Yes, some rappers chant “Fuck Hip-Hop”, not to decry a music and a culture that shaped them, but to denounce its evolution which for some is questionable. On the other hand, for others more limited, hip-hop is purely and simply a subculture to remain polite. Lack of open-mindedness or real belief? It’s important to have enough distance to be able to engage in this thorny debate with peace of mind. History shows that there is still a long way to go. And yes, friends, rap has always had a hard life…

Ah cliché, wonderful clichés! What could be better when you don’t have enough intellectual and cultural baggage than to lock yourself into the simplest, if not the most absurd, preconceptions? It is a fact, delivering protest messages, hip-hop was, at its beginning, a counter-culture coming from the suburbs. Today, and since 2000, the situation has changed somewhat: this movement has largely exceeded the boundaries of the street to integrate popular culture. A democratization largely made possible by artists like Eminem or the Sexion D’Assaut, for us little French. Does this mean that rap has managed to get rid of all its detractors? Far from it! Like Rock N Roll in its time, hip-hop still suffers from a negative reputation among some uninitiated. Politicians, intellectuals, artists and especially Mr. Everyman, all have tried it and admittedly drowned in their own bullshit. As we at Hip-Hop Infos France have a certain empathy, we decided to pay them a tribute.

Charles Ehrmann: beat the subsidies!

The UDF deputy Charles Ehrmann is the first of a long list of detractors, not always well armed in terms of arguments to talk about hip-hop. A historic moment: an intervention that marks the beginning of a relentless struggle for respect and recognition. As good journalists, let’s put his words in context. In 1991, the Ministry of Culture, led by Jack Lang, decided to subsidize the increasingly flourishing hip-hop culture. If one can see that as the beginning of a certain recognition, this decision is far from being unanimous at the time. This intervention of the deputy testifies.

“If one indeed considers […] that, as a general rule, gangs practicing tag, rap, and hip-hop culture profess, through their words and actions, virulent anti-white racism and anti-Semitism, this grant would be so foul that it would not fail to alert all those for whom France’s Judeo-Christian culture, which is at the opposite end of the spectrum from hip-hop, still has meaning.” Anti-white racism? The idea is so absurd that we can’t get enough of it. Want more? No problem, François Grosdidier is here for you.

François Grosdidier takes a stand against French rap music

François Grosdidier is a former UMP deputy from Moselle. You probably remember the 2005 riots in some French suburbs. These events led to the tragic death of Zyed and Bouna in an electrical substation. France was then in a state of near civil war. Thus, to counter-attack against the street, François Grosdidier decided to deploy the big means. He gathered more than 200 members of parliament to file a complaint with the Ministry of Justice. A complaint for incitement to anti-white racism (again). The list of artists involved is long: the Ministry A.M.E.R, Fabe, Salif, Lunatic, Smala, Mr R or 113 among others. In order to justify himself, the politician declared to the journalists of Le Monde:

“The message of violence from these rappers received by uprooted, deculturated youth can legitimize incivility in them, at worst terrorism.

Strong words, but which will finally lead nowhere since the complaint will be rejected thereafter. But the elected representative does not admit defeat. He decided to propose a law to create a crime of attacking the dignity of the State and of France. Again failed, the law will never be voted. And as they say, never two without three, he did it again the following year against Mr. R who he had already mentioned as a troublemaker in the past. He was shocked by the first lines of the rapper in his song “FranSSe”.

“France is a bitch, do not forget to fuck her until she is exhausted, like a bitch it must be treated man. He also railed against the clip showing “naked women rubbing against the French flag.

A new failure for the man who has since become Senator of Moselle. In June 2006, Mr. R was finally released. End of the story. As you can see, perseverance does not pay if the cause is lost in advance.

Alain Finkielkraut: the far-fetched tirade

“Rap is not only the expression of hate, but the apology of easy money. Of course, television plays its role, but it is not the Republic! The Republic is wrong in never daring to say what rap is: harangues as catchphrases, the preaching of hatred, which no one dares to say because it is an art that comes from the suburbs… We are tetanized in front of the phenomenon that should instead find us determined to fight it: here is The unfortunate identity.”

We owe these words to the philosopher Alain Finkielkraut. In March 2015, he delivered a tirade while cordially discussing with Gérard Larcher, the current president of the Senate. He who usually draws his strength from his argument, this time, it is clear that he is attacking a subject that he obviously does not master. Our music has really the hard life…

Robert Charlebois and his crude caricature

In Canada too, ignorance is not to be outdone: in 1995, when he was a guest on Nagui’s music show, Taratata, Canadian singer Robert Charlebois shared his limited vision of rap by offering a poor demonstration of his MC talents. A performance that would make Cortex look like the “Best Rapper Alive”, that’s to say … It was expected: also present on the set to promote his album, the rapper Fabe was quick to react to this gross caricature. Nagui, visibly uncomfortable, will try as best he can to defend his point of view under the pretext of humor. An argument that obviously did not convince the Parisian artist, so much so that he ended up leaving the set. A very bad image for a show supposed to promote all kinds of music.

