The artists whose work has been blacklisted in Germany, Europe's largest economy, include Sizzla, Elephant Man, Bounty Killer, Capleton, TOK and Baby Cham.

Albums on the blacklist can't be sold to minors, neither can they be advertised. Breaches of these conditions can result in fines and imprisonment.

The list was compiled by an official administrative authority of the German government called Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien (BPjM), which translates Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons.

The BPjM acted on the recordings after complaints made by a number of gay organisations worried by the albums' violenct homophobic content.

Stakeholders have argued that around 35 dancehall songs or albums were banned since the conception of BPjM.

Lyrics violate German laws
Riddim reggae magazine editor Ellen Köhlings said that dancehall is sarcastically filliping the agenda of the gay lobby. “These lyrics violate German laws which give the lobbyists legal grounds to successfully censor music and gain media exposure”, she said.

Violent anti-gay lyrics were part of the dancehall music for more than 15 years, with ‘Boom Bye Bye’ by Buju Banton credited as its origin.

USA visas revoked
In the beginning of April 2010 the dancehall deejays Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Mavado, Aidonia, along with veteran selector, Ricky Trooper, had their visas revoked by the US Embassy in Jamiaca, and airlines were advised not to board the artists as their visas were in the process of being revoked.

The artists themselves claim they had no knowledge that such a move was afoot, and according to an article by Steven Jackson in Jamaica Observer, the US embassy offered no comment following the incident.

Other artists — including Sizzla — have had their visas previously revoked, whilst Buju Banton is currently imprisoned awaiting trial in the US.