Benzley Hype provides at-home coronavirus relief - Releases ‘Me And Mi Kru’ free on YouTube
Published:Saturday | March 21, 2020 | 12:00 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Dancehall artiste, musician, producer, and actor Benzley Hype has a plan to assist those persons who are facing boredom as they are confined at home for long periods in an effort to combat the deadly novel coronavirus. He will be providing entertainment by way of the popular Jamaican comedy drama ‘ Me And Mi Kru’, which he will be releasing on YouTube.
Currently in Canada, Benzley took the decision last week to stay put rather than flying home, but he has been keeping tabs on all that’s happening in Jamaica and feels it’s only right to do the little that he can in these testing times. The entertainer, who came to prominence in the ‘90s as a member of the all-male singing and deejay group Innocent Kru, not only stars in the sitcom, alongside acclaimed actress Audrey Reid, but is also a producer, writer, and conceptualiser.
“This is my gift to Jamaicans in Jamaica and the world over at this time of coronavirus home incarceration,” he told The Gleaner. He explained that all three seasons of Me and Mi Kru, which aired on television in Jamaica, as well as in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and parts of Africa, will be available for viewing free online for the first time. They began airing last Sunday.
“We starting from the top and running all 38 episodes, one per day, at 7 p.m. Eastern on YouTube. All persons will have to do is subscribe and hit that notification bell, and they can have access,” he stated.
Me and Mi Kru, which is a quasi-reality drama, tells the saga of an up-and-coming dancehall artiste, Hype, who lives with his mother, Beatrice, in the inner-city area of Seaview Gardens in Kingston. The artiste is a member of a group called Innocent Kru, a struggling outfit that is determined to make it big in the music industry. One fateful day, Hype purchases a lottery ticket, but the wrong numbers are punched in by a teller. But they turn out to be the right numbers, and Hype wins $250 million. The family moves lock, stock, and barrel uptown to a mansion in Beverly Hills. With this move, uptown and downtown are placed on an inevitable collision course that sets the stage for rollicking humour, drama, and tension. Meanwhile, Hype and his Kru continue their musical journey, coming face to face with the reality of corrupt practices in the business.
Mi and Mi Kru first aired in 2009 and had its final episodes in 2015. In 2017, Benzley Hype attempted to restart the series, and, with the script already written, he actively canvassed sponsorship for another instalment. He was, however, unable to raise the $20 million needed to get the 13-episode series going.
“The fans continue to ask about a return of the show, but we need support to help us bring back top-class Jamaican entertainment to the people. In the meantime, however, you can sit back with the whole family and laugh, cry, and just enjoy as we take our minds off the deadly virus. From my family to yours, bless up, and stay safe. Remember, it’s just love that we need. And please, everybody, look out for the elderly,” Benzley implored.