Sniper Vs. Nicolas Sarkozy: two images of France

Back to 2003, when the mythical French rap group, Sniper released their first album Du Rire Aux Larmes. On this project, Tunisiano attacked head-on a France corrupted by a power-hungry political class. A committed point of view that he will transpose in these terms. “France is a bitch and we were betrayed / The system is what pushes us to hate them / Hatred is what makes our words vulgar / We fuck France under a trend of popular music. Assassin rhymes which will not fail to make react Nicolas Sarkozy, then Minister of the Interior, the Internal Security and the Local Liberties of Jacques Chirac. To qualify the group originating from the Val D’Oise, this last one uses the strong terms of “thugs who dishonor France”. He did not stop there and even decided to file a complaint. In vain, since the Sniper group was finally released, at the request of the prosecutor. Another case that showed the ever-widening border between politicians and rap music. As you can imagine, it is far from being the only one. The year before, Nicolas Sarkozy had already filed a complaint against the French group, La Rumeur.

Orelsan, the bête noire of feminists

Probably the most publicized case of the last decade in France: the legal battle between Orelsan and a coalition of feminist groups and political figures. It all began in 2007: a rapper from Caen, still unknown, released a song entitled “Sale Pute”. An explicit song in which the young artist verbally murders his ex-girlfriend after a difficult breakup. We have to admit that the words are strong and a bit misogynistic, but nothing let foreshadow such a relentlessness. While the title begins to propel the artist on the web, the politicians seize the case. Among them, Valérie Létard, Secretary of State for Solidarity. Once again, the rap has no right to the second degree. She evokes a “call to hatred and incitement to murder”. She will be quickly joined and supported by many other political figures and figures of feminist movements and women’s rights. At the heart of a controversy, Orelsan will even be deprogrammed Francofolies de La Rochelle, because of a decision of Ségolène Royal. This is the beginning of a long legal battle. The next piece Saint-Valentine will not help him. He will be prosecuted for “provocation to discrimination, hatred or violence”. Surprising when you know that none of these tracks were present on his album. Since then, the rapper has made up for it. At the top of his art a few years later, he will ironically evoke his past in the song “Raelsan”: “Thank you watchdogs for the blow of bitch” (in reference to a group of defense of women’s rights bearing this name). The second link of the Casseurs Flowters will finally be retried, then released, no later than February 18. All’s well that ends well, Orel can finally focus on his career.

Shady Vs. Everybody

The transition is quite found. When we talk about a rapper accused of misogyny, we immediately think of Slim Shady. These will not be the only accusations that the great Eminem will be victim of throughout his career. Homophobic, violent, hateful, vulgar, disrespectful, inciting to take drugs are all terms that will be used in an untimely manner by those who choose to take his artistic expression at face value. As you all know, controversy is an integral part of Marshall Mathers’ career. Already a precursor to Shady Vs. Everybody at the time, Eminem refused to justify himself to his detractors for a long time. Until the day before his performance at the Grammy’s on February 21st 2001. Then nominated for the trophy of the best album, the situation explodes. The leagues of defense of the homosexuals rise up in front of the Staples Center of Los Angeles. One protester even said: “This is not someone fighting for the right to free speech, it’s just someone spewing poison and venom to make money. You think that’s absurd? So do we, but rest assured, the Detroit rapper knows how to defend himself! At the time of his consecration at the Grammy’s, he rapped “Stan” with his friend Elton John who remains the muse of homosexual personalities. A thunder of applause for the best answer that will silence once and for all, those who accused him of homophobia.

Who better than Zemmour to talk about Hip-Hop?

Did you catch the subtlety of the irony? Don’t worry, if the intellectual and writer knew anything about rap, it would be known. The author of the very controversial “Suicide Français” has tried to engage in this field. A field that he has apparently never been able to master. It was to be expected, he knows absolutely nothing about it. Live in the Hebdo on France Ô in 2008, the polemicist got bogged down in an anti-rap speech as absurd as it was limited. “I think rap is a subculture of illiterates. But have you heard the lyrics of the rappers? No, but excuse me. Just because it sells, doesn’t mean it’s Rimbaud.” “I think so,” he says. Obviously, we don’t have the same definition of the term. Eric Zemmour may be considered by some as a great thinker, but in terms of rap and open-mindedness, he still has a lot to learn.

Michel Raison doesn’t rap, but skids

Hip-Hop is a topic of debate that politicians talk about a lot. But, by golly, why don’t they take the time to study their subject more thoroughly? A new skid that is part of the long tradition of politicians who are always railing against rap. This time, it’s Michel Raison, former UMP deputy of Haute-Saône who became a senator, who adds his stone to an already very shaky edifice. In 2011, he decided to ask the Minister of Culture to control the distribution of “certain musical works” because of texts that he considers “violent, misogynistic, insulting”. As if caricaturing rap wasn’t enough, he added that this music is largely listened to by “young people in the process of building up who don’t necessarily have the maturity to take a step back”. He could have stopped there and been forgotten, but he had to slip up. According to him, rap is a concentrate of “songs written by certain rap music groups with an immigrant background”. Although he later tried to rectify the situation on several occasions, his comments shocked many urban artists such as Soprano:

“This is not the first time we have heard these things from politicians. Honestly, it’s getting tiresome when they put their noses elsewhere. On the mention of immigration, rap is just a state of mind, it has nothing to do with immigration. Orelsan, who caused a controversy with his song “Sale pute”, is from Caen I think and he is whiter than white.

