Oi! what you .......................!

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Drew posits at least one theory himself: that underprivileged young people, living on urban estates, suspect society doesn't much care about them – and thus care little for society. They're casually branded "chavs: council housed and violent", a term no better in Drew's eyes than those used to discriminate along racial and gender lines. "If you're born into a family that has enough money to educate you properly," he goes on, "you are privileged. You're not better than anyone else. You're just lucky. Certain sectors of middle England, not all of them, but the ignorant ones, need to wake up and realise that... and stop ridiculing the poor and less fortunate. That is what this song is about."

at last someone is doing it in popular music again ....

"my manor's ill"

[handsomefortune]

at last someone is doing it in popular music again

it's all about uk youth gaining wider exposure now ..rather than being dismissed as a 'sub' culture? imv nxtgen writer would make an interesting 'composer of the week'! or perhaps appear on 'desert island discs'!

this, wider exposure courtesy of channel 4 .....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06mRZqmNYX4&feature=fvst

and this one, nxt gen's early debut: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0HfD...eature=related

there's lots of digi-made political rap out there, just that only a small section get to hear it, so that's got to change somehow. it wasn't the same for the 'sex pistols', or 'public image'..the latter having major label support, and an audience age range of 10yrs to 50+! imagine greed for monopoloy that huge market today?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EV-Ws0B5oA

closing down community centres, and sacking/intimidating people who work with uk youth, wont stop the current backlash and music trend though.

and, since the 'house of the rising sun' riff, made famous by 'the animals' was used by nxt gen, it's only natural to have an eric burden tune. he's also making pertinent points back in the 60s, 'when i was young' 1967. i often sing the brilliant and ironic line about 'pain more painful, laugh alot louder, when i was young' whilst cooking, or doing domestic chores.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur30bn_3G58

in fact, it's looking like everyone can join in digitally! but it's essential to also bear wider media exposure in mind, and today's rappers have got the hang of implied bad language, rather than explicit, via the edit button. whereas in terms of this specific criteria this one fails:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn_JzGKtjsE&feature=related

if you look at the absolutely vile comments below this utube extract from 'question time' you can see that 'inclusivity' is crucial ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=3ry0LmFP3Ig

it's precisely 'inclusivity' that the yout need to rap about most imv. still, early days - first things first eh!

[Lateralthinking1]

Yes, interesting. I had to think about this carefully. I agree with the sentiments in the last two posts because I do like to see politics in music. I'm also less sure about its strength than I used to be.

At many Billy Bragg gigs, I was alongside "fans" who became what? Liam Fox? In that ball park. Bragg - that monstrosity of a house - also became Liam Fox though talking like Ed Balls. He might as well have been Swaggart or Falwell in my view and his audience their television parishioners. It was betrayal at every level. 25 year long friendships fell because of it. That doesn't happen easily. Still, principles come first. I'm incensed on my own behalf and about twenty fold on behalf of the less fortunate than me.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/billy-bragg-has-absolutely-gigantic-house-201101063402/

Burton Bradstock - Home of Billy Bragg after 15 years of singing about equality

http://www.vauxhallandkennington.org.uk/aylesbury.shtml

Walworth - Was home to many of my relations after up to 65 years of proper work

I'd like to see the kids taking a day out from their manor. We know the conditions. So does everyone else. Most big guns were born with extraordinarily abilities for shrugging their shoulders. They have pulse rates of ten and their average body temperature is about half that of normal people. So instead, get the hoodies and film crew to Chipping Norton. Rap about contracts. We the majority pay for you. Do what you are told by the voters. That kind of thing, following up on that woman's comments. In fact, make it weekly.

Plus, rock and particularly indie rock need to get out of their overly comfortable ghettos. They must get very serious, avoid any style that could be dismissed as cartoon like, and this time really mean it. I'm not sure that I can see it happening.

[John Wright]

Calum, I've only watched/listened to the top youtube. Can't make out the lyrics much or the 'meaning'.

Is the jist of it saying not all council estate inhabitants are yobs and druggies?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yep handsomefortune nxtgen is interesting but i like the anthemic feel of Plan B and that line 'my manor's ill'

lateralthinking i have always failed to connect with Mr Bragg .... as a singer ... as a politico he can be brilliant ... but i had no idea he lived in a pad like that!

[Lateralthinking1]

lateralthinking i have always failed to connect with Mr Bragg .... as a singer ... as a politico he can be brilliant ... but i had no idea he lived in a pad like that!

