Riots and French hiphop

I don't think hip hop can be blamed. Chuck D once called hip hop "the black CNN". No one blames CNN for starting the war in Iraq (although FOX might not get off the hook so easily).

this is potentially a good thread, thought i'd revive...reminds me of woebot's thing on politicised desi in that free rag with the funny smell.

obv the issue of whether or not rappers 'incited' the riots is utterly preposterous, but am intrigued by this (my knowledge of french hip hop extends to a TTC single and an MC Solaar guest spot on a Missy LP) but are there any francophone dissensians who do know about these sorts of people? (am salivating frankly at the description of 'the avowedly leftist Assassin') is hip hop genuinely more politicised over there?

Rambler said:

This topic cropped up on the Grime/Classical thread a couple of times, but I thought it could do with a thread of its own. There's a piece in the Telegraph today about the outcry of French politicians against hip hop - 200 MPS have signed a petition calling for legal action against rappers deemed too aggressive.

http://arts.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/12/08/bmfrance08.xml

I'm not sure I have much insight to add at this point, but it seems like a big issue, so thought I'd open it to the floor...

Click to expand...

sounds like they'd prefer to blame some musicians rather than facing up to the poverty and racial divisions in their society. its an easy way to avoid the bigger more intractable issues -

similar to the uk governments disingenous capaigns for "respect" when everyone knows blair respects the people least of all.