Mojo sparks Beyoncé firestorm

What began as a reflective sit-down with Emmy Award-winning journalist Zack Newmark quickly turned into an online firestorm for Mojo Morgan, after the Morgan Heritage singer questioned the “purpose” of modern global pop music and singled out Beyoncé in remarks that have since drawn praise, backlash and fierce debate.

During the interview, Mojo mentioned global pop icon Beyoncé and commented on her music.

“When you think of how popular Morgan Heritage is … and then you look at how popular Beyoncé is, you realise that we have a little more work to do,” Mojo stated, in a clip from the interview.

“She is not delivering a message that is uplifting in terms of trying to make people make better decisions.”

“When you go back to the music in the ‘60s and the ‘70s, there’s a reason why there’ll never be another Bob Marley, another Jimi Hendrix, another Janis Joplin, another Curtis Mayfield. There was a purpose that we had,” he continued.

“And some of the biggest names in music today, their music has no purpose. It’s just about enjoying the finer things in life.”

Mojo posted the clip on his social media pages and the response has been mixed. Ziggy Marley commented, “Ahh”; Kabaka Pyramid stated, “Preach”; Gramps Morgan stated, “Great points let music heal the people and bring them joy and knowledge,” and Barbados PM, Mia Mottley also dropped a comment.

“On target! Purpose will be our biggest quest! Keep focused,” PM Motley told Mojo on Instagram.

However, the Beyhive, as Beyoncé’s fans are called, have come for him. One person commented, “Jealousy is a hell of a drug. You don’t have to hate on one artiste to big up yourself,” to which Mojo responded that he was actually giving Beyoncé her flowers.

In an interview with THE STAR, Mojo shared why he singled out Beyoncé and said that he was “never saying that she should become a conscious artiste”.

“I mentioned Beyoncé because she’s one of the clearest examples of global cultural influence. If you’re talking about reaching the largest audience possible, her name naturally comes into the conversation,” Mojo said.

He added, “I was saying that conscious artistes should aspire to build the kind of global platform she has built. Imagine if the messages found in the music of Morgan Heritage, Alpha Blondy, Capleton and so many others were reaching audiences on that same scale. Think about the positive impact that could have on humanity.”

Mojo pointed out that “Beyoncé has built her career by being authentically herself,” and urged every artistes to follow that example.

“For me, the conversation isn’t about asking Beyoncé to change. It’s about asking ourselves how we can elevate message music to that same global level of influence.”

Pop music is defined as a commercial enterprise designed for broad marketability and mass entertainment, and Mojo, who is balancing a solo career, while being a member of Morgan Heritage, agreed that message music can indeed learn a thing or two from pop.

“Message music can sometimes forget the importance of excellence in presentation. Pop music teaches us about world-class production, songwriting, branding, performance and making ideas accessible to millions of people,” the Grammy Award-winning singer stated.

He shared that message and commercial success should not have to compete with one another because “the future belongs to artistes who can do both”.

“The challenge for conscious artistes isn’t to become more commercial by watering down the message. It’s to become more excellent at communicating that message in a way that resonates globally. If artistes with uplifting, socially conscious music can achieve the same reach as today’s biggest global stars, imagine the positive impact that could have on future generations. That’s the conversation I was trying to start,” Mojo told THE STAR.