Calum, I was gutted, particularly as one of my places of escape is the Jurassic Coast. I am not against wealth if it is in the hands of decent people. Bill is never going to be Fred the Shred but I can't square all his preaching with that thing. It is the double standards that make me so mad. Some might say "what about Tony Benn?" At least he didn't actively move to it.

I can't quite bring myself to get rid of the cds although I have come close. There are too many songs I love. He was at his best with domestic observation. Things like "Tank Park Salute", "The Passion" and "The Space Race Is Over" were touching. While some of his political songs were a bit cliched, there was subtlety in songs like "From Red to Blue" and "Between The Wars".

But it really churns my stomach to hear him justifying that excess on the basis that he needed a recording studio and didn't want to disturb people. It is also convenient for the Tolpuddle Festival but really I can't take him seriously anymore. By the way, if you ever go back to smoking, which I hope for your sake you won't, and then you happen to bump into him, for goodness sake stub it out. At Bestival, he really laid into a smoker in the audience in the most rude and dictatorial manner. It was truly dreadful. Lat.

[John Wright]

'They're casually branded "chavs: council housed and violent" '

That's a mythical etymology. I recall the "Cheltenham Average" origin quoted several years ago when Burberry clothing burst into the mass market, probably around 2003.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well the origin of the term is hardly to be settled, nor is it relevant, here .... the use is polemical ... and that track is a very fine piece of polemic i think ..... especially the line 'my manor's ill' .... a brilliant encapsulation of the country imv ... the artist known as Plan B is an intelligent and articulate young man who is contributing greatly to our polis and culture ...

[handsomefortune]

around 2003. ie boomtime john w.

currently, we're socially/economically 'bust', and changes in media perception and language directly reflect the differences imo.

whereas 'burberry' have 'never had it so good' apparently. having been bust, or perceived 'old fashioned' 'burberry' cannily hoisted themselves back up 'out of the doldrums' on the strength of rebranding, and eventually a relaunch to new markets abroad, which continues to keep the company in the red.

that said, there's no accounting for taste, especially where clothes are concerned.

as a rule of thumb, it helps failing brands enormously if designs are adopted by 'the beautiful young things' even if many clothes worn are cheap(er) copies. every little helps any new relaunch image, and social/economic status is temporarily and conveniently forgotten, where 'youth' is the priimary aspect promoted.

lateralthinking1, that's a fairer link than some about 'mistakes in social housing' in aylesbury.

however, it's a good idea to bear in mind the current eye watering price of the ex social housing in marseilles, designed by corbusier. especially with the current drive to 'cleanse' larger cities of people living in social housing. seemingly, what's pronounced 'a moribund housing estate' one year, may well be selling for enormous profit, according to where properties are situated. (i believe there is a corbusier designed building in scotland, which apparently stands semi derelict, having changed use to a rehab cntre.....what a waste! another corbusier 'steamliner' is in india, which r3 did a brilliant programme about last year, perhaps others remember it)?

nevertheless, totally with you 100% on the total hipocrisy of billy bragg's castle, and the shoddy example he sets. . churns my stomach to hear him justifying that excess on the basis that he needed a recording studio and didn't want to disturb people. yeah right! (though i've never been keen tbh whether domestic or political songs, so less of a disappointment. but for hardcore bragg fans, it must be very confusing, to say the least). unfortunately, bragg isn't alone in his extreme hipocrisy, and exploitation of leftist themes. though bragg may well have started out with the very best of intentions.

[handsomefortune]

oops we crossed posts calum da jazbo - (and now 'asda' are apparently muscling in on the 'chav' thing - but too late, and aimed at mums & children. whereas 'burberry' have withdrawn the (hideous) tarten hat... )


whereas 'the council face lift' is still on trend presumably! a lot of people may need a little more 'lift' from their local authorities mind...and a lot more than a hairstyle provides!

[Serial_Apologist]

Book me into a Cheshire Home quick please, someone...

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Cheshire Homer Aged and Vulnerable eh Serial....

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

a talk by Plan B

The reason I've done this is because I got kicked out of school in year 10 and no other schools would take me. I had to go to a pupil referral unit called the Tunmarsh Centre in Plaistow. I was there with other kids from a lot more dysfunctional families than me. They'd been through a lot more than me. And one thing we shared is we didn't have any respect for authority, whether it be teachers or police.

one of the few young persons making it in pop without a public school/rich parent background ...

[Lateralthinking1]

The Real London

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLlYr...eature=related

[cloughie]

What did you expect, after he'd made a bit of cash that BB was going to live in a multi-story in Billericay or somewhere? Get real guys! Would you?