One more proof that highlights the persistent conflictual relations between rappers and politicians. We would not have enough words to list all the cases.

When Nekfeu keeps his cool

It is clear that when Laurent Ruquier welcomes rappers in his show “On n’est pas couché”, it is sometimes limited. Passing through the set to promote his album Feu, Nekfeu did not escape. You probably remember, on September 19, 2015, talking about his album, the columnist Yann Moix did not go with the back of the spoon:

“You get the impression that it’s Clockwork Orange in a nursery, that it’s guys doing crack, but in the playground of Little Nicholas. There’s something that doesn’t work, because it’s ultra-violence on Care Bear kindness. Ultra trash on sour candies. And the blows you give, it’s with a rattle that you give them, so it doesn’t take. […] I looked at the texts. It’s not that I don’t like, I love rap, but yours cheats. I have the impression that yours falls flat. It’s violence that holds back from being violence. It’s violence that apologizes for doing harm.

Comments that have strongly reacted a community of fans on social networks. Without waiting for them, the rapper had defended himself on the set. In a calm Olympian and despite an obvious discomfort, he replied from the tac to the tac:

“Wisdom is really one of my inspirations. And I’m really happy to have made my violence sweet to your ears. The figures do not lie and Nekfeu remains today one of the most popular and influential artists in France, notwithstanding Yann Moix. Thanks to this album, he even won his first Victoire de la Musique award, ahead of DUC by Booba and Négritude by Youssoupha. Not bad for a Care Bear.

The singer of Kiss wants the death of Rap

To conclude this overview of rap haters, we had to hit hard. As a musician, you’d think Gene Simmons would know a thing or two about it, but I guess not. In an interview with Rolling Stones magazine just a few days ago, the artist always soberly made up confided on the evolution and the future of music. Hold on to your hats, because when you read his words, you wonder if after more than forty years of career, he hasn’t migrated to another planet.

“I’m waiting to see the death of rap. I’m waiting to see music go back to lyrics and melody, instead of talk. A song, to me, is by definition lyrics and melody… or just melody. I don’t have the cultural background to enjoy being a gangster. Of course rap isn’t just that, but that’s where it comes from. It’s its heart and soul. It comes from the street. Rap is going to die. Next year, in ten years, at some point, and then something else will come along. It’s all good and healthy.

So rap would only be talk and would not be characterized by lyrics and melody? Do we explain the principle of this music to him, or do we leave him in his ignorance? One wonders if he doesn’t deserve to get the Oscar for bullshit. The death of rap? What’s next? If the Mayans were wrong in 2012, he won’t be the one to predict the fall of an entire movement. That’s all we needed.

Bonus: the gems of social networks

To finish and because we like you, here is an anthology of the best anti hip-hop comments found on social networks. And for them, what is rap? When we see their answers, we’re glad we didn’t meet them during the recording of our series Parle Moi de Ton Rap. What do you want? Better to laugh than to cry, right? Hang on, because it’s all true. It’s good, it’s fine and it’s eatable. Enjoy!

“Rap is an abomination!”

“Rap…hearing insults and misery there is nothing good”

“Rap has never been music, just mind-numbing sounds!!!”

“Rap has nothing musical about it…it’s vomit.

“Rap is just brainwashing!”

“99% of people don’t like rap music.”

“Rap shows how many people don’t have ears.”

“Rap is the leveling down. Music for dummies”.

“Rap we know what it is: delinquency, city and ouech ouech unemployed.”

“Rap is not music, it is often a disgusting lyrics that insult my country and us Gauls.

And the champion of all champions…

“Rap is the image of an Americanized society and therefore intellectually impoverished because ‘ALL THE CULTURES OF THE WORLD ARE SUPERIOR TO AMERICAN CULTURE’ since this one is not a learned mixture enriched by some compatible cultures such as France or the Arab-Muslim culture, but rather an accumulation of many incompatible cultures whose only rule is the personal or even collective enrichment whatever the social, human or environmental cost!At least in the time of the Roman Empire, Arab-Muslim or Great France or colonial England, there was a great intellectual progress!

Can’t get enough and spotted other anti-rap reactions on social media? Feel free to share them with the community in the comments!

As you can imagine, what we have gathered in this file is only a tiny part of the detractors of Hip-Hop that may exist in our society. With all the negative vibes, some might be led to adopt a fatalistic stance towards this music they love so much. The question is: are rappers doomed to remain cursed poets? Rest assured, the answer is no! You who appreciate this music to its true value, you probably know that in more than forty years of existence, its influence has never been as intense as today. What other style of music can boast of being so rich and varied? Whether mainstream, old school, underground or independent, hip-hop is full of artists who have never stopped innovating and who still do today in order to contribute to the perpetuation of an entire culture. The ultimate proof that its history is still being written. And as long as the public will be there to talk about it and defend its letters of nobility, hip-hop will never stop surprising us.