It has almost been a week since the US Fraud Prevention Unit decided that Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Mavado, Ricky Trooper and Aidonia should not have the 'honour' of having a visa to travel to the United States of America. Naturally and unsurpisely, most Jamaicans see it as chickens coming home to roost as these dancehall artistes promote and sing about, lets just say, the more negative side of Jamaican life or life in general. So big was this news that I was called by a Bajan morning radio show to express my views on the issue. It even made the front page of last week's Sunday Gleaner with the headline "Dancehall hit! United States visa woes will cost Jamaican entertainers big". With observers such as Clyde McKenzie detailing within the article, the various costs this will have on these dancehall acts and their careers. "All of them are dancehall acts and the biggest market for dancehall music is the US, I would say, when it comes to shows and that sort of thing. The earning potential is severely impaired for these acts." Mckenzie also added "touring is the biggest income stream in the music business. It has always been for reggae and dancehall". With figures between US$6,000 and US$15,000 being qouted you can see why it would severely hit our artistes pockets. I personally interviewed noted songwriter and producer Mikey Bennett recently and he impressed upon me the true cost of such restrictions. "What you have to understand is that most dancehall promoters use Beenie Man, Bounty Killa and Mavado to headline their shows. With those artistes absent, well those promoters will have more problems selling the shows to the audience and thus putting those shows in jeoprady." My personal views on the issue is that because the now contentious nature of the relationship between the US goverment and the Jamaican government we all have to suffer. Our national export (dancehall) is now being affected and we all need to be cognizant of that fact. All that moralistic garbage spewed out by some of the general public about the state of our music can easily be countered by the fact that America entertainment is riddled with far more reprehensible lyrics and images than our dancehall artists could ever HOPE to be responsible for and they have made billions from it. So end by saying that this issue will pass soon and hopefully with time we all can weather the storm.