By Howard Campbell
NEW YORK – Many Jamaicans in the Diaspora follow the news back home daily through social media. Most of them do not like what they hear or see.
Among the disgruntled is Jay Bankz, a singjay based in New York City. His latest song, Success, addresses issues such as crime, a perennial problem in Jamaica.
The self-produced single was recently released by his Star Status Records label. Listen here.
Bankz believes the proliferation of crime stories from Jamaica is a major negative for the country’s leisure industry.
“The increased crime rate which is being televised has a negative impact on our tourism industry which is one of the major contributors to the Jamaican economy. So if the crime is better monitored by the task force, the tourism sector would benefit positively,” he reasoned.
Jamaica has recorded over 1,000 homicides annually for most of the past 25 years. Over 300 murders have been reported by the police there in 2018.
Like most Jamaicans who live overseas, Jay Bankz follows developments in his homeland via the Internet, listening to broadcasts and reading both daily newspapers.
Through songs like Success, he offers solutions to the problems that ail the Caribbean country.
“Reinstate community development programs for the youths, because most if not all the programs are no longer been promoted to get the youths involved,” he said.
The artist, whose real name is Jason Daniels, was raised in Spanish Town, a historic locale on the outskirts of Kingston, the Jamaica capital. It is one of the country’s most violent areas.
Prior to migration, he earned a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Technology in Kingston. He has been recording artiste since 2014.
Two years ago, he released his debut EP, Reality Check.
