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| Europe |
| Rap 'not |
| 2006-02-03 |
| French Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, has dismissed claims by some of his party colleagues that rap music fuelled suburban rioting in France. Mr de Villepin told French radio that he wanted to avoid finger-pointing about the origins of the unrest. But he said that the courts should deal with lyrics that overstepped the mark. About 200 MPs have urged the justice ministry to prosecute seven rap groups over allegedly provocative lyrics. A probe has begun into one group. Speaking on French radio, Mr de Villepin said: "I very much wish during this period - it is one of my primary responsibilities - to avoid any sort of confusion or finger-pointing." "Is rap responsible for the crisis in the suburbs? My answer is no," he said. "When one writes a song, when one writes a book, when one expresses oneself, do we have a responsibility? Yes," he added. 'Crude art' Almost 9,000 cars and many public buildings were burnt in three weeks of unrest across the country. The violence began in October after the accidental deaths of two teenagers who were reportedly being chased by police. Mr de Villepin said songs that violate hate laws would be dealt with The campaign to prosecute rappers is led by MP Francois Grosdidier, a member of Mr de Villepin's governing UMP party. "Sexism, racism and anti-Semitism are no more acceptable in lyrics than in written or spoken words," he said earlier this week. "This is one of the factors that led to the violence in the suburbs," he added. Mr Grosdidier lodged a complaint with the justice ministry, urging action against seven rap groups. The document was supported by many UMP parliamentarians. Prosecutors have begun an inquiry into a song entitled FranSSe, in which rapper Monsieur R calls France a prostitute. Monsieur R says the song is a diatribe against French leaders who have neglected ethnic minorities, not an attack on France in general. "Hip hop is a crude art, so we use crude words. It is not a call to violence," he told French television. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #2 That's the nature of rap lyrics, a5089. On this side of the pond the Gangsta rappers (who your French rappers copy) are equally vicious and nihilistic, although merely racist and sexist, not religionist. Probably doesn't make you feel better to know that, though. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-02-03 17:35 |
| #1 According to what I've read from more knowledgeable people in various forums, the artists targeted were somehow mainstream (if hardcore), and are not the "underground" rap that is so prevalent in the 'hoods. There was excerpts from theses underground raps featured on Radio-courtoisie, an alternative conservative/rightwing radio : awful!... "there is a coming civil war, we'll burn everything, we'll win it", "fight the cops, kill them", "put whitey back at his place, f*** his wimmen", "christians will pay, the gold the Pope has around his neck, don't forget he stole it from the muslims",... theses are not songs, theses are propaganda pieces, hammered into the empty skulls of the lowlives. Battlecry. Note that the "mainstream" hardcore rap is not bad either; one of theses wonderful artists showcased by the fnac (a cultural products retail network that leans leftward) sez he p***es on Napoleon and de Gaulle, that listener mustn't forget to f*** France into exhaustion (recurrent image, the West is a woman that is to be taken by force by the manly non-white/muslim, while its original populations are devirilized and feminized),... that guy is from ex-Zaire/RDC, and he lives in Belgium, so I guess he has all the right to judge us this way. Rap is big in France, bigger than in the USA, I'd say (you have country, for example), it is the main commercial music, listened to by both the youths and the "youths", and its omnipresent message is to spit on society, spit on authority, denigrate western culture, denigrate western wimmen (sluts, all of them!), etc, etc... Very strange, many ethnic frenchs listen to this; of course, the only alternative is pop sang by androgyneous singers. So, the choice is either indulge in ethno-masochism, or to identify oneself with an umanly image. French music is actually relatively lively, there used to be lotsa fun bands... check out theses VRP videoclips, back from the early 90's : http://www.dailymotion.com/labeteimmonde/video/37911 http://www.dailymotion.com/labeteimmonde/video/37677 http://www.dailymotion.com/labeteimmonde/video/37917 |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-02-03 10:59 |