UG Rap Community

French Lawmakers Accuse Rap Groups Of Inciting Riots
By Nolan Strong
Date: 11/23/2005 6:30 pm

Various rappers and rap groups in France are facing legal action after being accused by lawmakers of inciting the country’s riots through their raps.

200 lawmakers signed a petition on Wednesday (Nov. 23) that was co-signed by 152 Deputies and 49 Senators and presented to Justice Minister Pascal Clement, singling out seven rappers/groups.

The rap groups could face legal action and are specifically accused of inciting racism and hatred. The petitions sponsor, Francois Grosdidier, claims rap music conditions listeners who could become violent in the future.

"Sexism, racism and anti-Semitism are no more acceptable in song lyrics than in written or spoken words," Grosdidier of the ruling centre-right UMP, told AFP. "This is one of the factors that led to the violence in the suburbs."

Monsieur R’s song “FranSSe” drew controversy earlier this year in the country and the complaint singled out the song again, which describes France as “b*tch who should "treated like a whore".

Monsieur R is already facing a court date over the song and is charged with "outrage to social decency.”

Other groups targeted in the petition include Smala, Fabe & Salif, Lunatic, Ministere and Ministere Amer.

In 1995 French officials attacked rap group Ministere Amer in court over their song “Sacrifice de poulet,” from the soundtrack to “La Haine,” a movie that ironically centers on the lives of three teenagers living in the slums after a riot has broken out.

A court ruling forced the group to pay 250,000 francs in fines, but lawmakers were unsuccessful at banning the CD from stores.

Rappers have expressed their dismay with the conditions in France since the 1980’s and \ 1990’s.

The recent riots in France were set off by the Oct. 27 accidental deaths of two teenagers in Clichy-Sous-Bois.

Zyed Benna, 17, and Traore Bouna, 15, fled a soccer game and hid in a power substation when they saw police enter the area and were accidentally electrocuted.

Youths in the neighborhood accused the police of chasing the teens to their deaths.

The riots were initially confined around Paris, but then spread to other regions of the Île-de-France region and throughout France, affecting fifteen of the large urban centers in the country.

Monsieur R’s song “FranSSe” drew controversy earlier this year in the country and the complaint singled out the song again, which describes France as “b*tch who should "treated like a whore".

Monsieur R is already facing a court date over the song and is charged with "outrage to social decency.”

In 1995 French officials attacked rap group Ministere Amer in court over their song “Sacrifice de poulet,” from the soundtrack to “La Haine,” a movie that ironically centers on the lives of three teenagers living in the slums after a riot has broken out.

es wird immer besser

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sehr schöne scheibe, melancholisch und roh, ein ohrenschmaus zu dieser passenden jahreszeit