Badda Bling keeps his focus
Singjay Badda Bling says while he does not condone squatting, he is urging Government to remove an age-old legislation which serves to prevent squatters from legally owning a piece of land.
The disc jock and emerging act is siding with Opposition Senator Sophia Frazer-Binns, who is recommending the Government remove a 60-year-old provision in law that people who have been squatting on Crown lands must satisfy before they can pursue legal ownership.
According to Badda Bling, given name Matthew Mothersill, “Sixty years is a lot of years. Once you are a citizen of a country, you should be given an opportunity to purchase a square of land, so your children and grandchildren will not go through the trauma of being bulldozed,” he said.
“Whilst I do not agree with squatting, a lot of people just cannot do better because owning a piece of land comes with a hectic cost. And, even those who contribute to NHT [National Housing Trust], there is not a 100 per cent accessibility to either land or housing,” he continued.
The Opposition senator, in her state of the nation presentation in Parliament on Friday, said: “Any Jamaican who never before could have owned a piece of land can now do so legally, yet the same legislation that says you can own private lands after 12 years states that in order to own Government land you have to be in possession for 60 years.”
Badda Bling is promoting his latest project Focus. It was released on the Prime Time Music label November 12, 2021.
“I did the song to express my emotions to a girl I love. However, everyone can relate to this song; we need to match our promises with action and focus on those we say we love,” he said.
His debut recording is a song titled Blue Print in June 2021.
“This is my explanation to how I achieve my goals in life. The song recorded 2021 is on Prime Time recording label,” he said.
Badda Bling, born in Papine, St Andrew, relocated to Knockalva in Hanover at six to join his mother, Lola McKenzie.
“I have always been an entertainer, first as a sound system selector, branching off as a radio disc jock and co-host of Dancin’ Dynamite,” he said.