Mark Golding, the leader of the opposition, appeared on the Jamaican podcast ‘Let’s Be Honest’ with Jaii Frais. During their discussion, Frais criticized politicians for being two-faced about dancehall music, and Golding agreed. He specifically mentioned Prime Minister Holness’s nickname, ‘Bro-gad,’ calling it “unfortunate” and inappropriate.

As their conversation evolved into the topic of dancehall and its potential influence on violence, Frais noted that politicians frequently criticize dancehall music for its illicit themes while simultaneously employing the very same artistes in their election campaigns.

“I think [it is a] fair comment. I think there is a lot of hypocrisy around that…it’s true. Listen, man, politicians are human beings and it is a competitive field and people are always trying to find a way of getting an advantage over their opponent and so on.

“Sometimes that strays into engaging with things that are not wholesome and shouldn’t be done… personally, I try and avoid doing that, I’m not saying I’m perfect…” Golding noted.

“Even ‘bro-gad’ how he adapted that persona, which is a persona coming out of a certain line of music around scamming and them ting deh and you know it became his thing. It was clearly not appropriate for a prime minister to have,” Golding said.

Golding noted that he believes the prime minister is trying to shake off the name, and the negative connotation behind it, noting however, that both political parties need to learn from their errors and move forward.

The public’s reception to Golding’s interview with Frais who does not typically host political figures seems to be favourable, with comments on how much his interview skills have improved.

“Jaii is a very good interviewer. This was very eye-opening, very insightful, and very informative,” one YouTube user wrote.

“Me just reach halfway into this interview and I believe this is the best interview of Mark Golding I have,” wrote another.

The interview is part of Golding’s campaign efforts leading up to this year’s general elections.