Andrew Holness a star, says Mr Vegas

Dancehall superstar Mr Vegas said he got "goose bumps" from a first-hand view of the "genuine love" supporters have for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader, Dr Andrew Holness, referring to him as a "star".

The artiste, who performed at the JLP rally on Sunday, recalled that the moment when the graphics of Holness were being displayed on the stage's screen, was one of the biggest highlights of the night.

"It was received with total approval, great energy and everybody just start showing their love to Andrew and that moment reminded me of one time when I was performing at a show," he recalled. In that incident, while performing a son, the crowd erupted, but not for him.

"When I glanced behind [me] it was Beenie Man walking up and Beenie just stretch him han' and tek di microphone," he laughed. "Suh it kinda reminded me a dat moment now with Andrew Holness because di man is a star, a real star and di people dem love him."

Mr Vegas opined that the rally totally changed the "negativities" that have been swirling around about the prime minister and instilled him with more confidence in his leadership and governing skills.

"I got like goosebumps because when yuh hear so many negative things on these digital outlets versus when yuh deh on di ground and see how people react to this man, it just show seh he's just one a we and him mek sure to mek dem know seh he's just one of us," said Mr Vegas. He noted that he has been a strong JLP supporter since 2016 and that the Holness he saw then, as a "young leader", is the same one he saw on Sunday.

"He hasn't changed - he'll still stop and reason wid yuh, stop and take a question and inform yuh on things he want to put forward...so it's nothing new, it's just that now, it's more pronounced," said Mr Vegas.

Decked out in a JLP branded green undershirt, suited with a yellow and green sweatpants suit that was neatly paired with a pair of Jamaican coloured shoes and matching green hat, Mr Vegas stormed on to the stage blazing his iconic track, Gallis, to a packed audience of JLP supporters in Half-Way Tree on Sunday. Supporters and party candidates erupted into a chorus of singers while others danced, waved placards and flags and sounded their vuvuzelas in welcoming the entertainer. Midway the song, Mr Vegas abruptly stopped to charge up the already powered-up audience by chanting "Showa Labourite!" to which the screams and vuvuzelas echoed once again.

While congratulating and endorsing Holness as "one of us", Mr Vegas further entertained the crowd with one of his international hits, I Am Blessed, to which Holness and his candidates gave a standing ovation as some raved on.

Mr Vegas underscored the value to artistes for engaging in political spaces, a topic he said he came under severe backlash for endorsing years ago.

"There were some top artistes who were burning me out because mi seh 'leave di artiste dem mek dem eat dem food' but den mi see di same artiste dem came around to be supporting a political party. Suh some people just like doing it while others stay away from it because it comes with some form a negative impact on you as a person," he said. He noted that on one occasion in the past, the People's National Party's (PNP) Damion Crawford and JLP stalwart Daryl Vaz had a musical clash, and artistes from both sides were giving them dubplates.

In speaking with THE STAR, PNP Spokesperson on Culture and Creative Industries, Dr Deborah Hickling Gordon, said artistes and politicians alike benefit from political dubplates.

"There are some artistes who came from the position of ideology - who really believe in what they are expressing, which is good for the party but it's also business, especially in the process of the dubplates. We're now in a space where artistes' revenue areas are changing, and for many, if they're not touring or have music doing well on particular platforms, this is another source of revenue for them. So I don't see it as a challenge for them diversifying their ways of earning revenue," she opined. "However, it's up to the artistes and the politicians that the messages that they are sending are clear because that's where the scrutiny will come in."

Looking ahead to the September 3 general election, Mr Vegas said the JLP's third term is "already loaded", calling PNP Leader Mark Golding a "rookie" who "nuh prove seh him can play".

"To how di country a move forward right now and di vision weh Andrew have fi di country, di rookie affi chill likkle and guh duh some groundwork like, fix up him constituency and show wi seh yuh can at least do dat. Him affi prove himself first yuh nuh," said Mr Vegas.