lIncidents around famous rappers multiplied in late February. How can we punish young people for their illegal words without punishing the music genre popular among them? Two cases highlight this dilemma. On February 25, at the Accor Arena in Paris, American rapper Kanye West could shout these words (in playback and in English) to thousands of fans: “How can I be an anti-Semite? Last night I fucked a Jewish slut! ,
On 26 February, after Lyon and Lille, the French frieze Corleone was banned from performing in Nantes. The reason the courts or province banned the event planned for the 28th is because the 31-year-old rapper has been singing anti-Semitic words since 2020: “I’m as determined as Adolf in the 1930s” , “We approach the Germans like the SS”, He is also the subject of investigation by the Nice Prosecutor’s Office for advocating terrorism in this article Hollandwhich he sings with rapper Luciano – some see it as an obscure reference to the 86 deaths that occurred during the attack on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice on July 14, 2016.
Why should Kanye West be allowed on stage and not Friz Corleone? Especially since one point separates them. The American who now calls himself this has spent five years running a scandal on the stage or in the city: He is a fan of Hitler, sees abortion as genocide or thinks slaves chose to do it. Friz Corleone is only blamed for his songs – otherwise, he is silent. His texts, in addition to anti-Semitism, have an esoteric side and expose conspiracy theories (the Illuminati or the pharmaceutical industry dominating the world).
Some people, in the name of creative freedom, demand approving comments in the media, but not actions. This is the opinion of Benjamin Weil, author of Who benefits from filth? Sexism, racism and capitalism in French rap (Payot, 2023), which also calls for a second degree and “Rude, historical, explicit vulgarity” Rap. In 2016, justice was moving in this direction. The Versailles Court of Appeal acquitted rapper Orelsan of the album already lost (2009), declared: “Girls are whores”, “Shut up or you’ll get married.” ,, The judge considered it “The field of artistic creation, because it is the fruit of the creator’s imagination, is subject to a reinforced regime of freedom”,
Can you be a feminist and like rap?
Frieze Corleone may benefit from this case law. Except that the climate has changed since the #metoo revolution. call to“Imaginary” Less heard, especially because word of the scandal is often received at face value by fansS. These are the words, justice was done “unacceptable”Which prompted recording giant Universal Music to sever ties with Friz Corleone.
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