Balance November 2017 - 31

H E S AY S

NIHAL
Off the record:

Artists have been standing up for their generations for decades. But where are
all the musicians challenging the status quo today? asks Nihal Arthanayake
photography by SWA NI

B

ack in June 1989, American rappers
Public Enemy released a song
called Fight The Power. It became
a rallying call for the disenfranchised, as lead
vocalist Chuck D's messianic lyrical delivery
brought raw political reality laced with
anti-establishment fury into my world.
The song was just one in a long line of
protest songs decrying the state of the world,
undermining received wisdoms and delivering
a body blow to orthodox narratives. I was 18
years old and this band had encouraged me to
question the world around me. It was far more
than just a song; it brought to life a part of my
brain that had hitherto been dormant.

Shout back
@therealnihal
@BalanceLDN

Jong-un and Donald Trump hurling insults at
each other, the biggest selling artists in the US
are Adele, Justin Bieber and Drake. Why are
the most popular singers on Earth avoiding
addressing these issues in their music? Have
tweets really replaced beats?

WHO WILL MAKE AN
ALBUM THAT ADDRESSES
THE ISSUES OF OUR
AGE, THAT CONNECTS WITH
THE DISENFRANCHISED?

ANGRY ANTHEMS
I love rap music. I also love grime. But
instead of taking a stand, we hear
from so many artists that the
pursuit of flashy, designer clad,
supercar-owning lifestyles is
the ultimate goal. Have the
Prophets Of Rage become the
profits of rage, as inner city
exclusion is commodified
for mass consumption? Who
will make an album that
addresses the issues of
our age - that connects
with the disenfranchised?
There may be, as Frank
Ocean sang, 'no church in
the wild' but music must once
again provide us with a voice in
the wilderness. B

In the 1960s, protest songs were at
the heart of commercial music.
Songs like For What It's Worth by
Buffalo Springfield, Blowin' In
The Wind by Bob Dylan, Sam
Cooke's A Change Is Gonna
Come and Aretha Franklin
asking for Respect. From the
1970s and the 1980s, I could
list an exhaustive library of
music dedicated to protesting
against the injustices of the
world. Artists as diverse
as Nina Simone and the
Specials, Bruce Springsteen
and Rage Against The
Machine have all channelled
their anger into creating
anthems for an anxious world.
But where are they now?
At a time when the younger
generation has less chance of
affording a house than their
parents, more job insecurity,
and a world with Kim

Nihal hosts Afternoon Edition on
BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm-4pm,
Monday to Thursday, and the
Asian Network's Big Debate
from 10am-1pm on Friday.

November 2017 BA LA N CE

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance November 2017

Balance November 2017 - 1
Balance November 2017 - 2
Balance November 2017 - 3
Balance November 2017 - 4
Balance November 2017 - 5
Balance November 2017 - 6
Balance November 2017 - 7
Balance November 2017 - 8
Balance November 2017 - 9
Balance November 2017 - 10
Balance November 2017 - 11
Balance November 2017 - 12
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