Tuesday 26 August 2014

Hip-hop song about PM is 'offensive'

Without doubt extremely tasteless and inappropriate it is also a natural reaction on the part of young people to the phenomenon of a criminal government.

An apropos comment from Kevin Hester - 

"It is John Key who brutalised this country not Hip Hop 

singers"


PM death threat in hip hop song
An Auckland hip-hop crew slammed for releasing a song with lyrics that apparently include a threat to kill Prime Minister John Key are urging young people to enrol to vote.


26 August, 2014

Kill The PM, by @peace, depicts a golfing, luxury car-driving Key, and says he should die - "ain't doin' nothin' so I'm gonna kill the prime minister".

It continues: "I been tryin' to get a job but they got none/so I instead I got a sawnoff shotgun/and 'pop'."

A spokesman for Police National Headquarters said today they were looking into the lyrics.

"Police is aware of the track - it is currently being assessed to determine any issues from a police perspective."

The Electoral Commission was not available to comment but confirmed they were also evaluating the song's lyrics.

The @peace crew is fronted by Tom Scott, formerly of Homebrew, along with Lui Tuiasau and Hayden "Dick Dastardly" Dick.

The group declined an invitation to speak about their song last night but today released a statement via Facebook.

In it, they urge young people to enrol to vote and explaining that @peace was not making genuine threats against the Prime Minister, nor planning to have sex with his daughter, Stephanie Key, as also suggested in the lyrics.

The most recent figures available from the Electoral Commission show that almost 124,000 of people aged under 25 who are eligible to vote have not yet enrolled.

The Facebook post from @peace urges supporters to defend their right to critique political leaders and make sure they vote.

In the lead-up to the 2011 election, Homebrew released a track attacking tax cuts for the rich and a low minimum wage.

Key was today reluctant to comment on the song.

‘‘I just don't think it's worth dignifying with a response,’’ he said.

He said it made him uncomfortable his daughter was targeted in the lyrics.

Last night a spokesman for Key said the PM had no plans to listen to the song.

"He will leave it to others to judge."

Kill the PM, which is available for download, is also being hosted on Internet Party founder Kim Dotcom's file-sharing site Mega.

Dotcom tweeted about the song today:''For the record: A song about killing John Key is a S..T song and unlawful too. Please report #Mega links to our takedown team.''

For the record: A song about killing John Key is a SHIT song and unlawful too. Please report links to our takedown team.


''I know a lot of you are angry. But violence is not the way. Your weapon is your vote. Use it. And tell others to use it too," he said in another tweet.

I know a lot of you are angry. But violence is not the way. Your weapon is your vote. Use it. And tell others to use it too.


Last month, Dotcom encouraged a crowd at Internet's "party party" in Wellington to chant: "F... John Key."

@peace received $6000 in funding from NZ On Air last month to make a music video for their track Gravity.

Homebrew boasted a substantial Kiwi fanbase, and were nominated in four categories at the 2012 New Zealand Music Awards - winning one award.


I don't in any way condone this sort of message, but think the most appropriate response on the part of the authorities would be to ignore it and let it go away.

But as with Planet Key, which IS a harmless bit of satire we have seen that is not the mood of the authorities.

I believe in people making up their own mind - so am posting the song.

If you look at their Facebook page this is the last item with the message


"That last song didn't work but this one's sure to get the youth voting"

so just maybe their intention wasn't all bad?

PS. In fact, read this:

Response to "Kill The PM" Song Coverage


Tuesday, 26 August 2014, 12:46 pm
Press Release: at-peace
[@peace Facebook post]

Now that I have your attention, may I remind you that

130,000 ELIGIBLE PEOPLE UNDER 25 HAVE NOT YET ENROLLED.

The current PM does not care about these people. He does not care about the growing gap between the rich and the poor in our country. He does not care about the native people of our country. He does not care about the planet we depend upon to survive, the living organism that we as humans are a functioning part of. He does not care about the right we should all have to an education. He only cares about him and his friends.

I do not want to literally kill this man. I do not wish to have sexual relations with anybody related to him. Let's not pretend a silly little song ever changed anything. Last I seen famine was still going pretty strong since 'Heal The World' came out. It's just a song. No different from Thatcher era punk. Anyone ever heard "Maggie you're a cunt"..?

What's important is that we ENROL TO VOTE so that we have a chance to select someone to represent us who understands the concept of empathy.

I'm fed up with this dude. But if you want to vote for him, that's your choice. Personally, I'm voting Greens but you can vote for whoever you like. You can choose between a whole bunch of different people who represent a whole bunch of different ideologies. That's the beauty of the political system in NZ.

Please respect my right to express my disappointment for the leader of our country.


ENROL


VOTE

Peace.


Tom



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