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Monday, 12 May 2014

Songs to ban from the BBC? - NSFW - Warning songs include the 'n' word, quite a lot in some cases

The BBC have just let a rather elderly local radio DJ go for having the temerity to play 'The Sun Has Got His Hat On' a song that includes the (as it is now almost compulsory to say) 'n' word. This comes soon after they censured Jeremy Clarkson for maybe or maybe not muttering that same word under his breath during a recital of 'Eenie Meenie, Minee Mo'. However I note that at the BBC not all their output is as regularly policed for the 'n' word. There are numerous repetitions of the 'n' word in Pulp Fiction which I think the BBC has broadcast but also in many songs, some of which I have definitely heard on the BBC and others which I doubt the BBC would refuse to play on one of it's 'music' stations.



Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - New York New York



Elvis Costello - Oliver's Army



Stiff Little Fingers - White Noise
This song may have more 'racist' words than any other... lyrics here.



NWA (aka Niggas With Attitude) - Straight Out of Compton



Ice-T - Straight Up Nigga



Ice Cube Ft Lil Jon - Roll Call



Eminem and Biggie and 50 Cent - Realest Nigga



Snoop Dog - Vato



Kelis ft Clipse milkshake remix 



Public Enemy - I don't want to be called Yo Niga 




Now I'll be honest, I only knew the first three songs straight off, the others needed some looking up. 

I do like the output of Grandmaster Flash: it's intelligible, often intelligent and has musicality that is so often missing from the likes of Public Enemy etc. I used to love Elvis Costello's songs although his politics grates more and more now. Stiff Little Fingers are not my favourite punk era band but they had their moments, I'm not sure White Noise is one of them.

After those three there were a huge number of (mostly) American, Gangster Crap (the c is silent) tracks that I could have picked, most of which are unintelligible, unintelligent and lacking any discernible musicality. 

I spent much of my time at school being called 'Yid' or 'Yiddo', did I like it? No. Did I want the people shouting it to stop? Yes. As an adult would I run screaming to the police if someone called me the same today? No, because I'm an adult and those words only cause upset if I allow them to.

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