“Our Prime Minister’s a Real Racist”
Dave’s BRITs performance caused a stir in Parliament, but should we listen to what U.K rappers have to say?
On Tuesday night, U.K rapper Dave won the highly prestigious Mastercard Album of the Year award at the BRITs for his debut album Psychodrama, released back in March 2019. Besides winning, Dave also performed his song Black from the album, which embraces and celebrates his heritage and all that comes with it.
The performance featured an additional verse to the song, which slammed Boris Johnson as ‘racist’ and highlighted the media’s harsh treatment of Meghan Markle in comparison to Kate Middleton, whilst paying a sombre tribute to Jack Merritt, who was murdered in a terrorist attack in London late last year. (Full performance can be found here)
Since the performance, hundreds of people have taken to Twitter to accuse Dave of racism.
“Dave came across as a disgusting racist. Why is what he said deemed to be acceptable? Had a white person said those sort of things they would have been prosecuted.”
The discomfort his performance caused for so many people is almost laughable. Dave is using his platform to call for change, and the fallout from his BRITs performance has highlighted exactly why we need it.
In 2020, people are still denying ethnic minorities a voice, making this performance even more important. There is nothing inherently ‘racist’ about the verse, no matter who was performing it. The issue is that a young, successful black man has been given the opportunity to highlight the adversity he, along with hundreds of thousands of others, is still facing on a daily basis. If those oppressed by racism can’t even mention racism, then who can?
The performance comes just days after the news that Downing Street refuses to comment on whether Boris Johnson believes black people are ‘mentally inferior’. This remark, along with a call for compulsory contraception to ensure the prevention of a ‘permanent underclass’ was made by former №10 aide Andrew Sabisky. His appointment in the first place was questionable, which is why Boris has now come under fire for inadequate vetting of his appointments. This makes Dave’s performance all the more fitting.
The political show at the BRITs has only become more timely since the morning after the awards show, Priti Patel announced her plans for a new points-based immigration system to be put into place in the U.K. This will see low-skilled workers’ entry into the country severely limited; with strict salary and education requirements. The most incredible irony about this is that under this system, Patel’s own parents wouldn’t pass the test, so she would never be in the country herself.
Dave’s call for support of Grenfell victims and the Windrush generation is an impressive ‘sequel’ to Stormzy’s 2018 BRITs performance, which called out Theresa May for her lack of acknowledgment of Grenfell victims. In this set, Stormzy also blasted The Daily Mail for their consistent undermining of his music due to his ‘background’. (You can watch Stormzy’s 2018 performance here)
“Where’s the money for Grenfell?”
Performances such as these from Dave and Stormzy are so important. Whether the reaction to their words is positive or negative, the messages they are trying to convey are reaching people across the country. If you weren’t aware of some of the issues they raised before these shows, then you probably are now. Dave’s face has since been plastered across news outlets nationwide for “bashing” the PM and calling out racism in Britain. If touching a nerve is how to draw attention to the reality of racism that still exists today, then it is absolutely necessary.
Young musicians are often disregarded in the world of politics, particularly when it comes to rappers. The stereotypical image of rappers often involves drugs, gangs and violence with political awareness not even in the picture. Dave and Stormzy giving such politically-charged speeches gives U.K rappers an entirely new image, showing that such knowledge isn’t just limited to those in parliament, or with a politics degree.
Though their music isn’t for everybody, it is worth listening to what rappers have to say.
