Dizzy Rascal for Prime Minister!
I initially thought Paxman tone and line of questioning was patronising in this interview with UK Hip Hop supremo Dizzy Rascal. Thankfully Dizzy handled it with style and good humour.
Consider this the weekend open thread, what a week eh?!
Dizzy handled it very very well. Paxman was good too.
Shame about Amos.
Just come across this:
http://internationalrevelations.blogspot.com/2008/10/britains-barack-obama.html
Yep, I read about him earlier this year, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of people claiming/hoping to be the British Barack Obama in the coming months and years…
Paxman can’t help being patronising, like many public school boys. But he’s largely a good egg.
Interesting that Dizzy went straight to the “he’s actually half-white” angle — a fact strangely glossed over by the mainstream media. But then Dizzy was post-racial in his analysis, and I liked that.
I wouldn’t recommend him as PM though, although I believe in redemption.
He needs to do more to address the violent street man within. His lyrics are too complacent about knife crime for my liking.
How cringe inducing, and patronising to black people in this country. Way to go beeb, represntin’ da black community! “He Couldn’t Have Won Without Hip-Hop”. FFS!
Anyways. This will cheer ye up, South Park celebrating Obama victory. “Who the let the Obama out!”
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g91bcKEZMaQ
http://itsbashy.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/dizzee-rascal-slammed-on-facebook/
ha ha, nice one Mr Rascal.
As far back as I can recall, Paxman’s always been something of a condescending wanker.
Paxman’s obviously institutionally racist and seeking to scupper any chance Dizzy had to reach No 10.
For those of you who find Paxman’s television style isn’t your cup of tea, I’d recommend you read one or two of his books some time. He actually comes across better in print. Seriously, give ‘The Political Animal’ a go. It’s really good.
I admit I don’t know anything about Dizzy Rascal, and he may not be a spokesman for THE black community, but he does somewhat represent A community. I like that he sees Obama as mixed race and a symbol of unity. Evolution is first a choice, followed by a long hard and painful struggle.
El Cid’s comment “He needs to do more to address the violent street man within. His lyrics are too complacent about knife crime for my liking.”
reminds me of the philosophical theory - complacency leads to apathy, leads to bondage ……
but it’s a circle which leads back to enlightenment. People need to learn how to see the bigger picture and realize reality is not only 3 dimensional but ever changing or else it becomes flat and stagnant.
Dizzy is correct about hip hop too! They don’t call people “stars” for nothing …all those who like to blame American pop culture for violence refuse to accept the FACT - Art (including music) is a reflection of society not the other way around! Instead of being slammed on face book (FFS)it should be noted his reference made to Tu Pac!
Well, Dizzee understood the need for collective action better than any of the other BBC analists.
Ben
That video was scarily reminiscent of my dad trying to make small talk with my boyfriends circa 1992…
Yep.
He also nicely cut through that nationalist question about whether he feels British by saying yeah he’s here.
I have much higher respect for him staying and making a go of it here with his music rather than complaining and buggering off to America (I’m looking at you Estelle).
‘I have much higher respect for him staying and making a go of it here with his music rather than complaining and buggering off to America (I’m looking at you Estelle).’
Yeah, but in all fairness, Estelle did TRY to make a go of it with her music, and didn’t really get anywhere! It was only when she went to America that she got noticed, which proves the whole point she was making about the industry not being particularly concerned about black female solo singers. I mean, Leona Lewis ‘made it,’ but then there’s all the Beverley Knights/Terri Walkers/Jamelias/N’Jays etc. who’ve kind of floundered and died after some initial spark…
I just think she isn’t as talented and when that was reflected in the way she was treated she cried racism and buggered off.
I agree with you. Not sure what he contributed to the discussion, except to provide some comic relief - specially with that hip-hop reference.
As for the latest South Park episode, I absolutely loved it.
Dizzy was right to mention hip-hop. And for Paxman to ask if he saw himself as British. Sometimes you have to think about the audience. The Q & A session made it clear that no one should expect any less than what took place in the US.
Anyone who was a bit more ‘learned’, and given more time, than Dizzy might have expanded his comments and gone all the way back to Chuck Berry, if not Kunte Kinte. Not forgetting Jesse Owen, Carl Lewis, Shaquile O’Neale - the list is long. For others the connections might have gone through the likes of Dionne Warwick, or even Public Enemy. For me it would be The Disposable Heroes of Hipopracy, Muhammed Ali and Malcolm X.
The South Park episode is f’ing funny!
Check it out: http://www.southparkzone.com/episodes/1212/About-Last-Night.html
I wonder why the ‘media’ is incapable of interviewing the many black educated people in this country. Why do they always fill the ‘black personality’ slot with an entertainer?
