According to the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Jamaica, the level of paternity fraud in the country is alarmingly high. As many as 23 percent of children born there are not for the biological father.
Those sensational statistics have startled most Jamaicans, including Dawya Ranks. ‘Dawya Pickney’, his latest song, is based on a situation he was involved in years ago.
The song is produced by Lloyd Shaw for the Los Angeles-based Issachar Musik.
“It’s about a girl who get pregnant for me back in di day, but she never told mi an’ give it to a next man. But di truth come to light an’ mi realize dat is my pickney, so as a real father, yuh jus’ own yuh youth,” said Dawya Ranks.
Paternity fraud, known in Jamaica as ‘jacket’, has escalated in recent years due to DNA tests which prove that thousands of men have been duped by their spouses or lovers. Many of these tests are mandatory when husbands file paperwork for children to settle permanently in Canada or the United States.
Jamaica reportedly has one of the highest rates of paternity fraud in the world.
Dawya Ranks, who has been recording music for over 30 years, says men have been wearing ‘jackets’ for centuries.
“Is something coming from long, long time. If yuh check it out, dem sey Mary (in the Bible) get pregnant without having sex. Di word of God sey, man an’ woman come together an’ bring forth a youth, so at di end of di day it mus’ be somebody who breed Mary. Jacket thing a come from creation.” he reasoned.