Opportunist businessmen find gaps and capitalise where there is uncertainty and chaos. Case in point Covid-19 coronavirus quarantines. Due to the pandemic, people in the informal sector have had to come up with unique ways to generate income. Businesses have had to find innovative ways to keep revenue ticking while sticking to lockdown rules. In the music industry, social media and tech ushered in a deeper examination into the lives of pop stars and emerging talent. Sites like Zoom and Instagram allowed artists to perform and interact with their fans and also challenge rivals on the interactive platforms.
However, dancehall artist Beenie Man has caught some flak recently, for branding face masks with his logo and selling on. One fan went on to insinuate that Beenie Man was being disingenuous and profiting at the expense of the less privileged saying;
“Beenie Man, with all respect my G, we rate and respect you nuff from Panama, but because of your economical position, you should be donating dose masks to needy people, not selling them. Remember it’s better to give than receive…,â€
To be fair, there is nothing wrong with Beenie’s actions and we cannot sit back and judge him for his enterprise. Yes, he has made his money and is fairly rich but there is no need to stop him from making more. Who knows what he will do with the profits?
This moral quandary is very similar to what is happening in the world of football. In the Barclays Premiership, high earning players are encouraged to take 12% pay-cuts to help alleviate the club’s cash flows. It goes a long way in ensuring the payment of non-playing staff wages. However, these pay-cuts are not mandatory, leaving room for players to be castigated in public if they do not conform.
At the end of the day, the decision is a personal one that has neither a right nor wrong answer. If Beenie wants and can profit from face masks, that’s his prerogative and kudos. I might just look for my own personal one as well. Big up King Beenie.