people throughout his career." They also urged the Recording Academy to formally denounce music "that promotes or celebrates violence against any group of people."
This isn't, of course, the first time that the Grammys or Buju have been embroiled in this kind of controversy. Activists protested in 2001 over the Grammy nomination of Eminem, whose lyrics had similarly homophobic undercurrents. Whereas the Eminem controversy eventually quieted down (thanks in no small part to the olive branch extended by Elton John), the polemic surrounding Buju seems to be only gaining steam. It all started way back in 1988, with his single 'Boom, Bye Bye,' which glorified the brutal murder of gay men, and reached a head last year, when several concert organizers canceled several Banton shows because of vociferous gay rights protests.
The Recording Academy, for their part, has explicitly stated that they seek to award musical brilliance and achievements "regardless of politics." No matter what the Academy says, though, if Buju and his 'Rasta Got Soul' record take home Reggae Album of the Year honors, it'll likely find itself entangled in yet another messy controversy.
