Dear “Concerned” Parents of the Cayman Islands,

My name is Paul Chin (government name: Paul Chin-Sinn); writer and performer of the controversial song “Cease Fire”.  The very song your constant calls to Radio Cayman and the programming supervisor got pulled from rotation.  I’m writing this letter to address a few things.

Firstly, my sincerest apologies that my song offended you.  But only for that.  I’m not sorry for writing the lyrics, nor am I sorry for the content.  I meant every word and I’m actually very disappointed in your response.  As an emcee and a relatively prominent figure in the community, I feel it’s my responsibility to use whatever clout I have to bring awareness to issues that affect our home.  One such issue has been the recent surge of violence, both gang-related and otherwise.  It affects us all and has made many of us, myself included, uncomfortable in our own hometowns.  For this reason, I decided to take action the best way I knew how.

Imagine my surprise when I heard that Joel was pulling the song from rotation because several of you were calling in to complain about the violence and negativity of my song.  Apparently, most of you couldn’t take the time to listen all the way through the 4 minute and 12 second track to hear what the song was actually about (the futility of all this violence in the community, if you’re still not sure).  And there were even absurd responses like: “why is the third verse [the verse in which I speak from my own personal perspective] the shortest?” and “our teenagers listen to this station and are far too young and impressionable to be hearing this”.  It’s saddening, the rampant inability to think critically and objectively that plagues you so-called “grown-ups”.

Allow me to offer answers, even though they should be obvious:

• The song was written and recorded over a dub of an existing instrumental; I could only write what the time constraints allowed me to record.
• The first two verses are so hyperbolised (that means exaggerated) and the characters I portray even specify they are two separate people who are NOT Paul Chin that it should be obvious the point of the song, WELL before the verse rolls around.
• It’s not as if anything I portrayed in the lyrics is unheard of.  I may as well have been reading the newspaper (ironically, Joel’s show is followed by the news; a convention known for reporting such incidents of violence in far greater detail than I ever have).
• If my music is the most horrendous thing you can imagine your teenager listening to, your priorities are askew and you might consider Googling “Odd Future”.

In short: I’m just disappointed and, frankly, embarrassed by this buffoonery.  You’re all the same flock of buzzards who complain at every turn about the young people not doing anything to uplift the community yet absolutely refuse to get off your high horses long enough to praise any intelligent efforts to do anything positive or progressive.  Essentially, I’ve been berated for my intellectual and non-conventional methods of reaching a demographic I’m far more qualified to relate to while every other piece in my entire body of work falls largely prey to an obscene level of apathy.

I’m not claiming to be some grand visionary or voice who deserves to be praised for my every creation or effort.  I just know that I far from deserve the treatment I’ve received from you all.  Don’t be surprised when I (and any other young, progressive Caymanian talent who recognises their value) just give up on you.  I pray you re-evaluate your priorities and gain some objectivity.

Regards,

Paul Chin