27 Jun 05

The Jamaican PR team behind the reggae and dancehall star Beenie Man has denied that yesterday's apology for homophobic lyrics even came from the musician, distancing him from its release.

According to a press release from activist group Outrage! today, the head of public relations for Beenie Man's management company, Shocking Vibes, told Radio Jamaica last night that the statement was "not an apology".

Clyde McKenzie added that Beenie Man also reserved his right to criticise the "homosexual lifestyle".

"Despite being asked several times, Clyde McKenzie strenuously denied that the statement was an apology to gay people or for homophobic lyrics. He insisted it was just a general condemnation of violence," Outrage!'s Brett Lock said today.

The revelation will come as a blow to Virgin records, which had released the statement yesterday in a bid to avoid more controversy in the wake of Beenie Man's latest album release.

He has previously been accused of inciting violence and hatred towards  lesbians and gay men through lyrics in his songs, which have called for "chi chi men" to be burnt and killed.

The campaign against him has recently seen him stopped by police at Heathrow airport, as well as concerts cancelled in London and across Europe.

Lock says the apology can now be seen as worthless, since the place where it is most needed is Jamaica.

An Amnesty International report released earlier this year criticised the country's violent stance on sexual diversity and called on the government to decriminalize homosexuality.

"The so-called apology seems to be nothing more than a PR stunt dreamt up by Virgin Records to stave off protests against Beenie Man in the lucrative European and North American markets," Lock said in a statement.

"But in Jamaica - where an apology would do the most good - Beenie Man's  PR machine is pulling out all the stops to disassociate him from the Virgin Records statement."