More unity needed to combat pandemic, says Kid Kurup

When asked what is needed for Jamaicans to get through the current pandemic, veteran dancehall deejay Kid Kurup believes "Unity is what is lacking".

"One thing the coronavirus has done is change the narrative of how we think. People are realising that egotistical attitudes have to change; if you want help you have to be able to say it," the deejay told THE STAR in a recent interview.

Kid Kurup has been busy since the launch of his foundation, Jamaicans for Jamaica, which originally started out as a care package programme.

In August, he hosted a back-to-school treat in Standpipe, where he spent many of his juvenile years and has formed a relationship with many of the residents.

"The treat was done because I had a major concern about how the children would return to school, especially with limited jobs being available and those parents who had work were losing their jobs throughout the pandemic," he shared. "I figured since I have a platform as a musician, might as well use it to open doors and provide opportunities for those who don't have one. I did this with the help of family and friends who assisted with getting food, masks, school bags and lunch kits, which we distributed following the guidelines of social distancing."

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He said that while the entertainment business has taken a hit, there is much the music industry could do if there was more unity.

Between balancing homeschooling for his son Ethan, with the support of Ethan's grandmother, the deejay is making more plans to execute more outreach.

"Basically, earning money is not my main focus right now; and as entertainers, the thing is not to worry about not having sold-out shows. They will come when the place opens up back. We have to make sure the community we live in, or have ties to, and its children are getting help," he said. "What artistes don't understand is the help is there. When they reach out to people, fans and supporters globally, they can get it. We have the products, we are the products."

His Jamaicans for Jamaica foundation has benefited from the help of members of parliament as well as the Bounty Killer Foundation, and Kid Kurup is hoping more artistes will band together for more community-based initiatives.

"As a fraternity, we can provide a cushion to brace through this pandemic comfortably. Hats off to Bounty Killer and Sean Paul who do their thing consistently. More of us just need to see that segregation has to stop," he said.