Buju Banton hits back at Holness, says it takes more than waving a flag to promote Jamaican culture

Reggae and dancehall superstar Buju Banton is hitting back at comments by Prime Minister Andrew Holness that some entertainers wave the Jamaican flag to get fans to attend their shows, while tearing down the country with their criticisms. Holness' comments follow recent criticisms by veteran entertainer Beenie Man surrounding Holness administration’s handling of millions of dollars in donations it received to assist Jamaicans devastated by the storm. "It is a lie that was told on Jamaica by someone who benefits from brand Jamaica and we must call them out because they go and wave our flag and get people to attend their shows while they are out there tearing down the country. It is not going to help one more person get one more grant and these things need to be said. Unfortunately I am the only one willing to say it," Holness said. The prime minister was speaking at a ceremony on Wednesday to reopen the Black River Hospital. But Buju Banton however came out in defence of the entertainment fraternity saying that promoting Jamaican culture is more than raising a flag. "No you wrong, we do not wave the flag, we are the brand Jamaica, we can't wave a flag and people attend an event, it takes hard work, credibility, plus a body of work to get people more into Jamaican culture and we have been pushing brand Jamaica long before you enter politics, go check the file. Big man anno so you do things," Buju wrote in a social media post. Speaking in an interview with ITV News, one of the United Kingdom’s largest commercial news organisations, Beenie Man criticised the distribution of disaster relief funds and warned that coastal development could threaten the livelihoods of Jamaicans who depend on the island’s beaches. READ: WATCH: Holness hits back at Beenie Man after Hurricane Melissa relief comments