M.I.A. is Chuck D on a higher level. The London born M.C. is on point with her new video, “Born Free”. Some might see it as controversial, I see it as a harsh truthful reality. The politically active M.I.A. gets her message across clearly in this epic nine minute video. In 2006 M.I.A. was barred from entering the U.S. on account of her controversial lyrics and her father’s affiliation to the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS) an organization in which he founded and the American government deemed a terrorist organization. The group fought against the opposition in Sri Lanka’s civil war. Politics are evident in M.I.A.’s music and in this video she flips the script on the U.S., and as a fan of hip hop it’s dope when I see an artist plain and simple expressing themselves through their music. The mic is their soap box and when they use it, like M.I.A., it’s inspirational.
In the past M.I.A. has expressed her feelings on the War on Terror and its global impact stating that;
‘You can’t separate the world into two parts like that, good and evil. Terrorism is a method, but America has successfully tied all these pockets of independence struggles, revolutions, and extremists into one big notion of terrorism.’
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This video shows American terrorism in a way that is graphic, shocking and incredibly violent. The symbolism is evident, hate, prejudice, racism, no liberties and no right. In the UK the anti-ginger campaigns are practiced by those who hate people with red hair and consider them to be deformity; therefore “Gingers” are constantly harassed and ridiculed.
M.I.A. takes it to the extreme in “Born Free” but uses the red haired victims to illustrate an unjust and lawless society. The video shows persecution on all levels and you can substitute the red haired victims with blacks, Jews, gays or Native Americans, all groups that have faced prejudice throughout history. M.I.A.’s fearless portrait of how hate and prejudice still exist is why she wasn’t allowed in the U.S. Take a look at M.I.A.’s “Born Free”.
-@DaRealShaka |EDITOR, NEWS/POLITICS|
