African wants more positive message By Willesby Rutherford, Youth Writer
THERE IS arguably enough platinum and 'ice' in reggae music today to 'bling' the world. But thankfully there are still artistes mature enough to remember its youth. Derrick Fowler whose stage name is African, believes that there should be more positive messages in music and insists that "we all should check the levels". He is known in the industry for the cultural flavour of songs like 'Sey You A Wall' and, more popularly, 'Heart Fi Di Poor'. It's his latest release, however, that has drawn the attention of Youth Link as it relates to our students, especially those below the poverty line. The single entitled 'School Yutes' conjures images of hungry children and tells of lost opportunities because of the lack of money. The introduction serves a message within itself as one student is heard offering to share his lunch money with a friend whose Mommy had none to give him. It also points to the consequences when children from the ghetto do not receive a proper education. While the Bounty Killer song 'Book Book' urges students to take their education seriously, African wants us to see issues faced by young people that are beyond their control such as high school fees and inadequate and insufficient school materials with which to succeed in the academic world. 'School Yutes' is featured on the Plant Food Label backed by Producer Andrew James and is now available on CD.
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