lxiii. LES ESCROCS
From Mandinka Rap from Mali.
Mixing traditional African instruments with Western-style rap beats, Les Escrocs makes hip-hop music that doesn't deal with guns, girls, or ganja.
Their lyrics focus on local problems, like AIDS, polygamy, corruption, and the changing role of women in society.
This song is about France expelling Africans accused of being illegal aliens. (Michael Haneke made a great film about this, Code Unknown [2000].)
"It showed them no respect. They weren't even allowed to take money out of their bank accounts. Some were thrown out after working as many as twenty years in the country. After all the history of Africans helping France, Africans deserve better. If you must expel people, do so respectfully."
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