Edmund believed that the video for "Find Your Love" portrayed Jamaica in a negative light - what with the kidnapping and the did-she-or-did-she-not shooting scene.
As he put it:
"We just have to say that care has to be taken by all, including our creative artistes, in portraying images of our destination and people," Bartlett told the Jamaican Gleaner. "Gun culture, while not unique to Jamaica, is not enhancing (the island's image)." {Source}
In the video, Drake plays himself - a rapper that is visiting Jamaica to work on his album but ends up falling for a native girl. The problem here is, this girl is already in a relationship with a gangster on the island, played by reggae artist Mavado, and he isn't too pleased to learn that his girl is inviting Drake into her bed. The video ends with Drake being kidnapped by Mavado and his gang of men, tying Drake to a chair and having the gangster's girl, and Drake's love interest, pulling the trigger.
The concept was new and yet it seemed to have a little truth to it. I've seen a lot of Jamaican made movies to know that the storyline is no different.
Fast forward to today where there are national reports about dozens and dozens of people losing their lives as a result of a drug war happening in Kingston, Jamiaca's capital. Jamaican officials are attempting to track down Jamaican drug lord Christopher "Dudus" Coke so that he can be extradited to the U.S.
In retaliation to the news, masked men declared war by going on a mission to keep Dudus from leaving. This launched a battle between Jamaican officials and the people looking to keep Dudus in Jamaica. He's now hiding out (and his people are keeping it this way) and Jamaica is under a State of Emergency. The U.S. is basically saying that it's Jamaica's responsibility to get Dudus over to the U.S. with a "that is all" attitude.
Sounds like a movie right? But it's not.
Edmund was worried about tourism before. Interesting how fiction can sometimes be a mirror.
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