Post 9/11 Blues

December 28, 2006 8:59 AM

"Post 9/11 Blues" by MC Riz, a.k.a. Rizwan Ahmed. The single isn't getting much airplay. You may remember Ahmed as the British Muslim actor who was illegally detained while coming home from the Berlin Film Festival.
posted by stammer (15 comments total)

this "battling the censor" mentality some european artists espouse i think is totally ignorant on one level, and yet maybe one day, especially if "european hip hop" ever crosses over into the united states (which it wont), one could look back at artists like Riz or MIA and call them progressive.

if you're going to say fuck the system, then fuck the system all the way. don't write a blog that's like, "whats up with mtv not picking me up?"

in the meantime, porn rappers from berlin. NSFW
posted by phaedon at 9:31 AM on December 28, 2006

Coincidentally, 9-11 is the age group this is aimed at.
posted by kid ichorous at 10:18 AM on December 28, 2006 [1 favorite]

Musically speaking, it's pretty lousy.
posted by Tacos Are Pretty Great at 10:56 AM on December 28, 2006

If you made the mistake of watching the video, I suggest using the new Ghostface Killah to clean it out of your head.
posted by Tacos Are Pretty Great at 10:57 AM on December 28, 2006

[...] if "european hip hop" ever crosses over into the united states [...]

All the kids on my block are kicking French Gangsta Rap.
posted by triolus at 11:17 AM on December 28, 2006

oh, and by the way, this is how you shoot a music video
posted by phaedon at 11:49 AM on December 28, 2006

yes, a lousy record is a lousy record (is a lousy record); no matter WHAT the story behind it...
posted by fisherKing at 12:41 PM on December 28, 2006

reminds me of kings of myspace. Production is almost as good.
posted by Afreemind2007 at 1:54 PM on December 28, 2006

I agree that this song is lousy no matter what happened to the guy. I'm all for what he's saying...the song just blows.
posted by GavinR at 3:39 PM on December 28, 2006

'especially if "european hip hop" ever crosses over into the united states (which it wont)'

yeah. it's a shame no one over here has heard of 'the streets'.
posted by jcterminal at 4:08 PM on December 28, 2006

broad strokes, poundcake. broad strokes.
posted by phaedon at 6:02 PM on December 28, 2006

jcterminal... I've really tried listening to that guy, but he raps like he's reading off of a cue card. Another thing... I just can't take rap seriously (or any more seriously) when I hear it done with a British accent... I just hear that accent, and I immediately think "prim and proper." I know that there are some hard-as-nails Brits and some talented hip hop heads out of the UK, but I keep waiting for fish and chips references when I hear them rhyme. I'm not trying to take anything away from anyone over there, I just have an image engrained in my head I guess.
posted by grimcity at 6:38 PM on December 28, 2006

grimcity: but I keep waiting for fish and chips references when I hear them rhyme

Me, I'm waiting for the Doctor Who name checks.
posted by kid ichorous at 7:50 PM on December 28, 2006

You guys want to check out Dizzee Rascal or Roots Manuva instead of the Streets,
posted by afx237vi at 5:32 AM on December 29, 2006

man. i used to be obsessed with roots manuva. here's two of his older songs on youtube:
Juggle TIngs Proper and Witness the Fitness and Dusted.
(I was really looking for LeftField's "Chant of a Poor Man" but couldn't find it.)
posted by phaedon at 6:05 AM on December 29, 2006