After kicking off last Friday in Milan, Sizzla Kalonji’s tour of Europe is off to a bumpy start. Even before the first show, controversy flared up over Sizzla’s fiery lyrical content. Gay activists pressured the Hornstull concert venue in Stockholm to cancel Sizzla’s appearance because they say his music advocates violence against homosexuals. Sizzla’s concert was soon re-booked at another venue and it appears that the show will go on. A statement sent by the artist’s Jamaica-based record company Kalonji Muzik asserted that the whole controversy stems from a misunderstanding of patois and dancehall culture: “The messages in the songs are based on words that have been misconstrued and mistranslated,” read the statement, which estimates that “90%” of Sizzla’s catalog is “uplifting, positive.” (No mention is made of the other 10%.) “We don’t see you attack Eminem or other musicians who make clear stances against these same issues in the hip-hop, rock, and pop industry,” the statement went on to say. “It makes us wonder if there is a bigger picture being painted here? Or is it the fact that they just have better lawyers and bigger companies making money from them?” Check out the full text of Kalonji Muzik’s official statement after the jump and let us know what you think… (more…)