Gin et jus
We’ve all heard a lot about how James Lawrence of the D&C thinks that gangsta rap exacerbates many urban problems. There’s an article in the Times today about how rap of a different sort is actually credited with keeping things peaceful in Marseille, France:
When the slums outside Paris, Lyon, Toulouse and Strasbourg exploded last month, repeating the violence that erupted two years ago, here in Marseille, France’s second-largest city, all remained calm.
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The Marseillais have plenty of explanations for this disparity, aside from the obvious one that the poor areas here aren’t segregated on the city outskirts, as they are in Paris — but it is hip-hop, as much a source of local pride as the town’s soccer team, that turns out to be a lens through which to examine why this city didn’t burn.
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Marseille lyrics can be full of rage but they’re not violent, the way those of certain Parisian bands are. Two years ago 152 conservatives in the French Parliament brought suit against seven rap groups, but notably none from Marseille, for fostering hatred and racism against whites and for what one politician called “anti-French †sentiments.
PSY4, by contrast, wrote a rap not long ago called “Justicierâ€: “I know all the cops are not that bad, but why do you always ask me for my ID? To your violence I prefer responding with my lyrics. Can’t we have a proper dialogue?â€
Very good analyse , but another important fact is forgot
i’m from Marseille) :
Everyone here face same problems, everyone is in the ’same ship’, has bad and good days..and so few disparities between all the people : nearly 90% of people have their (new or recent) origin outside from Marseille, and all have same rights, same problems, same obligations… So, who would ask to have the same rights than the neighbors? Equality is a long date habit , here and explain a lot of things !