Just before the adjournment of the Anguilla House of Assembly on Tuesday, January 21, Premier Victor Banks expressed thanks to a number of young men whom he said had made him “a celebrity”.
He said: “Mr. Speaker, just over the weekend I was made a celebrity. It is my understanding that there is a phone video going viral, and I want to thank a number of young men who encouraged me to listen to a very positive rap rendition that they did. It spoke to issues to which the Member for Island Harbour [Ms. Palmavon Webster] alluded about gun crime.
“These youngsters put together a rap composition which spoke to peace, unity and the cessation of gun violence among all people – and they particularly addressed Anguilla and St. Martin/St. Maarten. They encouraged me to come to listen to it and I want to commend them for their effort. I have no way to evaluate the quality of the rendition because, of course, I am not very much involved in that culture.
“There are some raps that I like; there are some that I have difficulty in appreciating. But, certainly, the message was out there and I am grateful to those youngsters who made the effort to respond to some of these issues which are so imminent in our communities – where young people have a difficulty in navigating some of the concerns that they have. Sometimes [these concerns] lead to deviant behavior and cause them to believe that they can settle issues through the use of guns and gun violence.
“It is very commendable, and very encouraging, when young people want to make that effort to put on the airways recorded messages to reach [other] young people where they are, with the culture, and those persons who are part of that culture…
“So I just want to commend those young people, Mr. Speaker, and thank them for giving me some notoriety. I didn’t seek it, but I am grateful for that opportunity…and to put to rest some of the comments that are being made out there; and some of the talented social media persons who are using and perverting it in ways that would further their interest. So I want to thank those young men very much.”
