The message in the music
(Kingston, Jamaica) When an artiste pen lyrics to songs such as Konshens’s “Bad Mind” hit tune, one has to give credence not only to the artiste writing skills but also his level of creativity. Konshens’s “Bad Mind” single is a catchy, self motivating song so powerful for the sub-conscious mind that it can take immediate effect on the CONSCIENCE of the individual who repeats these words often enough. It is fitting for almost all demographic; the goal of the religious man who wants to live his life free of sin, the young entrepreneur who is focused on achieving his goals or the individual who strives for success. The lyrics of the song and its originality will remain relevant for years to come and should be used as a theme song for any crime eradication program the local authorities put in place. The advent of some of the most serious crimes in Jamaica these days obviously derives from a consistent negative thought pattern in the minds of the individual(s) performing the act. Extortion, racketeering and the “get rich quick” mentality are allegedly the cause for some of the most gruesome crimes in Jamaica, many young men have chosen this way of life over attaining a college degree bridging the gap between years of study to quickly becoming the “Don” within months in a community and even beyond. There are some who reason that the youths have no choice and that their situation was brought on them through years of poverty and hardship yet many of the islands’ articulate and well learned professionals are products of the same communities motivated from the same hardship and poverty.
A resolve to Jamaica’s crime problem is changing the mindset of the youths, creating for them an environment that encourages more positive thinking and the music is a good tool to resort to. ‘Keep bad mind out a mi heart, keep negative out a mi thought, know set it easy fi pree the wrong way so Jah Jah please guide me every day’ is the message in the music that can make a difference.
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