Free Republic

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK When the reggae star Beenie Man came to the Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday, he received his usual welcome. There was a frenetic introduction. There was an exuberant crowd of thousands, waving whatever he told them to wave: hands, flags, cellphones. And out front there were about a dozen pickets, hoisting signs and chanting: "No more murder music! No more murder music!" Over the past month, Beenie Man has found himself at the center of a growing controversy over antigay lyrics in dancehall reggae, the rapid-fire genre descended from reggae. Beenie Man, one of the genre's best and most...

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Dancehall star Beenie Man, who has recorded anti-gay songs in the past, was yanked from a concert associated with the MTV Video Music Awards this weekend after gay groups planned a protest, the network said Wednesday. MTV pulled the Jamaican singer from the roster Tuesday after South Florida gay activists announced plans to protest Saturday's concert in Miami over some of his past lyrics, including "I'm dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays" and "Queers must be killed." "We don't want anything to overshadow what will be a great weekend of music...

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Dancehall star Beenie Man, who has recorded anti-gay songs in the past, was yanked from a concert associated with the MTV Video Music Awards this weekend after gay groups planned a protest, the network said Wednesday. MTV pulled the Jamaican singer from the roster Tuesday after South Florida gay activists announced plans to protest Saturday's concert in Miami over some of his past lyrics, including "I'm dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays" and "Queers must be killed." "We don't want anything to overshadow what will be a great weekend of music...