However, when a person makes strong statements about topics we are uncomfortable with in a very insistent manner, it is termed as an outburst and the point dismissed accordingly. So the huge Mouse has been sent packing, but his point about the 'whitification' of reggae cannot be.

He spoke not only about Matisyahu but also Bob Marley, Sean Paul and Shaggy, so there is some 'brownification' involved as well.

Of course, Eek-A-Mouse is not saying anything that has not been either said openly or thought about. Peter Tosh said it before, saying that part of the reason he was not bigger internationally was because "me too r@!!!t black".

Now that is putting it strongly.

Whether we want to concede that it is true or not, we live in a world where a premium is put on lighter skin.

It is the inevitable consequence of a world which has developed along the lines of European conquest, with every effort made to put down those of darker skin not only physically but also in the esteem of others and themselves.

And it has worked.

So Eek-A-Mouse's statements should not be seen in isolation, but in the context of the lighter people on the Social pages of Jamaica's morning daily newspapers, as well as the total resistance of some white Americans to Barak Obama.

In other words, if the white and light people are really taking (or have taken) over reggae, it is not a specific situation. It is not a specific prejudice, but the symptom of a wider situation.

And, curiously enough, it is a situation that the dark-skinned performers keep going by using light-skinned women in their videos and profiling with 'brownings' off stage. It is also reflected and encouraged by those male entertainers who bleach out their faces.

So Eek-A-Mouse's statement should be taken very seriously. After all, the pictures do not lie.