French rapper Freeze Corleone is under investigation over his allegedly anti-semitic song lyrics after several officials and organisations raised an outcry, writes Daily Mail.
The Senegal-based 28-year old artist's debut studio album “La Menace Fantome” (“The Phantom Menace”), released on 11 September, soared to number three in the country’s charts, selling more than 15,000 copies and attracting 5.2 million listeners on the Spotify digital music platform in just three days.
However, the rapper’s lyrics include the line “F**k the Shoah (Holocaust)!” along with lines such as “I arrive determined like Adolf in the 1930s,” and, “Every day I f**k Israel like I live in Gaza.”
In an announcement on 17 September, France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin denounced the rapper for his “unspeakable antisemitism and negationism”, confirming that his ministry would be pursuing legal action.
The minister also urged social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook “not to spread this filth”.
Paris Prosecutor Remy Heitz also emphasised that Corleone was being investigated for 'inciting racial hatred' based on the content of his songs and videos posted online.
Earlier, Frederic Potier, the inter-ministerial delegate for the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and anti-LGBT hatred (Dilcrah), had reported the rapper to the public prosecutor's office. The International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism, known by its French acronym Licra, slammed Corleone, saying on Twitter that “impunity must end”.
In its post, the organisation also tagged music streaming sites and apps, including Google Play and Apple Music.
(1/2) Antisémitisme, complotisme, apologie d'Hitler, du IIIe Reich et du terroriste Mollah Omar, le rappeur @freezecorleone fait business de son obsession des juifs #hatemoney avec @YouTube, @GooglePlayMusic, @AppleMusic, @spotifyfrance, @DeezerFR, @amazonmusic et @TIDAL pic.twitter.com/xOeSEECw2m
— Licra (@_LICRA_) September 16, 2020
Some 50 politicians, along with French President Emmanuel Macron's LREM party, condemned the rapper, while some also urged digital platforms to remove Corleone's songs and for radio stations to ban them.
Netizens were split on social media in their approach to the rapper’s controversial lyrics. Most slammed them as “pure antisemitism”.
Disrespectful to families and survivors
— Kat Free (@KatFree6) September 17, 2020
Pure Antisemitism.
— Arye (ARO) Sharuz Shalicar (@aryeshalicar) September 17, 2020
Arrogant,ignorant turd.
— Jonathan Coffer (@originalJcoffer) September 17, 2020
Just I don't have words
— Leya ✨| #NMA | normal era (@leyakutsu) September 17, 2020
How is this not hate speech?
— Ant Mc (@ionlyplaymaumau) September 17, 2020
Definitely antisemitism! He isn’t even a rapper just saying shit he doesn’t know nothing about
— nada (@thuglif12) September 17, 2020
Some, however, commented that people were just “taking the lyrics out of context”.
You just don't understand the lyrics and it's just few punchlines out of context. If you go listening the entire song you will see that's far far away to be racist. You should watch the lyrics and the significations on Rap genius.
— le_play naunau (@LeNaunau) September 17, 2020
it’s less holocaust denial and more putting it in perspective by comparing it to other mass genocides such as native americans which overall, people seem to think about less often.
— jtp (@jamesxprophet) September 17, 2020
