Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Who the Bill Fit, Let Him Wear It...



The brilliant imagician Richard Whyte strikes again. This time with a seven grand bill for the Seven Star General LA Lewis (For my friends in St Vincent and elsewhere LA is a Kingston urban legend who has willed himself to stardom despite negligible musical talent. He's a self-taught marketing genius of no mean order).

Context: Release of J$5000 bill with Hugh Shearer's admittedly handsome mug decorating it in the face of public demands for a note with Bob Marley's face pon it. i myself had a status update (on Facebook) saying 'why didn't they put Bob on the 5000 bill?' "Or Bolt, to remind us of how fast we will be spending each note ..." quipped V in response while the Afflicted One retorted, 'Because there's no Elvis on the American money?" And the Observer of May 21 even editorialised on the subject asking Is Mr Hugh Shearer worth $5,000?


Wednesday, May 20 2009, The Daily Observer


But then Ziggy responded in an Observer article--Bob doesn't 'fit the bill', says Ziggy, insisting that he wouldn't want his Dad's face on the ultimate symbol of Babylon--its currency--anyway. And that does make sense though one feels deprived by this...i mean imagine what it would be like to have five thousand dollar bills that people all over the world would kill for. it could be the new bauxite for Kali, Muhammad, Selassie and Christ's sake. we could literally print our way out of the financial crisis with dollar bills that Marley fans would snap up at $5000 a pop! Man a Yaad, move with haste--Who the Bill Fit, Let Him Wear It...

And i have nuff brawta for you and you--the inimitable Prince Zimboo and the Stalker, Vlad--listen!



and Vlad--

meanwhile i'm off to Treasure Beach tomorrow for a star-spangled Calabash. more anon!

5 comments:

Will said...

forgive my ignorance (not jamaican after all)... but my cousin and i (we both went to school in JA) want to know who shearer and lewis are... we were speculating on whose face is there, but no-one we thought likely showed up...

FSJL said...

You realise that when either PJ or Eddie dies they're going on the currency as well. The thought of Shearer as worth more than, say, G.W. Gordon is disturbing.

Will said...

ahhhh... thx for clarification...

enjoy calabash! (jealous)

Anonymous said...

Zimboo song GOOD.

$5,000 bill BAD.

LA Lewis...inconsequential!

Peace and love, Stero

ESTEBAN AGOSTO REID said...

FSJL,What about Portia?!! LOL!