For decades musicians have used their fame to push their politics, The Specials helped free Nelson Mandela, The Sex Pistols were anti monarchy, Public Enemy fought the establishment Bob Geldof has been fighting to make poverty history.
Protest in song has been much celebrated, but when Aki Nawaz released his controversial album, All is War (The Benefits of G-had), which expressed his thoughts on the immorality of the west, suicide bombers and Osama bin Laden it was a very different story. The album caused so much fury that two of his own record label bosses threatened to quit and MPs were calling for Aki’s arrest.
But Aki isn’t the only Asian artist to cause controversy with his lyrics.
Desi DNA sends Bobby Friction on a mission to find out why music should have a voice and if an artist has a responsibility for the kind of tracks they create. He also asks if we are witnessing an emerging Asian movement which will create its own history and be judged in years to come.
In the programme Bobby hands the mic to….
Aki Nawaz, Muslim rapper who discusses why the mainstream has been going against him for years. As the front man of the band Fun-da-Mental, Aki has been producing politically challenging music since 1991 but accepts he is pushing those boundaries further.
Ben Marshall, a music journalist who thinks Aki is being foolish and explains why he feels music should be entertaining. He argues if these musicians wanted to be political they should have become MPs.
MC Riz (aka Rizwan Ahmed), an Oxford-educated MC and actor who created shock waves with his debut track, the controversial satire 9/11 Blues, was temporarily banned from British airplay. He says 9/11 woke him up and explains why music should have a voice.
Chandrasonic (aka Steve Savale) from Asian Dub Foundation has been fighting injustice through music for the last 15 years, and believes artists like him need to be vocal and heard by the masses. He says he gets at least five political tracks sent to him on a weekly basis by Asian artists who have gained consciousness.
David Lammy, Culture Minister in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, comments about whether politicians listen to musicians and how the new Terror laws have made it a criminal offence to glorify terrorism, even in song lyrics.
Author John Robb who compares the current Asian scene to 70s Punk and Rock and 80s hip-hop, and questions if people should be taking more notice of artists like Aki.
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