Several comments have mentioned whether Dizzy should have been used as a representative of black people. I feel the same way about Bollywood being seen as (mis)representative - but the fact is that a critical mass of asians do watch bollywood & you can draw the same parallels with hip hop.
On balance I think Dizzy answered well. He did not express himself in the way some preferred but are we not being elitist here in wishing only so called ‘educated’ people to be spokespeople?
For being labeled “uneducated” … nothing Dizzy said was unintelligent. Including his comments on hip hop … instead of criticizing and laughing off his statement judging or getting angry- how about you look into what he has tried to say …
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/chi-hip-hop-cover-1109nov09,0,463586.story
http://www.hiphoplinguistics.com/news/2008/01/barack-obama-plans-to-embrace-hip-hop-if-elected
surprise surprise he just might be smarter than he is being allowed to be … why is that?
Also from some of the comments being made, I am a bit confused … I thought I saw 2 people in the interview with Paxman? both represented something, no?
I just love how people will complain to no end over how the media/ pop cultural influences are destroying morals and youth etc … but then when a member of that entertainment community is actually used … all of a sudden its power to mold society is taken away along with hope.
maybe dizzy will become a role model now, who knows?
As far as race goes … Obama was elected cause he was the better choice! end of!
persephone, there is nothing elitist about my argument that educated minorities should be put on tv.
My point is that when a programme is based on popular culture, you find that all the commentators are entertainers.
However, when the programme is based on politics, you find that the white commentators are academics or politicians but for some weird reason, the minority commentator will be a rapper.
gege
I still do believe that it is elitist.
And I think it is a refreshing change not to always have commentators who are academics (some of whom pontificate idealistically or theoretically rather than the real world) and don’t get me started on professional politicians…
As to entertainers being used in politics - we are not alone. Consider the political career of one (white) US entertainer: Ronald Reagan - I always thought he got to become president because he appealed to the masses who related to the ‘good ole cowboy’ movies.
The point I was & am making is that sometimes, a person who has proven to have a high mass/celebrity appeal is used to connect with a mass audience for that reason.
Gege, I’m not sure how you are defining “politics”.
I think your comment can be seen as elitist. The world is not full of educated people, which does not make the uneducated stupid and everyone has or should have a voice in what is going on.
Like I already said there were 2 people in this interview, what upsets you about Dizzy being involved other than he is an uneducated rapper? Entertainers are used because they are public figures and honestly more in touch with the public.
Honestly, this is what I can’t stand about internet commentary. Gege didn’t say that “only” educated ethnic minorities should be put on television, did he?
what did he say then?
its not about dizzee being uneducated, its about him acting like an idiot. not that he IS an idiot, ive heard interviews with him before where he doesnt come across quite so thick, but this wasnt one of them. and the way people are looking at this and saying ‘oooh, dizzee=representative of wider young black male opinion’ is actually quite patronising. he probably *does* echo a lot of other kids’ (although hes actually in his early 20s now) views (or lack of) on the obama victory, but i dont see how broadcasting that does anyone much good. it probably does more harm to show how even if youre stupid, you can still get on newsnight in the name of assumed ‘authenticity’. they could easily have gotten someone from the same background as dizzee but with a bit more political brains. dizzees never been the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to current affairs or politics - just listen to that awful verse on the band aid remake.
I do think Gege is being a little precious. You too mr_irritable
So Newsnight decided to do a story that has had wall-to-wall coverage (apparently, we now care in the UK about the Obama family’s new puppy) a little differently.
So what?
http://vice.typepad.com/vice_magazine/2008/11/london—dizzee.html
@Tu S Tin: his comment’s right there for you to read. But if it helps, what he said was that they always interview entertainers and he wondered why they never interviewed anyone “educated”.
Now, if you want to argue about Gege putting an artificial line between educated people and entertainers as if they’re mutually exclusive, go ahead. But he didn’t say that only educated people should be on TV. Or at least, that’s not what I thought he said. Feel free to show me how I’ve misread it.
This thread is going AWOL.
There are so many reasons for Obama’s success, not least the capability of the man. Dizzy identified one aspect and its not the case that was the only reason. Nor is it the case that it was all down to black voters.
Everyone should be congratulated for their enlightened self-interst by voting for the best man for the job.
Personally, I hope that kids here in Britain start looking at Obama and people like him as their role models, instead of rappers and the sort.
‘Hes just a rascal … Dizzy Rascal …’
I do worry some may need a reminder the goal of the battle is unity and equality, not a power struggle.
Yeah just like 1941.
And 1971!
It would have mead cool if the dude had done a ‘galloway’ (post bethnal green and bro) on paxman’s post election poking. It’s always amusing when these things go out of the media’s control…