Written for Philadelphia Weekly
Elephant Man
Fri., Aug. 17, Doors at 9pm, show at 1am. $25. With Round Head, Roger Culture + Marlon Hype. Pinnacle, 720 Arch St. 215.413.7720. http://ladydawnpromotions
It’s difficult to distinguish what’s most endearing about Elephant Man. Is it his Rodman-esque orange-red hair? Or is it the unbridled energy he injects into every performance? It could be the adorably oversized ears that spawned his name.
Then again, maybe it’s the way he spews hatred about gays and the entire queer community through his lyricism before specifically describing elaborate plots to rid the world of the “batty man” and “chi chi man,” both derogatory Jamaican patois slang terms for homosexuals.
In the world of dancehall reggae, Elephant Man is far from alone regarding his stance toward gays. At times it seems like the entire community is playing the Third Reich to the homosexual society’s Jew.
Recent protests and increased awareness of the dancehall sector’s bigotry has managed to tame the hate speech a bit, but only after promoters’ hands were forced to cancel concerts under threats of massive protests and stepped-up boycotts.
Fellow stars of the scene, Beenie Man and Buju Banton recently signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, a pledge to cease releasing songs or making public statements that advocate violence toward homosexuals.
Pragmatism dictates that these artists likely signed on as an attempt to protect their record sales and public performances from future boycotts but it’s still a step in the right direction.
Perhaps Elephant Man will eventually make the right move and sign on as well. It may not alter his personal convictions, but the last thing we need in this city is public encouragement of violent acts. We pretty much have that market cornered already, thanks. (Joshua Valocchi)
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