Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 22 Jun 2006 | Tagged as: news, protest
It could only happen in US Hip-Hop: Jay Z has vowed to never sing about Cristal champagne again. Wow! The man has his principles and is determined to stand up for what is right. The reason for his righteous indignation? In totally unconfirmed reports, the head of the champagne manufacturer was claimed to have stated [...]
Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 20 Jun 2006 | Tagged as: politics, protest
In case you’ve been away from the blogosphere, there have been ripples of consternation when a video of a US marine singing “Hadji Girl” turned up on YouTube, and subsequently news sites across the world. The problem came from a severe case of over-analysis and misinterpretation. The song is actually a spontaneous parody of “Team [...]
Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 13 Jun 2006 | Tagged as: politics, protest
The debate concerning lyrical content will seemingly never go away. Faced with a marked increase in violence, Britain is asking questions about the media’s role. New Conservative leader David Cameron recently pointed the finger at the media and local rappers that “promote” weapons and violence. One of the rappers, Lethal Bizzle, has since hit back [...]
Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 11 May 2006 | Tagged as: Eurovision, protest
Iceland’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest is causing ripples. The song, “Congratulations”, is sung by Sylvia Night, a fictional character created by actress Agusta Eva. The song contains the line, “I’ll fucking win”. The organisers, EBU, have formally warned that if she sings the song on the night, Iceland will be breaching two rules. [...]
Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 11 Mar 2006 | Tagged as: awards, protest, religion
Lyrics have been the subject of more debate this week. The Oscars opened the proceedings when “It’s Hard to be a Pimp Out Here” from “Hustle and Flow” won the Best Original Song. Many people questioned whether it wasn’t making prostitution glamorous. But the truth is that the song won simply as it was the [...]
Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 08 Feb 2006 | Tagged as: meanings, protest
Does this sound familiar or what? But no, we’re not talking about the bling scene in the US, these are comments made about Ghana’s once-exciting Hiplife scene, so well defined by Reggie Rockstone. Is it comforting to know that people in Ghana are asking the same questions about their popular music as us? Truth is, [...]
Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 08 Jan 2006 | Tagged as: meanings, protest, religion
What is it with Black Metal? It reminds me of early punk when the goal was to be outrageous at any cost (remember the Christ crucified over a Swastika T-shirt?). But then people began to take it at face value and it became a whole lot less funny. So is Black Metal an elaborate joke? [...]
Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 06 Dec 2005 | Tagged as: meanings, protest, tip
In the first of an occasional series, we can’t help throwing a metaphorical coin into the cap of Plan B, a 21 year-old Londoner that stands up and raps (for want of a better word) about the world around him. “When people hear ‘Kids’ on radio, everything they’re scared of about the city is in [...]
Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 16 Nov 2005 | Tagged as: politics, protest
The ongoing trouble in France was foreseen.That is the feeling amongst many rappers in the country. Already ten years ago, bands such as IAM and MC Solaar were sending out warning signals. More radical groups such as NTM were even brought to court for their confrontational style.And now, when it’s too late, the media are [...]
Posted by The Accidental Lyricist on 03 Nov 2005 | Tagged as: protest
Echoing a sentiment that has already been voiced many times across Africa, Cheryl “Salt” James is joining other Hip-Hop celebrities in encouraging people to speak out against misogynist lyrics. Speaking at a college debate on Hip-Hop, she is reported by Associated Press as saying, “The microphone is very effective. Life and death is in the [...]